July 31, 2012. Jeremy Kimbrough (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove) and Demetrius McCray (Covington, Ga./Newton) continued to rake in preseason all-America accolades on Monday when College Sporting News named the Appalachian State University duo to its first team.
Kimbrough and McCray also earned first-team preseason all-American recognition from The Sports Network and are both on the official watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the nation’s top NCAA Division I FCS defensive player.
Kimbrough is returning for his third season as Appalachian State’s starting middle linebacker in 2012. The 5-11, 240-pounder led Appalachian and ranked fifth in the Southern Conference a year ago with 105 tackles and received a slew of all-America honors, including first-team honors from College Sports Journal and second-team recognition from The Sports Network and Phil Steele Publications. He finished eighth in the SoCon with 12 tackles for loss and tied for 11th with four sacks, making him one of only two players to finish among the league’s top 11 in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks in 2011.
McCray led the SoCon and tied for eighth nationally with five interceptions in his first season as a full-time starter in 2011, en route to fourth-team all-America accolades from Phil Steele Publications. The 6-0, 185-pounder also tied for 12th nationally with 14 passes defended as a junior and ranked fifth on the Mountaineers with 48 tackles from his right cornerback position.
Appalachian officially begins preparation for the 2012 campaign on Friday when it holds its first practice of the season at Kidd Brewer Stadium. All practices are closed to the general public but fans will have the opportunity to see the Mountaineers in action on Saturday, Aug. 18 when Appalachian hosts its annual Fan Fest at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Fan Fest includes a meet-and-greet with Mountaineer coaches and players at 4 p.m., followed by Appalachian’s final intrasquad scrimmage of the preseason at 6 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., NEEDTOBREATHE will perform a concert for those in attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Admission to Fan Fest is FREE for Appalachian State students and football season-ticket holders. Non-season-ticket holders can purchase tickets for just $10 beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 7.
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