6 Hawkeyes Garner Additional All-League Honors

6 Hawkeyes Garner Additional All-League Honors

Dec. 4, 2012

IOWA CITY, Iowa — College Sports Madness has named six University of Iowa football players to its Big Ten All-Conference team.

Senior Micah Hyde (defensive back) and junior Jordan Cotton (kick returner) were named to the first team. Junior Anthony Hitchens (linebacker) was selected to the second team and Hyde (punt returner), junior James Morris (linebacker), senior James Ferentz (offensive line) and junior Mike Meyer (kicker) were named to the third team.

Hyde (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) is a native of Fostoria, Ohio. He was named this year’s recipient of the Big Ten’s Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Award and was named first team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media. Hyde started all 38 games over his final three seasons and played in all 51 games throughout his career. He recorded 240 career tackles to tie for 34th on Iowa’s career tackle list. He is tied for 18th in career interceptions (8-142 yards) and had four forced and three recovered fumbles in his career. He had interception returns of 72 and 66 yards for touchdowns as a sophomore, which are the 10th and 12th longest returns in school history. Hyde averaged 7.5 yards on 27 punt returns the last two seasons. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2011, and was honorable mention in 2010.

Cotton (6-1, 185) hails from Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He recorded 12 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown in 2012. Cotton returned 19 kicks for 536 yards (28.2), including a 92-yard touchdown return against Penn State.

Morris (6-2, 230) has started 29 games in his three seasons, and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from both coaches and media in 2011 and from league media in 2012. The Solon, Iowa, native has collected 293 career tackles to rank 16th in career stops. Among his tackles in 2012 were nine for loss, which shared the team lead.

Hitchens (124) and Morris (113) ranked first and second on the team in tackles. Hitchens (6-1, 224), a native of Lorain, Ohio, completed his first season as a starter, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors from league coaches and media.

Ferentz (6-2, 284), an Iowa City native, started all 38 Iowa games over the last three seasons. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors from both coaches and media in 2011. In 2012, he was named second-team All-Big Ten by vote of the conference coaches and earned honorable mention honors from league media.

Meyer had an outstanding season while leading the team in scoring with 76 points en route to honorable mention all-conference honors from league media and coaches. Meyer (6-2, 185) is a Dubuque, Iowa, native who made 17-of-21 field goal attempts. He was perfect on his 25 PAT kicks, extending his school-record streak to 81 in a row. He was one of 20 semifinal candidates for the Lou Groza Award.