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Vandals' Iupati named AFCA All-American

by Univ. of Idaho Athletics

Idaho senior guard Mike Iupati is an American Football Coaches Association All-American, the AFCA announced Thursday.

Iupati, who moved to the United States when he was 14 and is a graduate of Western (Anaheim, Calif.) High School, is one of 24 players voted to the team by the AFCA membership. He is Idaho's first AFCA All-American since Ryan Phillips in 1995 and the Vandals' first since they moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) in 1996.

Iupati, a finalist for the Outland Trophy which honors college football's best interior lineman, earned the recognition as a key piece of a Vandal offense that has been one of the most productive in the last decade. His impact on the team is underscored in his being voted the Vandals' offensive captain last August.

During Idaho's 7-5 regular-season campaign, Iupati played 807 snaps. He had 49 knockdowns, 21 pancakes, allowed only five pressures and no sacks in grading out at 90 percent or better every game.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945. Here is the 2009 team:

Offense
WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame; WR Mardy, Cincinnati; TE Dennis Pitta, Brigham Young; OL Mike Johnson, Alabama; OL Russell Okung, Oklahoma St.; C Chris Hall, Texas; OL Trent Williams, Oklahoma Bob Stoops;OL Mike Iupati, Idaho; QB Colt McCoy, Texas; RB Mark Ingram, Alabama; RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford.

Defense

DL Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; DL Jerry Hughes, TCU; DL Jared Odrick, Penn St.; DL Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech; DL Brian Price, UCLA; LB Rolando McClain, Alabama; LB Greg Jones, Michigan St.; DB Eric Berry, Tennessee; DB Joe Haden, Florida; DB Javier Arenas, Alabama; DB Earl Thomas, Texas.

Specialists
P Drew Butler, Georgia; PK Kai Forbath, UCLA; AP C.J. Spiller, Clemson.­­­­­