As I sat waiting for Ralph Friedgen to arrive for his print media session, a writer (not me) scoffed at the process of filling out a preseason all-conference ballot (which I admittedly did not do).
He astutely pointed out there is limited value to the endeavor, since many reporters just look at last year’s stats and choose the best returning guys. I then added they also choose the guys who are in attendance at media day, since they’re fresh in mind.
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Turns out nine of the 24 players in attendance (and nine of the 18 non-quarterbacks) made the list. Two of the guys not in Greensboro to earn a nod? Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak and punter Travis Baltz.
Is it an honor? Sure. Does it mean much? Not really. It’s enough guesswork trying to project how a full team will do. But evaluating individual performance well before the season starts? That’s hard, especially if you’re only concentrating on one team much of the time.
In any case, it’s a nice nod for Wujciak and Baltz. If they can follow up with even better seasons than they had as sophomores, the plaudits will carry even greater weight.
– Patrick Stevens
