Three Gorillas Earn Preseason Football All-America Honors - KOAM TV 7

Three Gorillas Earn Preseason Football All-America Honors

PITTSBURG — A trio of Pitt State players have been tabbed as 2012 NCAA Division II Preseason All-Americans by Beyond Sports Network.

Junior wide receiver/return specialist John Brown and junior linebacker Nate Dreiling both were named to the first-team All-America squad, while junior offensive tackle Cody Holland was named to the honorable mention All-America list.

Brown recorded three special teams scores in 2011, averaging 13.7 yards per punt return and 25.1 yards per kickoff return. The Homestead, Fla., native compiled 2,293 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns on the season. He caught 61 passes for 1,216 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Dreiling, the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-America in 2011, made 139 tackles with 17.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 quaterback sacks.  The Hutchinson, Kan., native also recorded a team-leading seven interceptions, while adding six pass breakups.

Holland, from Neoso, Mo., helped pave the way up front for a Pitt State offense that averaged 40.2 points and 448.5 total yards per game. The Gorillas averaged 258.0 rushing yards and 190.5 passing yards on the season. Pitt State allowed just 10 quarterback sacks in 296 pass attempts on the season.

The Gorillas, the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, open preseason drills Aug. 19.