The football player in question is Tennessee's Anthony Parker. The 6-3, 305-pound senior guard from Jonesboro, Ga., was among seven unanimous selections to the Coaches' preseason All-SEC team, announced earlier today in Birmingham. Incredibly, he's the smallest member of the first-team all-league offensive line.
The other O-line selections are LSU's Herman Johnson (6-7, 351), Alabama's Andre Smith (6-5, 340), Ole Miss' Michael Oher (6-5, 318) and Arkansas's Jonathan Luigs (6-4, 314). Like Parker, Smith, Oher and Luigs were unanimous selections. Also named on 11 ballots – coaches could not vote for their own players – were Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Oddly enough, both of the Ole Miss first-teamers hail from Tennessee. Oher is from Memphis, Hardy from Millington.
Parker was a second-team Associated Press All-American as a junior last fall after starting all 14 games at left guard. He started 12 games at right guard as a sophomore in 2006 and started a game at center as a freshman in 2005.
Other Vols named to the Coaches' preseason all-conference team were running back Arian Foster, linebacker Rico McCoy and defensive back Eric Berry. Offensive lineman Ramon Foster was a second-team selection, while center Josh McNeil and receiver Lucas Taylor were third-teamers.
Berry was one of only three sophomores to make the All-SEC first team. The others were Georgia's Moreno and Auburn punter Ryan Shoemaker.
Like Tennessee, Florida placed four players on the No. 1 unit. The Gator selections were quarterback Tim Tebow, wideout Percy Harvin, tight end Cornelius Ingram, plus the afore-mentioned Spikes at linebacker.
LSU had three honorees – Johnson at offensive line, Tyson Jackson at defensive line and Darry Beckwith at linebacker.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC OFFENSE
TE Cornelius Ingram Florida
OL *Andre Smith Alabama
OL *Michael Oher Ole Miss
OL *Anthony Parker Tennessee
OL Herman Johnson LSU
C *Jonathan Luigs Arkansas
WR Percy Harvin Florida
WR Kenny McKinley South Carolina
QB Tim Tebow Florida
RB *Knowshon Moreno Georgia
RB Arian Foster Tennessee
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC DEFENSE
DL *Greg Hardy Ole Miss
DL Sen’Derrick Marks Auburn
DL Tyson Jackson LSU
LB *Brandon Spikes Florida
LB Rico McCoy Tennessee
LB Darry Beckwith LSU
LB Dannell Ellerbe Georgia
DB Eric Berry Tennessee
DB Derek Pegues Mississippi State
DB Rashad Johnson Alabama
DB Captain Munnerlyn South Carolina
DB D.J. Moore Vanderbilt
* unanimous selection