Blount, Williams named to All-Rookie Team

TAMPA — Rookie studs LaGarrette Blount and Mike Williams were honored for their outstanding seasons by being named to the Sporting News All-Rookie Team. The duo joined the likes of Sam Bradford, Chris Ivory, Dez Bryant and others as honorees this year and both are well deserved.

LaGarrette Blount started the year sitting on the bench, but no finds himself the main man in Tampa. Mike Williams came into the league a troubled receiver that had second round talent, but wasn’t selected until the fourth due to character issues. Williams quickly became the number one receiver in Tampa and finished 5th in voting for Sporting News’ Rookie of the Year.

Probably one of the shining achievements of LaGarrette Blount’s rookie campaign was his 1,007 rushing yards. Blount is one of three running backs in NFL history to crack the 1,000 yard marker as an undrafted rookie. Before this season only Dominick Rhodes of the 2001 Colts was a member of this club but now Blount and Houston Texans running back Arian Foster are in this club. Blount was named NFL Rookie of the Month for December and that was merely the exclamation point on his incredible season that saw Blount barreling through defenders and leaping over them when that didn’t work. In his season, Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry with 6 TD’s. During Blount’s award winning month of December he rushed for 511 yards and 87 carries for a 5.9 average yard per carry mark over a five game period.

Mike Williams was the man of the party until LaGarrette Blount exploded onto the scene and stole the show. Before that, it was Williams that was big man on campus and big man downfield. There was a period of time towards the middle of the season that Williams was the go-to deep threat for Josh Freeman and it was winning games for the Bucs. Just see the game against the Arizona Cardinals where Williams and Blount teamed up to win the game; Freeman hit Williams with the deep ball all the way to the goal line where LaGarrette Blount punched it in to give the Bucs the edge. Williams finished the season 65receptions and fell just 26 yards short of the 1,000 yard mark with 974. Williams was a consistent threat all year long, proof of this is his franchise record 11 touchdowns he finished with.

Congratulations to Mike Williams and LaGarrette Blount for being named to the Sporting News All-Rookie Team.

Sporting News 2010 All-Rookie Team

Offense

QB: Sam Bradford/Rams

RB: LaGarrette Blount/ Buccaneers

RB: Chris Ivory/ Saints

WR: Mike Williams/ Buccaneers

WR: Dez Bryant/ Cowboys

TE: Rob Gronkowski/ Patriots

OT: Rodger Saffold/ Rams

G: Zane Beadles/ Broncos

C: Maurkice Pouncey/ Steelers

G: Mike Iupati/ 49ers

OT: Jared Veldheer/ Raiders