Dec. 12, 2005

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Samford senior free safety Cortland Finnegan was named to the third-team All-America team by the Sports Network when the team was released on Monday.

"Cortland is a tremendous talent," Samford head coach Bill Gray said. "He can play with anyone at the I-AA level and maybe even above, and he will probably get a chance to continue playing (at the next level). This is a great honor for Cortland."

As a senior, Finnegan led the team in tackles for the third-straight season with 98 total tackles. Finnegan also broke up seven passes and intercepted one.

Finnegan also made his mark on special teams for Samford this season. He led the Ohio Valley Conference in punt return average (15.1 ypr.), and he ranked second in the conference in kickoff return average (25.1 ypr.).

Finnegan has made an impact throughout his career at Samford. He was named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-American in 2003. Last season, he was named first-team All-Conference despite missing two games with a broken arm.