Tulane earns 11 spots on 2020 Phil Steele Preseason AAC Team

Dublin and Johnson earn First Team all-league honors

NEW ORLEANS – Ten Tulane University football players received 11 spots on the 2020 Phil Steele All-American Athletic Conference Preseason Team this week.

Tulane’s 11 spots on the team tied for fourth among all schools in The American.

Seniors Patrick Johnson and Corey Dublin highlighted the group of individuals, as both players earned First Team recognition. Senior Cameron Sample and redshirt freshman Ethan Hudak were tabbed Second Team.

Junior Amare Jones took home a pair of honors, earning Second Team status as a punt returner and Fourth Team recognition as a kick returner.

Senior Jaylon Monroe earned Third Team honors. Graduate transfer Mykel Jones, redshirt freshman Tyjae Spears, sophomore Sincere Haynesworth and graduate transfer Kevin Henry received Fourth Team status.

Johnson earned the First Team honors after he led the Green Wave in sacks for the second straight season – a feat only five players have accomplished since 1973. Over the past two seasons, Johnson has tallied 14.5 sacks and ranks tied for seventh all-time in program history. He needs just 8.5 sacks to become the program’s all-time leader in career sacks. Following his strong 2019 campaign, Johnson earned All-AAC Second Team honors for the second straight season. Johnson enters his final season in the hopes of earning All-AAC honors for the third straight year – a feat only Parry Nickerson and Nico Marley have achieved.

Dublin took home First Team honors following a 2019 campaign where he helped pave the way for Tulane to rush for 249.8 yards per game – a figure that ranked 11th nationally. Following the 2019 campaign, Dublin received Honorable Mention recognition from The American. He is the first Tulane offensive lineman to be named All-AAC. The New Orleans native also has proven himself to be a durable player throughout his collegiate career, having started in 38 straight games.

Sample was awarded Second Team preseason accolades after he posted a strong junior campaign where he tallied single-season career-high with 44 tackles. His 44 stops on the year ranked seventh on the team from a year ago and ranked fourth among Tulane returnees. Sample was one of 13 players that started in every game last season.

Jones earned the dual recognition following an impressive sophomore campaign where he closed the year with 1,611 all-purpose yards, finishing with 371 yards rushing, 367 yards receiving, 141 punt return yards and 732 kickoff return yards. The Frisco, Texas, native’s 1,611 all-purpose yards were the most by any American Athletic Conference sophomore, ranked 28th nationally and fifth in the league. Jones’ all-purpose yards total also served as the seventh-highest single-season total in program history.

Hudak brought home Second Team honors after he gained valuable experience in 2019 on the practice squad. The Phoenix, Arizona, native enters the upcoming season as one of the squad’s top contributors on special teams.

Monroe was tabbed Third Team following a breakout junior campaign where he established himself as one of the Green Wave’s most reliable cornerbacks. In 2019, Monroe posted single-season career highs in tackles, tackles for loss and interceptions. In addition, Monroe also was one of 13 players that started in every game last season.

Spears gained Fourth Team honors after posting a strong performance during his true freshman season, but was still able to earn a redshirt, as he competed in just four games. Despite competing in just four games, the Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native made an immediate impact, as he rushed for 192 yards on just 32 carries. He also caught five passes for 133 yards.

Jones took home Fourth Team recognition following an extensive career at Oklahoma where he saw action in 37 games. During his career as a Sooner, Jones caught 33 passes for 495 yards. His best season in Norman came in 2017 where he caught 16 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown, as he helped guide the Sooners the College Football Playoff Semifinals against Georgia.

Haynesworth received Fourth Team status after he established himself as one of the Green Wave’s top offensive linemen, as he made 11 appearances and five starts in 2019. He also played a key role in paving the way for Tulane’s ground attack to rush for over 3,000 yards for the first time in school history.

Henry was tabbed Fourth Team after he spent the past five years with the Oklahoma State football program. During his career at OSU, Henry helped the Cowboys to 45 wins and five bowl appearances. He also totaled over 50 career tackles.

First Team

OL – Corey Dublin

DL – Patrick Johnson

Second Team

DL – Cameron Sample

PR – Amare Jones

LS – Ethan Hudak

Third Team

DB – Jaylon Monroe

Fourth Team

RB – Tyjae Spears

WR – Mykel Jones

C – Sincere Haynesworth

LB – Kevin Henry

KR – Amare Jones

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