Two Pioneers Named Pre-Season All-American Honorable Mentions

Wide Receiver Steve Tedesco and cornerback Andre Isla of Sacred Heart University were named 2009 preseason All-American Honorable Mentions by Consensus Draft Services.

Both Tedesco and Isla are coming off of All-Northeast Conference seasons in 2008, when they led the Pioneers to third place in the conference behind Monmouth and University at Albany with a 4-3 conference record and an overall record of 8-3.

Tedesco led Sacred Heart in every receiving category in 2008, with 77 catches, 891 yards, and 10 touchdowns, while averaging seven catches and 81 yards per game. Tedesco now holds the school record for single-season receptions, careers catches, career receiving yards, and career touchdown catches.

Tedesco has also tied the school record for catches in a single game with 12 catches and 121 yards against Duquesne.

Isla was a second team All-NEC player last year in addition to being named FCS All-New England by the New England Football Writers. In 2008, Isla led the defensive backfield with 50 tackles (30 unassisted) and four passes. Isla was third in the NEC for interceptions and third for passes defended.

A win against Robert Morris saw Isla achieve a season best, with nine tackles and an interception to help lead the Pioneers to a 31-28 victory. Isla started all ten games he appeared in and has 91 tackles and five interceptions in his career.

Sacred Heart will start off their season with a non-conference game against Marist on Sept. 5. The Pioneers will then be on the road at Holy Cross, University at Albany, and Central Connecticut State until a return to Fairfield, CT on Oct. 10 against St. Francis and Oct. 17 against Monmouth.

They will be on the road against Wagner and Robert Morris on Oct. 24 and 31, repspectively, finally to return home on Nov. 7 against Bryant. The final regular season game for Sacred Heart will be against Duquesne on Nov. 14 in Fairfield.

Originally Posted on SportInformant.com