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More All-American Nods for Lehigh Players

Two more All-American teams were announced with Lehigh players on them this year, one from the ECAC and the other from the Associated Press.

Senior LB Matt Cohen added to his Walter Camp All-American nod by making it to both the ECAC and Associated Press All-America Teams. The ECAC list, given to the best football players in the Eastern region, was a first-team selection, while the national AP list was a second-team selection. It's great to see the quiet Allentown, PA native get recognition for his great defensive performance as a member of the Mountain Hawks. Cohen wrapped up his Lehigh career with 177 total tackles, 18.5 sacks and 44 tackles-for-loss (which may not be an official Patriot League record, but it most likely is).

Senior DT B.J. Benning got his first all-America as a part of the ECAC team. This put Benning in such heady company as James Madison senior DL Ryan Moats and William & Mary senior DE Adrian Tracy, both in the running for the Buck Buchanan award for the best defensive player in FCS for 2009. The Maryland native ranked second in the Patriot League this season with 7.5 sacks and eighth in the league with 9.0 tackles-for-loss (right behind Cohen).

Finally, junior OL Will Rackley got third team all-America nods nationally as a part of the Associated Press all-American team. He's the first all-American on Lehigh's "O" line since C John Reese. He joins three FCS linemen on that all-American team that have a fighting chance to play on Sundays, like Harvard senior OL James Williams, Montana senior OL Levi Horn and Villanova junior OL Ben Ijanala.

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