University of Memphis Athletics
Miller, Pollard and Carter Add All-America Honors
Dec 11, 2017 | Football
MEMPHIS – One day after the team banquet and the awards from the Tiger coaching staff, the Memphis football team had three players add various All-America honors, Monday.
Senior wide receiver Anthony Miller was named a first team All-America honoree by the Associated Press, and earned second team honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Sophomore kick returner Tony Pollard was named a first team honoree by the FWAA and freshman T.J. Carter was named to ESPN.com's Freshman All-America team.
Miller is capping a career that saw him walk on at Memphis without a scholarship and walk out of the program as the Tigers' all-time leading receiver with virtually every receiving record to his credit. A finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, Miller already owns Memphis single game, single season and career marks in three categories: catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
With the upcoming AutoZone Liberty Bowl still to play (Dec. 30, 11:30 am, ABC), Miller ranks second in the NCAA in receiving yards (1,407), receiving yards per game (117.3) and receiving touchdowns (17). He is also fifth in the country with 7.7 yards per game, despite playing the first game of the season in the remnants of Hurricane Harvey and losing one regular season game to Hurricane Irma. His 37 consecutive games with a catch is the second-longest streak in Memphis history and ranks eighth in the country among active streaks. He was also named a second team All-America honoree by Sports Illustrated last week and is a two-time all-AAC wide receiver.
Pollard earned first team honors from the FWAA, his second first-team All-America honor after being named a Walter Camp All-America honoree last week. Pollard leads the country in kickoff return yards (42.4 ypr) and kickoff return touchdowns (4). The two-time defending American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, Pollard is also one of just two players in the country this season with four kickoff return touchdowns. Two of Pollard's return touchdowns this season were for 100 yards. In his two year Memphis career, he now has six kick return touchdowns.
Pollard has also taken on a bigger role in the Memphis offense this season, wish 34 catches for 501 yards and four touchdowns and 22 rushes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Carter was honored by ESPN after tying the Memphis freshman record for interceptions, with five. A starter in every game in his first year in Memphis, Carter finished second in the American Athletic Conference in interceptions (5), adding nine pass break ups and 61 tackles. Carter, a Nashville native, recovered a fumble on his first collegiate snap and is heading in to his first career bowl appearance with two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
The Memphis football team is currently in final exams and has begun bowl prep for a Dec. 30th meeting against Iowa State out of the Big 12 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Tigers appearance in the hometown bowl game marks the first in the 59 years in the history of the bowl and tickets have been moving quickly. Memphis and Iowa State each sold out of their respective allotments and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl is selling all of the remaining tickets at www.libertybowl.org.
