Six Grizzlies gridders named NJCAA All-Americans

Six Grizzlies have finished the 2011 season as NJCAA All-Americans, the organization announced on Tuesday.

Butler defensive back Zach Miller was a first team All-American. Miller, a sophomore from Duncan, S.C., led the Grizzlies with seven interceptions, including three in the second half of the Region VI championship game against Hutchinson. Miller also had 52 tackles (44 solo), a sack and a fumble recovery.

Demarcus Lawrence, a defensive end from Aiken, S.C., earned second team All-American honors. The sophomore had 66 tackles, which was second best on the team. That included 27 tackles for loss, which led Butler this season and is the fourth-highest total of tackles for loss in Butler history.

Wide receiver Kendall Wrenn was also a second-team selection. He caught 56 passes for 1,171 yards and 11 touchdowns. His signature performance was in a 59-10 win over Dodge City in the Region VI Semifinals, when he caught six passes for a school-record 265 yards and two touchdowns and a national offensive player of the week award.

The third second-team pick was offensive lineman John McClure. He is a 6-4, 310 pound sophomore tackle from Wichita Heights who anchored the left side of the Butler line that paved the way for an offense led the conference in points (48.6 points per game) and total offense (499.3 yards per game).

Butler also had two honorable mention selections in quarterback Chandler Whitmer and running back Jasper Sanders.

Sanders is a sophomore running back from Kansas City, Kan. who led Butler in rushing with 937 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

Whitmer, a transfer from the University of Illinois, had one of the best passing seasons in Butler history. His 3,022 passing yards are second best in Butler history, just 32 yards shy of school record holder Zac Taylor. Whitmer completed 180 of 316 passing attempts (57 percent) and threw 25 touchdowns.

Butler has now had 54 All-Americans in 12 seasons under head coach Troy Morrell, an average more than four per season.