ELLENSBURG (Feb. 11) -- A total of 13 NCAA Division II All-Americans and five players who spent time in training camps of National Football League teams are among 38 former Central Washington University football players named to the 2000-09 all-decade football team.
Below is a list of the all-decade team players, listed by position, and a sampling of their accolades and statistics during the decade at CWU:
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL: 2000-09 ALL-DECADE TEAM
Team of the Decade: 2009 (12-1; school-record 12 victories, number 1 Division II national ranking, NCAA national quarterfinal appearance)
(*** Player statistics included below only include games played between 2000 and 2009 ***)
QUARTERBACK
Zak Hill, 1999-2003 (Battle Ground/Prairie HS): Two-time all-GNAC first team; 7,865 passing yards, 87 TD, 60.3% completions
Mike Reilly, 2005-08 (Kalispell, Mont./Flathead HS): NFL free-agent signee with Pittsburgh Steelers (currently with St. Louis Rams); 2009 East-West Shrine Game; 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy runner-up; 2008 Daktronics, Inc. Division II first team All-American; 2008 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year; two-time all-GNAC first team; two-time all-NCC second team; 2005 GNAC Freshman of the Year; 12,448 passing yards, 118 TD (both are school records), 64.1% completions; 1,263 rush yards (fourth-most in decade)
RUNNING BACK
Nat Conley, 1998-2001 (Pasco): 2001 all-GNAC first team; 1,520 rush yards (third-most in decade), 15 TD
Emilio Iniguez, 2000-04 (Spanaway/Bethel HS): 2005 Cactus Bowl participant; two-time all-GNAC first team; 2,507 rush yards (most in decade), 17 TD
Johnny Lopez, 2006-07 (Seattle/John F. Kennedy HS): 2008 Cactus Bowl participant; 2007 all-NCC second team; 1,770 rush yards (second-most in decade), 17 TD
FULLBACK
Aaron Hineline, 2001-04 (Woodinville): 2004 all-GNAC second team
WIDE RECEIVER
Nate Brookreson, 2002-05 (Lacey/North Thurston HS): 2005 second team CoSIDA Academic All-American; 2005 all-GNAC first team; 2004 all-GNAC second team; 1,834 receiving yards (fifth-most in decade), 123 receptions, 20 TD
Brian Potucek, 2001-05 (Tacoma/Clover Park HS): 2006 Cactus Bowl participant; 2002 AP Little All-American; 2002 and 2005 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year; three-time all-GNAC first team; 3,889 receiving yards (second-most in decade), 283 receptions, 33 TD
Jake Roberts, 2000-03 (Spokane/University HS): NFL training camp with Tennessee Titans; 2004 Cactus Bowl participant; 2003 all-GNAC first team; 2,309 receiving yards (third-most in decade), 179 receptions, 19 TD
Johnny Spevak, 2006-09 (Edgewood/Puyallup HS): 2010 Cactus Bowl participant; 2009 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year; 2008 AP Little All-American; 2008 AFCA Division II All-American; 2006 all-NCC first team; 2007 all-NCC second team; 4,426 receiving yards, 318 receptions, 54 TD (all are school career records), 326 career points (second-most in school history)
TIGHT END
Jared Bronson, 2007-08 (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS): NFL free-agent signee with Miami Dolphins; 2009 East-West Shrine Game; 2008 AP Little All-American; 2008 Daktronics, Inc. Division II second team All-American; 2008 all-GNAC first team; 2007 all-NCC first team; 979 receiving yards (eight-most in decade; most by tight end), 63 receptions, 8 TD
OFFENSIVE LINE
Matt Coffman, 2005-08 (Othello): Two-time all-GNAC second team
Zach Fife, 2001-03 (Yakima/West Valley HS): 2003 all-GNAC first team
John Gariano, 2005-08 (Auburn/Auburn Riverside HS): 2008 honorable mention Division II All-American; 2008 all-GNAC first team
Aaron Gilbert, 2004-08 (Auburn/Thomas Jefferson HS): 2005 all-GNAC first team; 2008 all-GNAC second team
Sam Himmelman, 2004-07 (Mukilteo/Kamiak HS): 2007 all-NCC second team; 2005 all-GNAC second team
John Lindsey, 2000-03 (Puyallup/Rogers HS): Two-time all-GNAC second team
Evan Picton, 2001-04 (Manson): Division II honorable mention All-American; three-time all-GNAC first team; 2001 all-GNAC second team
Tony Quirk, 2006-09 (Ellensburg): 2009 honorable mention Division II All-American; 2009 all-GNAC first team
Rob Williams, 1999-2002 (Tacoma/Wilson HS): 2002 Daktronics, Inc. Division II second team All-American; two-time all-GNAC first team
DEFENSIVE LINE
Jacob Galloway, 2001-04 (Shelton): 2004 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year; two-time all-GNAC first team; 159 tackles (ninth-most in decade; most by defensive lineman), 43 1/2 tackles for loss (most in decade), 24 sacks (most in decade), 6 forced fumbles
Lance Gibson, 2001-02 (Rupert, Idaho/Minico HS): NFL training camp with New York Jets; 2003 Cactus Bowl participant; 2002 Daktronics, Inc. Division II first team All-American; 2002 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year; 2002 all-GNAC first team; 2001 all-GNAC second team; 30 tackles for loss (fifth-most in decade), 16 sacks (second-most in decade)
Dustin Hawkins, 2001-04 (Spanaway/Bethel HS): 2005 Cactus Bowl participant; three-time all-GNAC first team; 127 total tackles (second among defensive linemen in decade), 37 tackles for loss (third-most in decade), 11 sacks (eighth-most in decade), 5 forced fumbles
T.J. Horgan, 1999-2002 (Spokane/East Valley HS): 2002 all-GNAC first team; 22 1/2 tackles for loss (10th-most in decade), 14 sacks (fourth-most in decade)
Mitch Reffett, 2005-08 (Moses Lake): 2008 all-GNAC first team; 2007 all-NCC honorable mention; 123 tackles (third among defensive linemen in decade), 25 tackles for loss (eighth-most in decade), 13 1/2 sacks (fifth-most in decade)
LINEBACKER
Adam Bighill, 2007-present (Montesano): Two-time all-GNAC second team; 218 total tackles (fourth-most in decade), 29 1/2 tackles for loss (sixth-most in decade), 6 interceptions (eighth-most in decade)
Prince Hall, 2009 (Moreno Valley, Calif.): 2009 GNAC Newcomer of the Year; 2009 all-GNAC first team; 2009 all-GNAC first team; 104 total tackles
Levi Teasley, 2000-03 (Ellensburg): 2003 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year; 2003 all-GNAC first team; two-time all-GNAC second team; 223 total tackles (third-most in decade), 21 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
Blake Walker, 2001-04 (Everett/Cascade HS): Four-time all-GNAC first team; 370 total tackles (second-most in decade), 34 1/2 tackles for loss (fourth-most in decade), 10 1/2 sacks (10th most in decade), 6 fumble recoveries (second-most in decade)
Buddy Wood, 2005-09 (Chattaroy/Riverside HS): 2009 AFCA Division II All-American; 2009 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year; two-time all-GNAC first team; 2007 all-NCC first team; 385 total tackles (school record), 10 forced fumbles (school record), 11 fumbles recovered (school record), 6 blocked kicks (most in decade), 43 tackles for loss (second-most in decade), 12 sacks (sixth-most in decade)
CORNERBACK
Nick Omatsu, 2001-03 (Redmond/Eastlake HS): Two-time all-GNAC first team; 8 interceptions (sixth-most in decade), 112 interception return yards (fourth-most in decade), 117 tackles, 21 pass breakups (tied for most in decade)
Jason Patterson, 1998-2001 (Enumclaw): 2001 AP Little All-American; 2001 Daktronics, Inc. Division II second team All-American; 17 interceptions (most in decade), 249 interception return yards (third-most in decade), 3 interception return TDs (second-most in decade), 14 pass breakups (fifth-most in decade)
SAFETY
John Hallead, 1997-2000 (Ellensburg): 2000 CFA Defensive Player of the Year; two-time all-CFA selection (1998 and 2000); 82 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions in 2000 season (272 career tackles rank fifth all-time)
Jerome Williams, 2005-09 (Seattle/Ballard HS): Two-time all-GNAC first team; 14 interceptions (second-most in decade), 253 interception return yards (second-most in decade), 190 tackles (sixth-most in decade; second-most by defensive back), 21 pass breakups (tied for most in decade)
KICKER
Garrett Rolsma, 2006-09 (University Place/Curtis HS): 2010 Cactus Bowl participant; 2009 CoSIDA Academic All-American; two-time all-GNAC first-team kicker; two-time all-GNAC second-team punter; 2007 all-NCC honorable mention; 330 points (school record), 171-179 (95.5%) on PAT kicks, 53-70 (75.7%) on field goals, 37.22 yards-per-punt average
PUNTER
Joe Smith, 2000-03 (Enumclaw): Stint in camp of NFL's New York Jets; 2003 AFCA Division II All-American; two-time all-GNAC first team; 43.24 yards-per-punt average (school record)
KICK RETURNER
Rocky Martinez, 2000-03 (Lynnwood/Mountlake Terrace HS): Two-time all-GNAC second team; 1,012 kick return yards (most in decade), 50 returns; 8 interceptions as defensive back
Courtney Smith, 2008-09 (Stockton, Calif./East Union HS): 2008 all-GNAC first team; 625 kick return yards (third-most in decade), 21 returns, 2 kick return TDs (most in decade), 29.76 yards per kick return (best in decade)
Jerome Williams, 2005-09 (Seattle/Ballard HS): See also notes as safety; 803 kick return yards (second-most in decade), 34 kick returns, 23.62 yards per kick return (second-best in decade)
PUNT RETURNER
Jason Patterson, 1998-2001 (Enumclaw): See also notes as cornerback; 306 punt return yards (third-most in decade), 28 punt returns, 10.93 yards per punt return (best in decade)
Brian Potucek, 2001-05 (Tacoma/Clover Park HS): See also notes as wide receiver; 719 punt return yards (most in decade), 67 punt returns, 10.73 yards per punt return (third-most in decade)
