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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Tavious Polo is Named Freshman All-American
11/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2007
BOCA RATON, FL - Florida Atlantic University cornerback Tavious Polo has been named to the rivals.com freshman All-American first team.
"It is highly unusual for a first year player to start and in his first game of his first season to have accomplished what he has accomplished," said Howard Schnellenberger, FAU's head football coach. "Not only does Tavious have sure hands and quick reaction, he has an unusual grasp on the nuances of the entire defense. He not only is a student of the game, but one of our surest tacklers, ranked 40th in the Sun Belt Conference with 50 tackles at 4.5 per game, which is outstanding for a cornerback. Tavious' upside is unlimited with three additional years to perfect his skills."
Polo led the nation for much of the year in interceptions, picking off seven passes in the Owls first five games. Many of his picks came at crucial times for the Owls. Polo intercepted a pass in the opening game against Middle Tennessee that sealed an FAU 27-14 win. Polo also picked off three passes on September 15 against Minnesota, including one that came with just seconds left in the game to preserve a 42-39 win over the Golden Gophers. He was named Sun Belt Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Player of the week for his efforts in the Minnesota game. Polo also intercepted a pass that ended Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson's NCAA record 325 passes without an interception streak. Polo's seven picks set an FAU record for most interceptions in a single season.
As a defense, the Owls have broken the squad's single-season interception mark set just one year ago. Polo and redshirt junior Corey Small lead the nation as cornerback duos with a total of 11 interceptions.
Polo's honor is just one of FAU's highlights this year. Quarterback Rusty Smith has been named Sun Belt Player of the Week a school record of three times, setting another school record with 25 touchdown passes in a season. Linebacker Cergile Sincere has also been named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week, and running back DiIvory Edgecomb has been named Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week, the first time the conference has honored an FAU special team's player. The Owls are guaranteed to finish no worse than second place this season, which is the highest Sun Belt Conference finish. More importantly, FAU has positioned itself to face conference leader Troy University on Saturday, December 1 at 2 p.m., for the league title and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl. Should Florida Atlantic advance, they will have earned a bowl berth faster than any recent start up football program.
To view rivals.com and footage of Tavious Polo, click on http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=744124.
Players Mentioned
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