ATLANTA, Ga. -- The University of Alabama senior linebacker DeMeco Ryans (Bessemer) has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Ryans was also a unanimous First-Team All-SEC pick at linebacker.

Ryans played in 11 games and led UA with 69 tackles. He was second on the team with 3 1/2 sacks (-31) and 13 tackles for loss (-46) this year. He also added four quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, two PBUs, one interception and one fumble recovery. Ryans is fifth all-time at Alabama with 300 career tackles.

Ryans anchored an Alabama defense that ranked first nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 10.7 points per game. The Crimson Tide will likely finish the 2005 season with the fewest points allowed since the 1996 defense gave up 143 points (11.0 per game).

The Crimson Tide defense leads the SEC in pass defense (154.8), total defense (248.4) and pass efficiency defense (97.0) and ranks second in the league in rushing defense (93.5).

He had stellar games against Arkansas and Tennessee during his senior season. Against the Razorbacks, Ryans led all tacklers with 15 stops, including one sack (-5) and three TFLs (-9). He also added a two-yard fumble return that set up a third quarter field goal, one PBU and one QB pressure.

Against Tennessee, Ryans had 11 tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception. His fumble recovery at the UT 49-yard line set up the Crimson Tide's first field goal in the third quarter. His interception and seven-yard return on the last play from scrimmage sealed Bama's 6-3 win.

For his efforts, he was named the Walter Camp Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Ryans is the only UA player named First-Team All-SEC this season by the AP. However, four other UA players were named Second-Team All-SEC or Honorable Mention All-SEC by the AP on Monday.

Junior tailback Kenneth Darby (Huntsville) was a Second-Team All-SEC selection after finishing second in the league this year with 105.5 yards per game. Darby had 210 carries for 1,161 yards and three touchdowns for the SEC's fifth-best rushing offense. Darby is the fourth player in Alabama history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Johnny Musso (1970-71), Bobby Humphrey (1987-88) and Shaun Alexander (1998-99) were the other three. He also caught 26 passes for 122 yards out of the Tide backfield and ranked fifth in the SEC with 116.6 all-purpose yards.

Sophomore wide receiver DJ Hall (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) was also a Second-Team All-SEC selection after hauling in a team-best 48 passes for 676 yards (14.1 per catch) and five TDs. Hall ranks sixth in the SEC with 4.36 receptions per game and fifth in the league with 61.5 yards per game.

Senior middle linebacker Freddie Roach (Killen) was named Second-Team All-SEC at linebacker. In 11 games, Roach has 63 tackles, including three TFLs (-4). He led UA with nine PBUs and added two quarterback pressures. Roach is 10th all-time at UA with 269 career tackles.

Junior right tackle Kyle Tatum (Prattville) was named Honorable Mention All-SEC on the offensive line.

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR - Sidney Rice, South Carolina, Fr., 6-4, 191.

WR - Chad Jackson, Florida, Jr., 6-1, 205.

OL - x-Marcus McNeill, Auburn, Sr., 6-9, 338.

OL - x-Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia, Sr., 6-4, 340.

OL - Andrew Whitworth, LSU, Sr., 6-7, 322.

OL - Arron Sears, Tennessee, Jr., 6-4, 338.

C - Mike Degory, Florida, Sr., 6-6, 304.

TE - x-Leonard Pope, Georgia, Jr., 6-7, 250.

QB - Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-4, 228.

QB - D.J. Shockley, Georgia, Sr., 6-1, 206.

RB - x-Kenny Irons, Auburn, Jr., 5-11, 202.

RB - Darren McFadden, Arkansas, Fr., 6-2, 210.

K - x-Brandon Coutu, Georgia, So., 6-0, 197.

All-Purpose - Rafael Little, Kentucky, So., 5-11, 195.

Defense

E - Willie Evans, Mississippi St., Sr., 6-2, 270.

E - Quentin Moses, Georgia, Jr., 6-5, 248.

T - Kyle Williams, LSU, Sr., 6-2, 295.

T - Claude Wroten, LSU, Sr., 6-3, 290.

LB - x-DeMeco Ryans, Alabama, Sr., 6-2, 232.

LB - Patrick Willis, Mississippi, Jr., 6-2, 230.

LB - Moses Osemwegie, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-0, 228.

CB - Tim Jennings, Georgia, Sr., 5-8, 178.

CB - Dee Webb, Florida, Jr., 5-11, 190.

CB - DeMario Minter, Georgia, Sr., 6-0, 198.

S - x-Greg Blue, Georgia, Sr., 6-2, 214.

S - x-Ko Simpson, South Carolina, so., 6-1, 201.

P - Kody Bliss, Auburn, Jr., 5-11, 177.

SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR - Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt, Fr., 6-2, 200.

WR - DJ Hall, Alabama, So., 6-3, 190.

L - Kyle Roper, Arkansas, Sr., 6-3, 291.

L - Daniel Inman, Georgia, Jr., 6-7, 328.

L - Tim Duckworth, Auburn, Jr., 6-4, 315.

L - Randy Hand, Florida, Sr., 6-6, 310.

C - Rudy Niswanger, LSU, Sr., 6-6, 296.

TE - Dustin Dunning, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-5, 248.

QB - Chris Leak, Florida, Jr., 6-0, 210.

RB - Kenneth Darby, Alabama, Jr., 5-11, 205.

RB - Jerious Norwood, Mississippi St., Sr., 6-0, 204.

K - Chris Hetland, Florida, Jr., 6-0, 185.

All-Purpose - Skyler Green, LSU, Sr., 5-10, 185.

Defense

E - Jeremy Mincey, Florida, Sr., 6-4, 265.

E - Marquies Gunn, Auburn, Jr., 6-4, 249.

E - Jason Hall, Tennessee, Sr., 6-3, 260.

E - Parys Haralson, Tennessee, Sr., 6-2, 248.

T - Keith Jackson, Arkansas, Jr., 6-0, 285.

T - Justin Harrell, Tennessee, Jr., 6-4, 306.

T - T.J. Jackson, Auburn, Sr. 6-1, 305.

LB - Sam Olajubutu, Arkansas, Jr., 5-9, 277.

LB - Freddie Roach, Alabama, Sr., 6-2, 248.

LB - Kevin Simon, Tennessee, Sr., 5-11, 234.

LB - Travis Williams, Auburn, Sr., 6-1, 213.

CB - Johnathan Joseph, South Carolina, Jr., 5-11, 187.

CB - David Irons, CB, Auburn, Sr., 5-11, 190.

S - Muhammad Abdullah, Kentucky, Sr., 6-0, 205.

S - Will Herring, Auburn, Jr., 6-3, 220.

S - LaRon Landry, LSU, Jr., 6-2, 204.

P - Gordon Ely-Kelso, Georgia, Jr., 6-2, 234.

HONORABLE MENTION

Offense

Felix Jones, All-Purpose, Arkansas; Nate Livings, L, LSU; Troy Reddick, L, Auburn; JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU; Kyle Tatum, L, Alabama.

Defense

Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina; Michael Bozeman, T, Mississippi; Kevin Dockery, CB, Mississippi St.; Jeramie Johnson, S, Mississippi St., Jesse Mahelona, T, Tennessee; Stanley McClover, E, Auburn; Marcus Thomas, T, Florida; Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (OFFENSE)

Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (DEFENSE)

DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

COACH OF THE YEAR

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Darren McFadden, Arkansas