Appel Named to Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Jul 18, 2005 | Football
July 18, 2005
The Texas A&M football team was picked to finish third in the Big 12 Conference's south division, and senior Jaxson Appel was named to the preseason all-conference team, the league office announced Monday.
In a poll of media that covers the conference, Colorado was picked to defend its North Division championship with Texas favored to win the south.
The Buffaloes were followed by Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas State and Kansas in the north, while Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor followed the Longhorns in the south.
Appel, a defensive back from Friendswood, Texas, was the Aggies' lone representative on the media's preseason All-Big 12 team.
A preseason first-team All-America selection, Appel has been named to the Thorpe Award and Bednarik Award watch lists. He needs nine tackles to become the school's all-time tackles leader for a defensive back. Appel has 289 stops and could join former All-Americans Dat Nguyen and Ed Simonini as A&M's only three-time tackle leaders.
An All-Big 12 selection by The Associated Press last season, Appel has eight career interceptions as a three-year starter for the Aggies. He has started in 33 games including 25 straight, and led the Aggies in 2004 with 85 tackles as the team posted a 7-5 record and appeared in the SBC Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.
Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) was named Preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Rodrique Wright (Texas) was selected Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Zac Taylor (Nebraska) was chosen Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
The winners of the North and South divisions will square off for the 2005 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Dec. 3, at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC at 12 p.m. CT.
Big 12 teams will be in Houston this week for the annual Big 12 Football Media Day. Texas A&M will meet the media Tuesday afternoon and coverage will be posted on AggieAthletics.com. The Aggies open the regular season on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. (CDT) when they travel to Clemson in a game televised nationally by ABC.
2005 Big 12 Media Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)
NORTH DIVISION 1. Colorado (25) 257 2. Iowa State (14) 231 3. Nebraska (5) 204 4. Missouri (5) 170 5. Kansas State (1) 111 6. Kansas 78 SOUTH DIVISION 1. Texas (40) 287 2. Oklahoma (9) 248 3. Texas A&M (1) 195 4. Texas Tech 162 5. Oklahoma State 104 6. Baylor 51
2005 Big 12 Media Preseason Football Team (Media Vote)
- Offense
Jarrett Hicks, Texas Tech (WR,6-4,209 Jr/2L, Houston, Texas)
David Thomas, Texas (TE, 6-3, 245, Sr/3L, Wolfforth, Texas)
Tony Palmer, Missouri (OL, 6-2, 325, Sr/3L, Midwest City, Okla.)
Davin Joseph, Oklahoma (OL, 6-4, 312, Sr/3L, Hallandale, Fla.)
Kurt Mann, Nebraska (C, 6-3, 285, Jr/1L, Grand Island, Neb.)
Justin Blalock, Texas (OL, 6-4, 329, Jr/2L, Plano, Texas)
Jonathan Scott, Texas (OL, 6-7, 310, Sr/3L, Dallas, Texas)
Todd Blythe, Iowa State (WR, 6-5, 205, So/1L, Indianola, Iowa)
Vince Young, Texas (QB, 6-5, 230, Jr/2L, Houston, Texas)
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (RB, 6-2, 210, So/1L, Palestine, Texas)
Taurean Henderson, Texas Tech (RB, 5-10, 205, Sr/3L, Gatesville, Texas)
Mason Crosby, Colorado (PK, 6-2, 200, Jr/2L, Georgetown, Texas)
Willie Andrews, Baylor (KR, 5-10, 190, Sr/3L, Longview, Texas)
Defense
Nick Leaders, Iowa State (DL, 6-2, 290, Sr/3L, Omaha, Neb.)
Larry Birdine, Oklahoma (DL, 6-5, 251, Jr/2L, Lawton, Okla.)
Dusty Dvoracek, Oklahoma (DL, 6-3, 294, Sr/3L, Lake Dallas, Texas)
Rodrique Wright, Texas (DL, 6-5, 305, Sr/3L, Houston, Texas)
Nick Reid, Kansas (LB, 6-4, 230, Sr/3L, Derby, Kan.)
Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma (LB, 6-1, 225, Jr/1L, Baton Rouge, La.)
Aaron Harris, Texas (LB, 6-0, 235, Sr/3L, Mesquite, Texas)
Charles Gordon, Kansas (DB, 5-11, 170, Jr/RS, Carson, Calif.)
Daniel Bullocks, Nebraska (DB, 6-1, 205, Sr/3L, Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Michael Huff, Texas (DB, 6-1, 205, Sr/3L, Irving, Texas)
Jaxson Appel, Texas A&M (DB, 6-0, 198, Sr/3L, Friendswood, Texas)
Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor (P, 6-3, 222, Jr/2L, Dallas, Texas)
Danny Amendola, Texas Tech (PR, 5-11, 174, So/1L, The Woodlands, Texas)
