View the 2011 Phil Steele's All-America team (PDF)

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech seniors Tim Benford and Scott Schweitzer on Thursday added yet another honor to their list of post-season awards, this time being named to the 2011 Phil Steele Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-American Team. Both were listed as third-team selections.

Benford, the OVC Offensive Player of the Year, helped Tennessee Tech to its first OVC Championship since the 1975 season and its first-ever berth in the FCS playoffs this year. In 11 games he caught 65 passes for 923 yards and five touchdowns despite facing numerous double and triple teams all season long. He finished his career with 217 receptions and 3,104 receiving yards, both of which rank second in OVC history. He was named a second-team All-American by the Sports Network earlier this week.

Schweitzer was part of a Golden Eagle offensive line that helped Tennessee Tech to a share of the OVC Championship, its first Conference crown since 1975. Tech also earned the OVC's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs and hosted Central Arkansas in the first round. He started all 11 games this season and 42 of 45 games during his career at three different positions on the offensive line. Schweitzer was a third-team All-American by both the Associated Press and Sports Network earlier this month.

The two were among seven Ohio Valley Conference players named to this year's All-America Team which represents most of the major conferences.

Other OVC honorees were Matt Denham (RB, Eastern Kentucky), Casey Brockman (QB, Murray State), Emory Attig (DT, Eastern Kentucky), Blake Peiffer (LB, Southeast Missouri) and CJ Estelle (PR, UT Martin).

Golden Eagles named All-America

Tech has had 28 players named All-America a total of 51 times by the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp (WC),The Football News (FN), Kodak (K), The Sports Network (TSN), Don Hansen's Football Gazette (DHFG), Phil Steele's Football (PSF), Teamlink.com (TLC) and College Sports Madness.com (CSM):

1939    Holmes Neal, T (AP)
1939    Creed McClure, G (AP)
1952    Tom Fann, T (AP)
1959    Tommy Hackler, E (AP)
1960    Tommy Hackler, E (AP)
1961    Dave Baxter, T (AP)
1969    Larry Schreiber, RB (AP)
1971    Jim Youngblood, LB (AP/AFCA)
1972    Jim Youngblood, LB (AP/AFCA)
1974    Elois Grooms, DE (AFCA)
1976    Ed Burns, OT (AP/AFCA)
1979    Steve Davis, P (FN)
1980    Wayne Anderson, PK (AFCA)
1987    Thomas Squires, LB (FN)
1989    Ryan Weeks, PK (AP/K/TSN)
1996    Robert Taylor, CB (AP/WC/TSN)
1998    Branon Vaughn, DE (TSN/DHFG)
1999    Branon Vaughn, DE (TLC)
1999    David Collett, PK (TLC/AP)
1999    Wes Gallagher, OG (AP)
1999    Joshua Symonette, DB (AP/TLC)
2000    Joey Bishop, OC (DHFG)
2000    D.J. Bleisath, DE (DHFG)
2000    Chad Evitts, LB (DHFG/AP/TSN)
2000    Troy Grant, DB (DHFG)
2000    Andrew McGraw, OG (DHFG)
2001    Joey Bishop, OC (DHFG)
2001    D.J. Bleisath, DE (AP/TSN/DHFG/WC)
2004    Frank Omiyale, OT (DHFG)
2004    Brandon Shelby, DB (DHFG)
2007    Larry Shipp, WR/RS (AP/TSN)
2010    Tm Benford, WR (TSN)
2011    Scott Schweitzer, OG (CSM/AP/TSN/PSF)
2011    Tim Benford, WR (TSN/PSF)