Jones and Long Named to All-BIG EAST First Team
12/9/2009 3:03:27 PM | Football
Orange red-shirt senior nose tackle Arthur Jones (Endicott, N.Y.) and junior punter Rob Long (Downingtown, Pa.) earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors for their performances during the 2009 campaign. It is the second year in a row for Jones to be named to the league's first team and his third all-conference honor, while it is the second league honor for Long in three years as he earned second-team recognition in 2007. In addition, senior linebacker Derrell Smith (New Castle, Del.) and senior offensive lineman Ryan Bartholomew (Mitchelleville, Md.) were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Jones recorded 19 tackles, including 12 solo and seven for a loss of yards. He also had 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries in an injury-shortened season. The 2009 team co-captain missed SU's final three games due to a knee injury suffered at Pittsburgh. During his Orange career, Jones recorded 38.5 career tackles for loss, the most in SU history by an interior defensive lineman and third on the Orange record list. His 145 career tackles ties for 10th on the Syracuse record list for tackles by a down lineman. In 2009, he is tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 0.22 fumble recoveries per game.
Long, who served as a 2009 team co-captain, averaged 43.8 yards per punt, which ranks second the BIG EAST and 15th nationally. He landed 25 of his 58 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line and booted 17 punts more than 50 yards. Long's 43.1 yards per punt average ranks fourth among active kickers in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is second on SU's career list.
Smith averaged 8.1 tackles per game, which ranks sixth among BIG EAST defenders, and his 0.65 sacks per game ranks sixth in the BIG EAST, through 10 games. He missed SU's last two contests due to a knee injury. Smith's 1.00 tackles for loss per game ranks ninth in the BIG EAST, while his 0.40 forced fumbles per game leads the BIG EAST. His four forced fumbles, ties for fourth on the Syracuse single-season record list and his five career forced fumbles ties for sixth on the SU ledger.
Bartholomew started all 12 games in 2009 and was part of an offensive line that blocked for 1,000-yard rusher Delone Carter and for the Orange passing game, which produced 203.8 yards per outing (eighth on the school single-season record list). Bartholomew was recognized on the all-league team as a guard, but also started three games at center due to an injury to first-string center Jim McKenzie.
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