McPhee, Sherrod named Preseason All-SEC

STARKVILLE, Miss. - In a vote of media attending the 2010 SEC Football Media Days, held July 21-23 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., Mississippi State placed a pair of players on the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Second Team. Seniors Pernell McPhee and Derek Sherrod were selected by the vote of 177 media members.

McPhee and Sherrod, along with senior linebacker K.J. Wright, earned preseason All-SEC honors from a vote of the league's coaches earlier in the week.

Last season, McPhee earned All-SEC honors from both the league's coaches and the Associated Press and twice earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in 2009. The Pahokee, Fla., native finished the year tied for sixth in the conference with 12.0 tackles for loss. He also recorded 56 total tackles, one of the highest totals in the league for defensive linemen and led the Bulldogs with 5.0 sacks.

Sherrod was an All-SEC performer in 2009 and enters his third year as the Bulldogs starting left tackle. A year ago, he helped pave the way for the Southeastern Conference's leading rushing attack. State averaged better than 225 yards per game on the ground and eclipsed the 300-yard mark four times. Sherrod helped a line reduce its number of sacks allowed by 16 over the previous season.

The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the Western Division. Mississippi State begins practice on August 3 in preparation for their September 4 season opener against Memphis.