Jan. 4, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio -

Miami University junior middle linebacker Joey Hudson has been named to the 2007 All-Mayday Team as announced by ESPN college football analyst Mark May on Thursday night.

The Mayday Team honors NCAA Division I football student-athletes that perform well on the field while serving as a team leader and showing toughness, often by overcoming injuries that may sideline other players.

"To make this team, you not only have to be a good football player, but you also have to be physically and mentally tough, knowing the difference between pain and injury," explained May, also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and a Super Bowl champion.

Hudson's 2007 season should have come to an abrupt end after being named a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award, the annual award going to the nation's top linebacker.

In the second game of the season at the University of Minnesota, he suffered a serious knee injury that the team's athletic training staff reported would require him to miss several weeks and possibly, the rest of the year.

The subsequent MRI would reveal a strained MCL, instead of a torn MCL and ACL as was initially feared, but would still require the Piqua, Ohio native to miss a minimum of 2-to-3 weeks.

The following Thursday, while still in pain, the junior co-captain coerced the athletic training staff and coaches to allow him practice without contact, and wearing a knee brace, during non-contact drills in the team's preparation for the Sept. 15 game versus Cincinnati.

While he was moving surprisingly well on Friday, he was still not even cleared to dress for the game against the Bearcats until Saturday morning when he was tested by team doctors in pregame warm-ups. He was told by the coaching staff he would not play, but his enthusiasm on the sideline in the first half, along with his continued urging of the defensive coaching staff convinced the RedHawks coaching staff to give him a chance against the Bearcats.

With his chance, he went on to record five tackles, including a tackle for loss in front of a near sellout crowd at Yager Stadium, showing a toughness and resiliency that blew away the coaches and athletic trainers that had witnessed his injury one week prior.

In the postgame press conference, MU head football coach Shane Montgomery noted that Hudson's comeback was the most miraculous he had ever seen and added, "what helps him is that he is in tremendous physical condition."

Hudson's effort over the remaining games earned him second-team All-MAC recognition, as he recorded 93 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss and two interceptions, all after an injury that was thought to have ended his season.

In his three seasons at Miami, Hudson has totaled 202 stops, 17.5 tackles for loss and seven interceptions.

He also carries a 3.17 grade point average with a double major in exercise science, and management and organization.

Joining Hudson on the All-Mayday Team are Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida, Lombardi Trophy winner Glenn Dorsey of LSU, as well as fellow MAC student-athletes Red Keith of Central Michigan, John Mackey of Akron, and Fritz Jacques of Kent State.

The 2007 All-Mayday Team

QB
Tim Tebow, Florida

RB
Mike Viti, Army
Thomas Brown, Georgia
Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech

WR
Brandon Breazell, UCLA
Keenan Burton, Kentucky

OL
Roy Schuening, Oregon State
Jimmy Cordle, Ohio State
Ramon Foster, Tennessee
Rylan Reed, Texas Tech
Scott Burley, Maryland

DL
Matt Robinson, Wake Forest
Auston English, Oklahoma
Jon Hargis, Arizona State
Glenn Dorsey, LSU

LB
Erin Henderson, Maryland
Red Keith, Central Michigan
Joey Hudson, Miami (OH)

DB
John Mackey, Akron
Rocky Schwartz, Houston
Fritz Jacques, Kent State
Emanuel Cook, South Carolina

Special Teams
Kicker:
John Sullivan, New Mexico
Kicker:
Drew Combs, TCU