ELON, N.C. -- Elon offensive lineman
Rodney Austin and wide receiver
Aaron Mellette were both recognized as second-team members of the preseason All-American teams by
Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
Both players were previously named to preseason All-America teams by Consensus Draft Services.
Austin, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., started all 11 games for Elon along the offensive line in 2010. His performance helped the Phoenix rank first in the SoCon and second nationally in passing offense (322.36 yards per game) and first in the league and ninth nationally with 435.18 total offensive yards per outing. Austin was a first-team All-SoCon pick by the league's coaches and was a third-team choice to Phil Steele's All-American Team.
Mellette established an Elon single-game record with 18 receptions for 195 yards at No. 9 Richmond early in the 2010 season and went on to finish second in the SoCon with 1,100 receiving yards. He caught a league-high 86 passes and led the conference with 12 receiving touchdowns. Mellette concluded the regular season by ranking third in the country with 7.82 receptions per game and sixth nationally with 100.00 yards per outing. He posted six 100-yard receiving games on the year. Mellette, who is from Sanford, N.C., was a first-team All-Southern Conference selection by both the league's coaches and media. Mellette also earned second-team AP All-American honors as well as third-team All-America accolades from The Sports Network and was a second-team selection to Phil Steele's All-American Team.
The Elon Phoenix will open up the 2011 season on September 3 at Vanderbilt under new head coach
Jason Swepson.
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