Tailback/kick returner Rafael Little and linebacker Wesley Woodyard were named second-team Sophomore All-America by the CollegeFootballNews.com website.
Little, from Anderson, S. C., was named as both a running back and punt returner. He led the Southeastern Conference and ranked fifth nationally in both all-purpose yardage and punt returns. He averaged 180.2 all-purpose yards per game, the fifth-highest mark in league history, and broke the school record held by Derek Abney. He averaged 16.9 yards per punt return. As a running back, he rushed for 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns and also was the team?s leading pass receiving with 46 catches.
This honor adds to a long list of accolades for Little this season, including first-team All-SEC laurels from Associated Press and CollegeFootballNews.com.
Woodyard, of LaGrange, Ga., led the team with 100 tackles, including a team-high seven tackles for loss. He was second in the SEC in fumble recoveries with four. He also had one interception and five pass breakups during the season.
Phillips, Mitchell to Participate in Magnolia Classic: Kentucky offensive coordinator Joker Phillips and wide receiver Scott Mitchell will participate in the first Magnolia Gridiron All-Star Classic, which will be played Saturday, Dec. 24, at noon EST at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss.
The Magnolia Classic will match a team of Division I-A seniors against a team from Division I-AA, Division II, and other schools. Phillips will be head coach of the I-A team and Northwestern State coach Scott Stoker will guide the small-school players. Mitchell caught 23 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns during the 2005 season.
The Magnolia Classic helps fill the void left by defunct all-star games such as the Blue-Gray Game, Gridiron Classic, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities Game, said organizer Darry Alton.
Originally, game officials planned to stage the first Magnolia Classic after the 2006 season, but hurried to stage this year?s game after hearing reports of another all-star game being organized. Plans were announced barely more than a week before gameday.
(Editor?s note: the majority of the information for this story is from a report by Joedy McCreary of The Associated Press.)
