FB's O'Leary among six MIAC FB Gazette All-Americans

December 20, 2002
St. Thomas DE Sean O'Leary (SR-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) made the 2002 Football Gazette All-America second team announced today.

Six MIAC players were honored. NCAA semifinalist St. John's had four honorees -- senior WR Blake Elliott was a first-team WR; junior DL Jeremy Hood and senior OL Tom Kosel were named second-teamers; and senior DB Jason Philpsen made third team. Bethel senior DE Jon Foss made second-team.

O'Leary was the lone MIAC player chosen to the elite 25-man Division III All-America team as selected by the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA), and also made honorable mention on the Hewlett-Packard D-III All-America team.

O'Leary, a three-year starter and 2X first-team all-conference player, didn't even make his high school all-conference team but developed throughout his UST career. He was selected to 2002 Aztec Bowl as a Division III all-star, and in the Dec. 14 game had one sack and two assisted tackles and blocked a PAT kick in Team USA's 15-9 victory. He had a school-record 31 sacks in 29 career starts -- the third most sacks in MIAC history. He also had 50 tackles for loss among his 169 tackles in three years as a starter.

St. Thomas has had at least one football All-American or Academic All-American in nine of the last 10 and 23 of the last 30 seasons.

see link to story, All-America list here