RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University offensive tackle Tyrone Hopson has been named to the 1998 Burger King Division I-AA Coaches' first-team All-America squad announced recently by the American Football Coaches Association.

Hopson, 6-3, 309-pound senior from Owensboro, was a four-year letterwiner, three-year starter and two-year, first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection for coach Roy Kidd's Colonels.

"Tyrone is as deserving for this honor as anyone that has ever played for us," said Kidd. "He is an outstanding blocker with good feet and balance. He is also aggressive and can run. I believe he is going to get a chance to play at the next level."

Hopson, who has been timed at 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash, will get an opportunity to showcase his talents in the Hula Bowl All-Star game in Maui on Jan. 24. Kidd, whose one-year tenure as president of the AFCA concludes Dec. 31, will also be on the sidelines as an assistant coach in that game.

Hopson's selection marks the 20^th consecutive season and 24 of the past 25 years that Eastern has had at least one player named to a first-team post-season I-AA All-America unit.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945 and currently selects teams in all four of its divisions. One feature of the AFCA All-America teams is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players best - the coaches themselves.

Eastern Kentucky leads all I-AA teams with 20 appearances by 18 of its players on the Burger King I-AA Coaches All-America Team since 1979.

The Colonels closed the injury-riddled 1998 season with a 6-5 overall record and tied for fourth place in the final OVC standings with a 4-3 record. This marked the 21^st straight winning season and the 26^th consecutive non-losing year recorded by Eastern.

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