Colorado State University Athletics
Rams' Johnson named All-America by College Football News
1/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 15, 2009
By Kaity Mallo
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State running back Gartrell Johnson has been named by College Football News an honorable-mention All-American, the publication announced this week.
The honor is the latest in a long line of accolades garnered by Johnson, a 6-foot, 227-pound back from Miami Springs, Fla. Johnson also earned first-team all-Mountain West honors, CSU’s Fum McGraw Most Valuable Player, and the New Mexico Bowl Offensive Player of the Game.
Johnson currently is in Houston, Texas, where he’s preparing for Saturday’s East-West Shrine Game. Johnson, who joins Boise State’s Ian Johnson and TCU’s Aaron Brown in the backfield for the West squad, is hoping to gain an invitation to the NFL combine after this weekend. Last season, CSU’s Jesse Nading played in the contest before signing with the Houston Texans as a free agent.
The Mountain West’s 2008 rushing leader, Johnson ranked 13th in the nation (113.5 yards per game). He became the first CSU player to lead the conference in rushing since Cecil Sapp in 2002, claiming the title in a victorious New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 20) with a CSU bowl-record and career-high 285 rushing yards, the second-most ever in a single game by a Rams player. He also had 90 receiving yards, totaling 375 combined rushing and receiving yards, most ever by a player in an NCAA bowl game.
All told, 11 Mountain West Conference football players from six league institutions were named as All-Americans for the 2008 season.
BYU and Utah each placed three student-athletes apiece on College Football News's honorable-mention lists. The Cougars were represented by wide receiver Austin Collie, tight end Dennis Pitta and offensive tackle Dallas Reynolds, while quarterback Brian Johnson, defensive end Paul Kruger and cornerback Sean Smith comprised the Utah contingent. Also joining CSU’s Johnson as honorable mention were Air Force kicker Ryan Harrison and New Mexico punt returner Ian Clark.
The MWC's 11 student-athletes to reach CFN All-America status ties the highest amount for the league in a single season. The previous record was set in 2007.
