Dec. 1, 2005

Waco, Texas -- Wake Forest senior punter Ryan Plackemeier was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American Team on Thursday. Plackemeier, a Ray Guy Award finalist, is one of eight ACC players named to the team.

Plackemeier leads the nation in both net punting and average per punt. He punted 67 times this season with an average of 47.2 yards per punt. Plackemeier also dropped 20 punts inside the 20 yardline and nearly half of more than half of his punts were not been returned. Wake Forest's cover team was been instrumental in helping Plackemeier lead the nation in net punting. Deacon opponents averaged just 9.0 yards per punt return.

A native of Bonsall, Calif., Plackemeier arguably has the strongest leg in the country with 13 punts of at least 60 yards this season. Three of those went at least 70 yards, including an 82-yard blast against NC State on October 22. That punt was the fourth-longest punt in ACC history. His punts of 71, 74 and 82 yards are the three longest punts in the ACC this season.

Among those with 200 career attempts, Plackemeier is the NCAA's all-time leading punter with a career average of 45,26 yards per punt. He is a two-time first team All-ACC selection.

Plackemeier shattered his own Wake Forest single season record for average yards per punt, originally set in 2003 when he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. He eclipsed that mark by nearly a yard and a half in 2005.

Plackemeier's Career Punting Statistics

        G-GS    No   Yds       Avg    Lg    In20   50+    60+   70+   80+
2002    10-8    32   1,383     43.2   62    2      10     1     0     0
2003    12-12   57   2,600     45.6   67    11     20     3     0     0
2004    11-11   64   2,809     43.9   69    17     17     4     0     0
2005    11-11   67   3,165     47.2   82    20     21     13    3     1
        44-42   220  9,957     45.3   82    50     68     21    3     1

2005 AFCA Coaches' All-America Team
Offense
Pos. Name              Ht.  Wt.   Cl.   School        Hometown
WR   Dwayne Jarrett    6-5  210   So.   USC           New Brunswick, N.J.
WR   Calvin Johnson    6-4  230   So.   Georgia Tech  Tyrone, Ga.
TE   Vernon Davis      6-3  253   Jr.   Maryland      Washington, D.C.
OL   Eric Winston      6-7  312   Sr.   Miami (Fla.)  Midland, Texas
OL   Max Jean-Gilles   6-4  340   Sr.   Georgia       Miami, Fla.
C    Greg Eslinger     6-3  285   Sr.   Minnesota     Bismarck, N.D.
OL   Taitusi Lutui     6-6  365   Sr.   USC           Mesa, Ariz.
OL   Jonathan Scott    6-7  315   Sr.   Texas         Dallas, Texas
QB   Matt Leinart*     6-5  225   Sr.   USC           Santa Ana, Calif.
RB   Reggie Bush*      6-0  200   Jr.   USC           Spring Valley, Calif.
RB   DeAngelo Williams 5-10 217   Sr.   Memphis       Wynne, Ark.

Defense
Pos. Name              Ht.  Wt.   Cl.   School        Hometown
DL   Elvis Dumervil    6-0  256   Sr.   Louisville    Miami, Fla.
DL   Darryl Tapp       6-1  265   Sr.   Virginia Tech Chesapeake, Va.
DL   Mathias Kiwanuka* 6-7  262   Sr.   Boston College Indianapolis, Ind.
DL   Tamba Hali        6-3  267   Sr.   Penn St.      Teaneck, N.J.
LB   A.J. Hawk         6-1  240   Sr.   Ohio St.      Centerville, Ohio
LB   D'Qwell Jackson   6-1  231   Sr.   Maryland      Largo, Fla.
LB   DeMeco Ryans      6-2  232   Sr.   Alabama       Bessemer, Ala.
DB   Jimmy Williams    6-3  216   Sr.   Virginia Tech Hampton, Va.
DB   Greg Blue         6-2  214   Sr.   Georgia       College Park, Ga.
DB   Michael Huff      6-1  205   Sr.   Texas         Irving, Texas
DB   Dion Byrum        5-11 192   Sr.   Ohio          Matthews, N.C.

Specialists
Pos. Name              Ht.  Wt.   Cl.   School        Hometown
P    Ryan Plackemeier  6-3  235   Sr.   Wake Forest   Bonsall, Calif.
PK   Alexis Serna      5-8  157   So.   Oregon St.    Fontana, Calif.
RS   Maurice Drew      5-8  205   Jr.   UCLA          Antioch, Calif.