Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three Eagles Earn Preseason Honors from The Sporting News
5/11/2006 4:25:00 PM | Football
Deslauriers, Howe and Wellock singled out by The Sporting News
YPSILANTI, Mich. - Three Eastern Michigan University football seniors have been selected as preseason All-Mid-American Conference players for the 2006 season by The Sporting News. The preseason MAC team will be released in The Sporting News' 2006 National College Football Yearbook in June.
Wide receiver Eric Deslauriers (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada-Lennoxville College Prep), defensive lineman Kevin Howe (Fruitport, Mich.-Grand Haven) and placekicker Andrew Wellock (Canton, Ohio-Green) were the Eagles picked for the MAC preseason team. In addition, Wellock was chosen to the All-American checklist by The Sporting News.
Deslauriers, originally recruited as a quarterback by EMU, has developed into one of the top receivers in the nation during the past two seasons. He caught 75 passes for 874 yards and eight touchdowns last year which tied him for 15th in the NCAA in receptions with 6.82 per games, and 39th in receiving yards with 79.45. Deslauriers enters the 2006 season as the EMU career leader in touchdown receptions (22) and he is second in career receptions with 174. During his career he has caught 174 passes for 2,352 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Howe, originally a tight end, was moved to the defensive line midway through the 2003 season and has developed into a top-ranked player during the past two seasons. He was named second-team All-MAC last year after turning in a breakout season with 55 tackles, including 10.5 sacks for 69 yards in losses, which tied for sixth in the NCAA Division I ranks and his 16.5 tackles-for-loss of 85 yards tied for 20th in the NCAA.
Wellock has been one of the best placekickers in the nation since breaking onto the scene as a true freshman in 2003. He was a runner-up for the Lou Groza Award, which goes annually to the top placekicker in the NCAA Division I ranks, as a sophomore in 2004, was a semifinalist in 2003, and on the Groza Watch List in 2005. He made 21-of-23 field goals and 32-of-33 PAT's in 2003 and was named third-team All-American by the Associated Press. During his three-year career he has kicked a school-record 53 field goals and has tied the record for longest in EMU history with two 52 yarders to his credit.
