April 26, 2007

Rice wide receiver Jarett Dillard, a 2006 Biletnikoff Award finalist who set an NCAA record by catching a touchdown pass in 13 consecutives games last year, has picked up his first 2007 pre-season All America honor.

Nationalchamps.net placed the junior from San Antonio on its first team, along with Michigan's Mario Manningham. He is the lone C-USA product to be named to the first team squad.

Dillard re-wrote the Rice record book in 2006, catching 91 passes for 1,247 yards and 21 touchdowns. In addition to setting the NCAA mark by catching a touchdown pass in 13 consecutive games last season, he set a C-USA mark with his 21 touchdowns. He also set a Rice career record, catching 25 scoring passes in his first two years. He enters the 2007 season with an overall streak of 15 consecutive games with a touchdown catch, the second longest streak in NCAA history and just three shy of the record of 18 set by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh in 2002-03.

Dillard was recently named the winner of the George Martin Award as the Owls MVP. He was named a first team All America last year by ESPN.com and was named to the second team by the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and SI.com. He is the first Rice wide receiver to earn All America honors since Buddy Dial in 1958.

The Owls open their 2007 season on Saturday, September 1 when they host Nicholls State at 7 p.m.