Dec. 14, 2010

Illinois Bowl Central

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois junior running back Mikel Leshoure was named to the Associated Press All-America second team and redshirt-freshman defensive tackle Akeem Spence earned first-team Freshman All-America honors by Rivals.com Tuesday. It is the third such honor for Leshoure, along with a third-team selection by Rivals.com and an honorable mention laurel by Sports Illustrated, and Spence's first honor.

Leshoure currently ranks second on the Illinois record list for single-season rushing yardage with 1,513 yards, 169 short of breaking Rashard Mendenhall's record. The Champaign, Ill., native also ranks second in school history with 17 touchdowns and third with 14 rushing touchdowns. He's tied with Mendenhall for the school record for 100-yard rushing games in a season with eight and he broke Robert Holcombe's school record for rushing yards in a game earlier this season with his 330-yard outburst against Northwestern on Nov. 20. Leshoure also ranks 10th on Illinois' career rushing yardage list and his 1,688 all-purpose yards this year rank third behind Mendenhall's 1,999 in 2007 and Keith Jones' 1,818 yards in 1988.

Spence collected 45 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack while starting all 12 games. He combined with Corey Liuget to become one of the nation's most productive defensive tackle duos as the pair totaled 103 tackles, 14 TFLs and 4.5 sacks while playing an overwhelming majority of all defensive snaps.

Complete AP All-America teams
Sports Illustrated's All-America teams
Rivals.com's Freshman All-America teams

The Fighting Illini are preparing for their date with Baylor in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale HERE or by phone at 1-866-ILLINI-1.