Lively named 1st team all-America
12/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Lively named AFCA 1st team all-America
Senior tackle is 22nd Wildcat to earn first-team honors
ABILENE - ACU senior offensive tackle Britt Lively has been named first team all-America by the American Football Coaches' Association, one of only two Lone Star Conference players named to the team.
Lively, a 6-5, 310-pound left tackle, is joined on the first team by offensive tackle Kevin Palmer of Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Lively, who was also named first team all-LSC South Division and on Wednesday was also named first team Daktronics NCAA Division II all-West Region, is the 22nd player in ACU history to earn first team all-America honors, the last being punter Brad Raphelt in 2001. The last ACU offensive lineman to be named first team all-America was Sweetwater native John Layfieldin 1989.
Lively, a three-year starter for the Wildcats after transferring from Texas A&M prior to the 2001 season, anchored an ACU offensive line that allowed just 12 sacks for 91 yards in losses last season and only 43 sacks for 304 yards in losses in the last three seasons.
Lively, who has drawn the interest of NFL scouts and is the fifth-ranked small-college offensive tackle prospect, according to rankings produced by www.football.com. He is also one of the NFL Draft "sleeper" picks by www.nfldraftworld.com, and he is the No. 38 small-college player, according to www.robscouting.com.
Lively was an honorable mention all-LSC South Division pick in 2001 when running back Eric Polk set the Wildcats' single-season rushing record with 1,211 yards. He was a second-team selection in 2002 when the Wildcats finished 6-4 and finished tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville for the LSC South Division championship. ACU was 6-4 again in 2003 as the Wildcats posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1996-97.
Lively's father, Mike, was a lineman on ACU's NAIA Division I national championship team in 1977, and his brother, Josh, is a two-year letterman on the offensive line for the Wildcats.
