Jan. 23, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Winston-Salem State University senior defensive end William Hayes and senior linebacker Thadeus Griffin have both earned spots on the 2007 Sports Network FCS All-America teams as announced on Monday afternoon.

Griffin, a 6'2", 255-pound senior linebacker from Sumter, South Carolina earned Sports Network FCS All-America Honorable Mention honors and also earned a place on the FCS Mid-Major and Independent All-America First Team.

Griffin led the Rams in tackles for the third consecutive season as he tallied 117 total tackles, 49 of which were solo tackles.  He also tied for second on the Rams' roster with 10 tackles for loss while picking off three passes and collecting a sack. 

Hayes, a 6'3", 260-pound defensive end from High Point, North Carolina earned FCS Mid-Major and Independent All-America Second Team honors as he ranked second on the Rams' roster in tackles with 78 including a team-leading 19 tackles for loss including 8.5 sacks.  Hayes tallied three passes defended, 12 quarterback hurries and four fumble recoveries, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

In addition to Hayes' FCS Mid-Major Second Team All-America honors, Hayes was named to the SBN Sports Black College All-America Team, was invited to play in the 2008 Heritage Bowl, and was selected to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game in El Paso, Texas.

The Texas vs. The Nation Game is a post-season college football all-star game that was established in 2006 as part of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The format of the game pits a team of top-rated college seniors who played college or high school football in Texas against a squad of top-rated seniors from the rest of the nation. Seniors rated in the top 15 at their position by the NFL are eligible to play in the game.

The game is held in El Paso, Texas at the Sun Bowl Stadium. The first occurrence of the game was held on February 2, 2007 to conclude the college football season, and was broadcast on CSTV.  The 2008 edition of the Texas vs. The Nation game will again be broadcast live on CSTV at 3:00 pm Mountain Time from the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Griffin and Hayes are the first two WSSU players to receive national honors since the Rams made the move to NCAA Division I two seasons ago.

For additional information on WSSU football, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURams.com.