What’s already been quite a week for Mizzou junior DE Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.) just got even better as he was this evening named a 1st-Team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.  The honor means that Ray becomes the 34th 1st-Team All-American in Mizzou Football history, and the eighth to play under Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

It marks the second-straight year that a Tiger defensive end has earned 1st-Team All-American acclaim, following Michael Sam in 2013.  Ray is the first Tiger since DE Justin Smith (2000) to win All-American status in his junior season.

The good news continued a bountiful week of awards for Ray, who earlier was named the 2014 SEC Defensive Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and league coaches, in addition to earning 1st-Team All-SEC honors by both as well.

The awards are no surprise to anyone who has seen Ray wreak havoc on opposing offenses in 2014.  He continued the building tradition of Mizzou’s outstanding defensive line play (#DLineZOU) of 2013 standouts Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, who were both first-team All-SEC picks a year ago.  Ray, a first-year starter in 2014, set a school record with 14.0 quarterback sacks (topping the previous mark of 11.5), and he also totaled 21.0 tackles for loss, while ranking fifth on the team with his 61 tackles on the year.  Ray leads the SEC and ranks 3rd nationally in sacks, while he ranks 2nd in the league, and 6th nationally in tackles for loss.

Ray becomes the eighth 1st-Team All-American at Mizzou under Gary Pinkel, joining previous honorees Martin Rucker, TE (2007), Jeremy Maclin, All-Purpose (2007, 2008), Chase Coffman, TE (2008), Danario Alexander, WR (2009), Grant Ressel, PK (2009), Michael Egnew, TE (2010) and Michael Sam, DE (2013).

The Tigers are off from practice until this Saturday, when they begin on-field preparations for the 2015 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl against Minnesota, set for Jan. 1st in Orlando, Fla.

— MU Sports Information —