BALTIMORE — University of Maine sophomore fullback Jared Turcotte of Lewiston was selected to the 2009 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference team Wednesday at the league’s annual media day at the ESPN Zone.
Wednesday’s all-league selection was the latest in a long list of preseason honors for Turcotte, who has earned a pair of preseason All-America honors this summer. Turcotte earned second-team honors from Consensus Draft Services in June, while also gathering first-team honors from The Sports Network in July. He was the lone sophomore to be named to TSN’s All-America squad.
Turcotte said it was an honor to receive the selection to the preseason all-conference team, but that he is focused on the upcoming season.
“… It’s just preseason. The real things that matter are to have a successful year as a team and to be on all-conference at the end of the season,” he said.
It was also announced at the media day that Maine was picked to finish third in the CAA North Division, according to the preseason coaches poll. The poll was voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches earlier in the summer.
The Black Bears were picked fourth in the North in last year’s preseason poll, but defied league expectations and finished second. Maine concluded the regular season with an 8-4 record, which earned the Black Bears a berth in the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. It marked Maine’s fifth appearance in the playoffs and its first since the 2002 season.
Turcotte said the preseason poll can be used as a motivating factor, as it was last season for the Bears.
“When people are not giving you the respect you know you deserve, it pushes you more to prove them wrong,” he said. “Slowly, but surely, we climbed into the top 20 last year and were better than recent years.
“I feel like last year is the beginning of what our team is capable of this year and for this program in years to come,” added Turcotte, who has stayed in Orono to work on a rigorous conditioning program with a focus on lateral and linear speed.
Turcotte turned in a stellar redshirt freshman season last year. He led Maine in rushing with 625 yards and seven touchdowns, while also leading the team in receptions with 25.
He was twice named CAA Football Rookie of the Week, including on Oct. 20 after he in Maine’s thrilling 41-40 double-overtime victory against Hofstra. In that game he rushed 13 times for 120 yards and one touchdown (his first career 100-yard rushing game), while also catching five passes for 69 yards and a score. Turcotte’s touchdown run came on a 71-yard jaunt, while his 25-yard scoring grab came on Maine’s first offensive play of the second overtime to knot the score at 40 and led to the eventual game-winning extra point.
Turcotte received conference and national recognition following his rookie campaign. He earned First-Team All-CAA honors, while garnering a pair of All-America honors, including second-team recognition from The Sports Network.
New Hampshire was picked to win the North division, while Massachusetts was tabbed second. Hofstra was picked fourth, followed by Northeastern (fifth) and Rhode Island (sixth). Defending national champion Richmond and Villanova tied for first in the South Division. James Madison was picked third, while Delaware (fourth), William & Mary (fifth) and Towson (sixth) followed in their respective spots.
The 2009 edition of the Black Bear football team will kick off its preseason camp on Aug. 8 in Alfond Stadium. All preseason practices are open to the public.
Maine will kick off its 2009 regular season at home on Thursday, Sept. 3, when it hosts St. Cloud State at 7 p.m.
Defending national champ Richmond, which returns 18 starters, and Villanova, which returns 16, were picked in the poll to share the overall CAA football title.
Richmond junior linebacker Eric McBride, William and Mary defensive end Adrian Tracy and New Hampshire junior quarterback R.J. Toman headline the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference squad as all three were selected as Preseason Players of the Year. McBride, who earned All-America honors as a sophomore in 2008, and Tracy, the league’s leader in sacks per game last season, shared defensive honors while Toman picked up offensive honors thanks to a 2008 campaign which saw him rack up 3,000 yards passing and 28 touchdowns.
Richmond, which knocked off four league champions on its run to the national title, placed five players on the preseason all-conference team. Villanova placed four on the preseason list.