Pitt's H.B. Blades Named First Team All-American
12/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 9, 2006
Blades is one of 26 players named to the FWAA All-America Team. The honorees were announced during an ABC telecast originating from the
Blades' All-America honor comes 19 years after his father, Bennie Blades, was named to the FWAA All-America Team as a defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes in 1987.
A native of
In addition to his FWAA honor, Blades has also been named a first team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
"It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be named an All-American," Blades said. "Although I'm being honored as an individual, I want to share this award with my teammates and coaching staff because they played a huge role in it. I'm very grateful to them and to those people who named me to the team."
"H.B. Blades played like an All-American this entire year so it's only fitting that he receive this honor," Head Coach Dave Wannstedt said. "When our future players walk past his picture on the All-American wall at our facility, they will be seeing a person who set a great example on and off the field.
"You wish you had a whole team of players like H.B. Blades. He gives you everything he has every time he's out there."
Earlier this week, Blades became the first Pitt player to be named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. He additionally was selected first team All-Big East for the third time, an unprecedented feat by a Panther player.
This past season, Blades compiled an astonishing 147 total tackles, the most by a Pitt player in over two decades. He additionally collected 10.5 tackles for losses, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and blocked two field goals.
Those numbers made him one of the most productive defenders in all of college football. He averaged 12.3 tackles per game, which ranks first among all Big East players and third nationally. His seven solo stops per game ranks first in the conference and fourth nationally.
Blades finished with 433 career stops to rank third in school history. He trails only linebacker Arnie Weatherington, who had 477 tackles from 1973-76, and legendary defensive end Hugh Green, who had 441 stops from 1977-80.
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