July 23, 2008

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Seven Furman Paladins have been named to the 2008 coaches preseason All-Southern Conference team, the league announced today at its annual football rouser.

Four Paladins garnered first team honors including senior offensive tackles Joel Bell and Thomas Slaughter, senior free safety Thomas Twitty, and junior tight end Larry Hedden. Named to the second team were senior cornerback William Middleton and sophomore Mike Brown, who earned tabs at both tailback and as a kick return specialist.

Bell, a Spartanburg, S.C., product, consensus first team all-conference selection in 2007, and preseason All-America pick by a couple of national publications, has earned 24 consecutive starts at left tackle in his career.

Slaughter took over the starting job at right tackle early in the 2008 campaign and on 501 snaps recorded an 80.2 season blocking percentage -- second only to unit leader Joel Bell. The Rock Hill, S.C., native has also handled the team's long snapping chores the last three seasons.

Twitty, a Birmingham, Ala., product and the team's leading tackler a year ago with 95 stops, will help anchor a Paladin defense that returns only four starters. He was a consensus second team all-conference selection in 2007.

Hedden, who also hails from Birmingham, stepped into the starting lineup early last year and proceeded to collect 36 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns en route to landing consensus first team All-SoCon honors.

Middleton, a two-year starter from Atlanta, Ga., is coming off a 2007 season that saw him tally 53 tackles and three interceptions. Brown, meanwhile, is the heir-apparent to graduated starting tailback Cedrick Gipson. Last year the Atlanta, Ga., product rushed for 314 yards and averaged a solid 6.5 yards per carry in a backup role. He also ranked second in the SoCon in kickoff returns, averaging 25.9 yards on 19 atttempts, including a 76-yard return for a touchdown against The Citadel.