TicketsDec. 3, 2009
CINCINNATI - University of Cincinnati senior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard (Bunnell, Fla./Flagler Palm Coast) was named to the American Football Coaches Association Coaches' all-America team, the AFCA announced Thursday.
Gilyard is the second UC player to earn a spot on the AFCA all-America team, after former punter Kevin Huber earned the honor in 2008.
Gilyard has 75 catches for 1,032 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, leading the BIG EAST in receptions per game. He has a 93.8 yards-per-game average and had four 100-yard receiving games in 2009.
He is the school's all-time leading receiver with 2,844 yards has tallied 1,032 yards this season and finished with a school-record 1,276 yards a year ago. He is the first UC wideout to break 1,000 yards in two-straight seasons.
He holds the school record for receiving touchdowns (24) and kickoff return touchdowns (3). He has 192 career receptions, needing 13 more this season to surpass UC's all-time leaders Dominick Goodman and LaDaris Vann (204).
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. The AFCA teams are the only ones chosen exclusively by coaches themselves.
The AFCA's Football Bowl Subdivision All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine FBS districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee.
The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts, that information, along with ballots submitted by FBS head coaches, are used to select the AFCA FBS Coaches' All-America Team.