Rattlers Predicted to Finish Third in MEAC

Norfolk, VA - The Florida A&M University Football Team was picked to finish third and had seven players to be named to the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team announced today by the MEAC, voted on by the conference Sports Information Directors and Head Football Coaches.

FAMU tallied 420 points and five first place votes, while South Carolina State was picked to win the 2011 MEAC Crown with 468 points and six first place votes.

Bethune-Cookman received 454 points and eight first place votes as they were picked to finish second. Hampton garnered the fourth place spot with 321 points and one first place vote. Norfolk State captured the fifth place spot with 274 points and one first place vote. Behind the Spartans is Morgan State in sixth place with 250 points for a sixth place finish.

North Carolina Central in their return to the MEAC was predicted to finish seventh with 162 points, followed by Delaware State with 158 points for a eight place finish. North Carolina A&T holds the ninth position with 128 points, while Howard was predicted to finish tenth with 96 points. In their first season in the MEAC, Savannah State was predicted to finish 11th with 63 points and one first place vote.

FAMU had two Rattlers to earned First Team Preseason All-Conference Honors in Robert Hartley and Brandon Holdren.

Hartley, a 6-7 red shirt junior from Lake City, Fla., started in 11 games at right guard for the Rattlers, who graded out at 90 percent for the season.

Holdren, a 6-2 junior punter from Jacksonville, Fla., finished last season averaging 40.1 yards per punt on 68 boots.

Leading the Second Team Preseason All-Conference Honors is Branden Curry and Shelley Anthony. Both Curry, a 6-6 red shirt senior offensive tackle from Hollywood, Fla., and Anthony, a red shirt senior center from Atlanta, Ga., was a part of an offense that finished fourth in scoring offense (21.9 ppg) and sixth in total offense (294.6 total offense per game).

Joining Curry and Anthony on the second team is Jerry Willis, John Ojo and Trevor Scott.

Willis, a 6-4 red shirt senior defensive tackle from Chicago, Ill., finished last season with 31 (18 UA, 13 Asst) total takedowns, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Ojo, a -3 redshirt junior from Tallahassee, Fla., finished last season as the teams third leading tackler with 57 tackles (36 UA, 21 Asst), 6.5 tackles for loss, two interception and four break ups.

Scott, a 6-3 red shirt senior place kicker from Jacksonville, Fla., finished the season 25-of 28 in PATs and finished 10-of-14 in field goals.

FAMU will hold their Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Alfred Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium .

The Rattlers will open their 2011 campaign as they will host Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Fort Valley State at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept 3 in a 6 p.m. kick.