Former Pinewood Prep star named FCS All-American - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced today its 2011 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches' All-America Team, and it includes Furman Paladins Ryan Steed and Kadarron Anderson.

Furman was one of only four schools with two representatives on the squad, joining Eastern Washington, Sam Houston State, and Montana.  The last time the Paladins had two AFCA All-Americans in the same year was 1990.

Steed, a senior cornerback, totaled 46 tackles, four interceptions, and four pass deflections in a 2011 campaign that also featured a 48-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Elon.  The Mt. Pleasant, S.C., native (Pinewood Prep) and three-time All-SoCon selection finished his Paladin tenure with 180 tackles and tallied 38 passes defensed and 14 interceptions, the third and fourth best marks, respectively, in Paladin football history.  He returned three pickoffs for touchdowns, forced four fumbles, recovered three fumbles, recorded a sack, and blocked three kicks in his career.

Anderson, a senior linebacker, paced the SoCon in tackles in the regular season with 111 stops, an average of 11.1 per game, despite missing the season finale against Florida due to a knee injury.  The Greenwood, S.C, product (Emerald High School) and three-year starter tallied 372 stops, including 21 for-loss, in his 44-game Paladin tenure, the 13th-highest tackle total in Furman history.

Steed and Kadarron Anderson's selections give Furman three All-Americans this year.  On Tuesday College Sports Madness tabbed Steed and Paladin tight end Colin Anderson to its 2011 All-America squad.  All-America teams representing the Sports Network, Walter Camp Foundation, and Associated Press will be announced in the next few weeks.

Furman has produced 18 AFCA All-Americans, the fifth highest total among FCS schools, and a total of 60 football All-Americans in the program's 104-year history.

The Paladins posted a 6-5 overall record in 2011 and finished fourth in the SoCon with a 5-3 league mark that included wins over both Wofford (26-21) and Appalachian State (20-10).

Press release provided by Furman Athletic Office.