Razorbacks' Caver takes All-America snub in stride

ROBERT YATES
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

LAS VEGAS -- When the most prestigious All-America team was released earlier this month, it was obvious Quinton Caver had received the cold shoulder from voters.
Yes, Caver was a consensus first-team All-SEC linebacker. But he missing in action from The Associated Press All-America Team.
That wasn't a typo in newspapers across the country, either.
Caver wasn't on the first team. He wasn't on the second team. And, much to the dismay of Arkansas coaches, Caver didn't make the third team selected by sportswriters.
"Ridiculous,'' Razorbacks Coach Houston Nutt said after practice Monday morning in preparation for Thursday's Las Vegas Bowl. "Ridiculous. He deserves every bit of it. Terrible.
"It's probably our fault, too, because we don't win as many games. But I don't see a guy with that many SEC Player of the Week Awards, I don't know how you don't get it.''
Caver, 6-5, 240 pounds, was shunned despite the glowing credentials noted by defensive coordinator John Thompson. They included 22 tackles in a 28-21 victory over Alabama, game-saving stops in a 17-10 overtime victory against Mississippi State and an interception return for a touchdown in a 14-3 victory over LSU.
"I wouldn't trade him for anybody,'' Thompson said. "The more you sit here and talk about it, the more aggravated you get.''
Rated the country's fourth-best senior by NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr., several factors outside Caver's control contributed to his M.I.A.A.A. (Missing In Action All-American) status.
A 6-5 regular season didn't help his chances. Maybe more important, the Razorbacks only appeared on "free'' television five times. Caver's only national coast-to-coast exposure came via ESPN2 on Sept. 23 against Alabama.
Caver was also on the sports information department's All-America back burner early in the season.
The obvious push in late September was still sophomore tailback Cedric Cobbs, whose season-ending shoulder separation against Alabama meant a midstream promotional shift toward Caver and eventually sophomore punter Richie Butler.
"Exposure has so much to do with it,'' said Kevin Trainor, Arkansas' sports information director. "I hate to say this because people take it the wrong way. Postcards and things of that nature do help, but nothing helps as well as a good win over a nationally ranked opponent on national television and a good performance.''
Voters missed Caver's huge sack of Mississippi State quarterback Wayne Madkin on the first play of overtime and subsequent tackles to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone from point-blank range on third and fourth downs.
The following week, a CBS split national audience saw Caver return Josh Booty's first pass of the game -- a bullet on a short out -- 33 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in the regular-season finale against LSU.
"I haven't seen everybody in the country,'' Thompson said. "I'm sure that everybody who votes doesn't see everybody in the country. But if there's a linebacker in the country that did more for his team, game in and game out, I don't know about that.''
An unprecedented third SEC Defensive Player of the Week award followed Caver's performance against LSU. So did all-conference accolades from The Associated Press, coaches, The Sporting News and Rivals.com.
All-America status, at least from The Associated Press, eluded Caver's imposing grasp, however.
"I don't know how they chose those things,'' said Caver, a preseason candidate for the Butkus and Bronko Nagurski awards as the nation's top linebacker. "I just go out there and play each week and try to help my team the best way I can and play hard each play.
"The coaches know what I can do, man. Not making All-American? It doesn't really matter to me.''

This article was published on Tuesday, December 19, 2000

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