Temple University Athletics
Derenthal, Mebane and Shelton Named to ECAC Div. I-A Football All-Star Team
12.22.06 | Football
Dec. 22, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - Temple sophomore WR/KR Travis Shelton, sophomore C Alex Derenthal and senior LB Walter Mebane and have been named to the 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division I-A Football All Star Team. The three honorees mark the most for the Owls on the ECAC squad since a trio also earned recognition in 1997.
Shelton captured honors at both wide receive and return specialist. He is the only student-athlete on the squad to earn recognition at two positions. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native averaged 196.7 all-purpose yards per game, which would lead the nation (if he played in 75% of the team games) ahead of NIU's Garrett Wolfe (178.92). In six games, he caught 20 passes for 344 yards and three TDs. Shelton was named the Wrangler College Football National Player of the Week by The Sporting News versus Bowling Green on Oct. 28 when he opened the Temple scoring with a 43-yard TD grab before closing the scoring and sealing the win with a 96-yard kickoff return to pay dirt.
Shelton, who was named Temple's Special Teams MVP, averaged 28.8 yards on 27 kickoff returns (27-778), which would rank 10th nationally. He set the school record and had the second most return yards in the NCAA this season, when he returned five kickoffs for 205 yards vs. Clemson. Shelton, who has elite 4.27 speed despite having asthma, has three first cousins (Devin Hester, Jarvis Herring, Andra Davis) that play in the NFL.
Derenthal became the first sophomore to capture the Owl Award as team MVP, when he received the honor at the team banquet on December 2. The Davie, Fla. native played every snap in 11 of 12 games in 2006 and graded-out at 90 percent or better in every game while starting all 12 contests. He started all 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2005 to earn honorable mention freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.
Mebane led Temple with 68 tackles (32 solo), while starting 10 of the 11 games he played in 2006. The Los Angeles, Calif. native also posted six TFLs, one sack and two forced fumbles. He was runner-up for USA Today National Player of the Week after posting a game and career-high 15 total tackles and forcing a key goal-line fumble to help TU defeat Bowling Green 28-14.
The 2006 ECAC Division I-A All-Star Team is comprised of players from Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia. WVU QB Patrick White was named the Player of the Year.
Seven Temple players that have earned ECAC All-Star honors since 1985 have earned spots on NFL regular season rosters. Paul Palmer (1985-86), Lance Johnstone (1994), Stacey Mack (1997), Larry Chester (1997), Dan Klecko (2001-02), Zamir Cobb (2003) and Rian Wallace (2003-04) have graduated to NFL careers after capturing the accolade in Cherry & White. Shelton and Derenthal both have the opportunity top join Palmer, Klecko and Wallace as players to earn honors in multiple seasons.
