Littlejohn earns preseason honors

JARVIS LITTLEJOHN Former Gaffney High football standout Jarvis Littlejohn is in select company.

The Tusculum College senior was named last week to the 2008 Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference Football First Team.

"It's a big honor," said Littlejohn, who starred on the Indians' 2003 state championship team. "I'm looking forward to the season."

The Pioneers had five players selected to the first team and six others to the conference's second team.

Carson Newman had 14 players selected at league's annual Football Media Day.

Catawba had 10 players selected by the media.

Littlejohn, a 5- 11, 240-pound senior linebacker, led the Pioneers with 85 tackles in 2007. That was the fourth highest in the league.

The 2007 All-SAC Second Team selection tallied 11 tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks, recovered two fumbles, while forcing another pair.

In last year's home finale, Littlejohn recorded a career-best 17 tackles against Mars Hill, earning him both South Atlantic Conference and National Defensive Player of the Week accolades.

Littlejohn and the Pioneers begin preseaon practice Aug. 5.

Littlejohn will be close to home on Sept. 6 when the Pioneers travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. to play Gardner-Webb University and former Gaffney High star wide receiver Tyson Petty.