Dec. 5, 2001
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Sixteen members of the San Diego State football squad have been selected to the all-Mountain West Conference team, announced Wednesday by the league office.
Three Aztecs were selected to the all-conference first team, and three were named to the second team. Ten were awarded honorable mention.
Senior defensive back Will Demps, senior offensive lineman David Moreno and senior running back Larry Ned earned first-team honors. Senior defensive lineman Jerome Haywood, junior punter Brian Simnjanovski and junior wide receiver J.R. Tolver were selected to the all-conference second-team.
Honorable mention selections from San Diego State include defensive lineman Andrew Brigham, linebackers Jomar Butler, Kirk Morrison and Dylan Robles, defensive backs Garret Pavelko and Ricky Sharpe, offensive linemen Jonathan Ingram and Chester Pitts, tight end Gray McNeill, and kick returner Donte Gamble.
Demps, the lone first-team pick for SDSU last year, was once again the conference's top choice for strong safety. The former walk-on from Palmdale led the team with 92 total tackles for the season, a figure that ranked seventh in the conference. Demps also registered a team-best nine tackles for loss and had two interceptions.
Moreno, a second-team selection last year, was San Diego State's most consistent lineman throughout the 2001 campaign, grading out at just under 90 percent for the season. The Poway native also yielded just 2.5 sacks and was flagged just once despite being on the field for 741 plays.
Ned finished his career with 3,652 total rushing yards, the second highest in San Diego State history. The Doak Walker semi-finalist and two-time conference player of the week finished the season ranked fourth nationally in rushing, averaging 140.8 yards per contest.
Haywood, the four-time second-team all conference selection finished his career with 45 consecutive career starts. Both Simnjanovski and Tolver earned second-team honors last year.
The all-conference team is voted by the league's eight head coaches and media.