Rice University Athletics
Casey Earns Freshman All American Nod
11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 27, 2007
James Casey, who joined the Rice football team last January after four seasons of minor league baseball, has been named by Rivals.com to its second team Freshman All American team. Casey, who saw action at eight different positions for the Owls this year, was listed as a tight end on the squad.
Casey finished second among Rice receivers with 46 catches and 585 yards receiving on the season. He caught all but one of his passes once C-USA action began, finishing fifth in the league with 45 catches and seventh with 5.6 catches per game. He topped 100 yards receiving in three of his last four games of the year, and capped his season with an 11-catch effort in the season finale against Tulsa.
Casey was originally signed by the Chicago White Sox after they drafted him in the seventh round of the 2003 draft out of Azel, (TX) High School. He played pitched for three seasons in the White Sox farm system, and a fourth in the independent leagues before he decided to attempt to play football in college.
He enrolled at Rice last January and participated in spring drills as a defensive end, before making the move to offense as a quarterback and receiver, during fall drills.
