Six Alabama players named to SEC Preseason Coaches Teams

BIRMINGHAM | University of Alabama football players Simeon Castille, Andre Smith, Antoine Caldwell, Prince Hall, Wallace Gilberry and Jamie Christensen were among the players selected to the 2007 Southeastern Conference Coaches Preseason All-SEC Football Teams.

The LSU Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks led all teams with 12 players selected to the teams, which were announced Thursday morning by the conference office.

There were first, second and third-teams selected for this year’s coaches preseason squad.

Auburn had eight players selected to the three squads followed by Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee with six each. Georgia and Vanderbilt had five each while Mississippi State had four and Ole Miss had three selections.

Each SEC institution had at least one player selected to the first-team with LSU leading the way with five. Tennessee and Vanderbilt had three each while Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss had two players selected to the first-team.

Arkansas junior running back Darren McFadden was the only unanimous choice for first-team pre-season All-SEC by the league’s coaches. Since coaches cannot vote for their own players, the Little Rock, Ark. native was listed on 11 of 12 ballots.

Of the 78 student-athletes named to the first, second and third teams, seven are sophomores, 23 are juniors and 48 are seniors.

Castille was a first-team defense selection. Smith and Caldwell each were named to the second-team offense. Hall was selected for the second-team defense. Gilberry made the third-team defense, and Christensen was named to the third-team special teams unit.

McFadden, Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher, Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs, Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett, Florida defensive lineman Derrick Harvey, Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo and Mississippi State defensive back Derek Pegues were the only underclassmen (all juniors) to make first-team honors.

LSU offensive lineman Will Arnold, Bennett, McFadden, Auburn defensive lineman Quentin Groves and Georgia placekicker Brandon Coutu were repeat first-team selections from the 2006 Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Team.

Arkansas’ Felix Jones earned second-team All-SEC honors as a running back and

This is the fourth year of the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. It is released in advance of the 2007 SEC Football Media Days, which will be held July 25-27 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover.

Media in attendance at SEC Football Media Days will vote on the All-SEC Team and a predicted order of finish for the league.