Two juniors on the 2010 Wayne State University football team have received pre-season all-america accolades from
Consensus Draft Services.
Nick Thomas, an all-league linebacker in 2009, was named to the 2010 Pre-Season All-America Second Team, while
Josh Renel was an honorable mention All-America selection as a punt return specialist.
Thomas (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) was voted to the 2009 All-GLIAC Second Team after starting all 11 games at middle linebacker. He was voted WSU's Defensive Most Valuable Player after recording a team-high 130 tackles including 60 solo.
Thomas was second in the GLIAC and fifth nationally in tackles per game (11.82). He led the squad in tackles for loss (16.0) and sacks (5.0), while ranking third and tied-for-ninth in the GLIAC, respectively. Thomas was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District nominee after being named to the GLIAC All-Academic team.
Renel (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) enters his junior season ranked fifth in career punt returns (41) and seventh in punt return yards (404). A 2009 GLIAC All-Academic team selection, he was
also voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team.
He was named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week after recording 156 return yards at Indianapolis. Renel had a 25-yard punt return setting up WSU’s first touchdown and then his 90-yard kickoff return put WSU ahead to stay (it was the seventh longest kickoff return for a TD in school history).
Renel was named to the 2009 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team. He tied-for-second in the GLIAC in both punt returns (17) and kickoff returns for a TD (1), and was fifth in the GLIAC in punt return average (8.8), kickoff return average (24.7) and yards per rush (6.9). His kickoff return average was sixth best in school history.