Dec. 14, 2011

Great West Conference Release

DAVIS, Calif. - Former UC Davis football players Dean Rogers, Jonathan Compas, John Faletoese and James Amos were named to the all-time Great West Conference Football Team, it was announced by the league office Wednesday.

With the football portion of the Great West Conference coming to an end, the all-time Great West team recognizes players who competed for current and past league members, including UC Davis, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Northern Colorado. The team was selected by interested observers of the league.

Rogers (2006-10), a 6-foot-3 tight end, was a three-time All-GWC honoree in addition to earning an AFCA All-America nod in 2010. After taking over as the top tight end in 2008, he finished his Aggie career with 78 catches for 958 yards while adding five touchdowns. During Roger's All-America year, he posted 30 catches for 404 yards and three touchdowns.

Compas (2004-08), a 6-foot-3 offensive lineman, was a three-time All-GWC member and a 2008 All-American pick by The Sporting News. He was also a GWC All-Academic honoree from 2006-08. In the NFL, Compas has had stints with the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins.

Faletoese (2004-08), a 6-foot-3 defensive lineman, was a three-time All-GWC player, 2008 GWC Defensive Player of the Year and a 2008 AP, TSN and Walter Camp All-American. He was also a finalist for the Buchanan Award in 2008, awarded to the best defensive player among FCS member schools. Faletoese finished the 2008 year with 32 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for losses, 5.5 quarterback sacks and a total of four blocked kicks.

Amos (2003-07), a 6-foot-4 defensive end, was named to the All-Great West First Team for three consecutive seasons. In 2007, he led UC Davis with 11.5 tackles-for-losses, including 7.0 sacks, to go with 55 total tackles. Amos finished his career with 32.5 TFL's and 17 sacks.

The Great West had a great eight-year run of excellence in the FCS ranks and some considered the league to be one of the finest top to bottom within the timeframe. The Gridiron Power Index consistently ranked the league as the best in the FCS from 2004-2007, and even with the departures and additions in 2008, the Great West continued to be ranked in the top four among the FCS leagues.

UC Davis claimed at least a share of the conference title in 2005 and 2009, with just eight years of league competition from 2004-11. Aggie head coach Bob Biggs was at the helm during the eight-year span, leading UC Davis to an 18-15 mark in conference play. Next year, coach Biggs will be on the sidelines for his 20th and final season as head coach. Coach Biggs will complete a 35-year career on the coaching staff at UC Davis as the Aggies compete in their inaugural season in the Big Sky Conference in 2012.