SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University senior football center Brandon Fusco was recently named as a member of the Sporting News Division II Preseason All-American Team.

The Sporting News announcement came approximately two weeks after Fusco was named as a first-team member of the Consensus Draft Services Preseason All-America Team.

The Preseason All-America honors confirm the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Cranberry Township resident and Seneca Valley High School graduate is "on the radar screens" of NFL teams and are the latest additions to an already impressive collection of citations earned by Fusco.

He received second-team postseason All-America honors last fall from Don Hansen's Football Gazette after being named as a first-team All-Super Region One performer by both the Football Gazette and Daktronics Inc. He also finished third in the regional balloting for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, received first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division status for the second consecutive season and was named as The Rock's 2009 Offensive MVP.

Fusco, who earned third-team Football Gazette all-region honors as a sophomore in 2008, has been a starter at center for all three of his collegiate campaigns after being redshirted as a true freshman in 2006. He was the mainstay of a Rock offensive line that led the way to the Green and White ranking sixth in the PSAC in rushing offense (146.36 yards per game) and eighth in scoring offense (25.2 points per game) in 2009.

Fusco is one of four Rock starting offensive linemen returning for the 2010 season from a squad that finished the 2009 season with a 6-5 record.

The Rock opens its 2010 season with a Thursday night, Sept. 2 home game vs. Merrimack College on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Fusco was one of only four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference student-athletes to earn a spot on the Sporting News Division II Preseason All-American Team. The complete team included:

Offense
QB - Zach Amedro, West Liberty
RB - Isaac Odim, Minnesota-Duluth
RB - Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
RB - Rustin Dring, Nebraska-Kearney
OL - Brett Grozinger, Northwest Missouri State
OL - Cameron Bradfield, Grand Valley State
OL - Brandon Fusco, Slippery Rock
OL - Royland Tubbs, Abilene Christian
OL - David Mims, Virginia Union
TE - Ryan Travis, West Liberty
WR - Jake Soy, Northwest Missouri State
WR - Kashif Walls, West Liberty
ATH - Trevar Deed, Delta State
PK - Greg Zuerlein, Nebraska-Omaha

Defense
DL - Cedric Thornton, Southern Arkansas
DL - Danny Richard, Grand Valley State
DL - Xavier Brown, C.W. Post
DL - Aston Whiteside, Abilene Christian
LB - Robbie Aurich, Minnesota-Duluth
LB - Matt Freed, East Stroudsburg
LB - Nick Thomas, Wayne State (MI)
DB - Ron Parker, Newberry
DB - Caylon Hann, North Carolina-Pembroke
DB - Branden Williams, Edinboro
DB - Rodney Mitchell, Eastern New Mexico
KR - Deante Steele, Shepherd
P - Brian Schmedidebusch, Findlay