While Losey was the only Hilltopper on the offensive side of the ball, Thomas was joined by Brandon Smith and Joe Woolridge on defense — cornerback Dennis Mitchell also made the team as a return specialist. And, Lerron Moore was an honorable mention selection at running back.
The five first-team selections were the second-highest total among the conference’s eight members, as the Toppers trailed only preseason favorite Southern Illinois, who had seven picks. WKU received 223 points, including nine first-place votes, to come in 14 points behind the Salukis and 17 ahead of third-place Northern Iowa.
Voting was conducted among a panel of the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and selected media members.
Losey, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior offensive lineman, was named second-team all-conference and to the Gateway’s All-Newcomer Team in 2004 after grading out at 91 percent, the second-best mark on the squad. In his first season at Western after transferring from East Tennessee State, the Hixson, Tenn., native posted 138 pancake blocks, including a career-best 27 in a win over Western Illinois, while posting a grade of 90 percent or better in nine of the Toppers’ 12 games.
Mitchell was an honorable mention all-conference selection at return specialist last season after leading the league and ranking 19th in the country with an average of 11.4 yards per punt return. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior from Indianapolis also averaged 21.3 yards per kick return to stand seventh in the GFC, and he added 64 tackles, including 4.5 behind the line of scrimmage, to be named second-team all-GFC and to the league’s All-Newcomer Team after transferring to the Hill prior to the 2004 campaign. The 6-foot-1, 295-pound senior from Greenwood, S.C., added a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while he recorded a career-best eight tackles in Western’s win over Youngstown State.
Moore, a senior running back, enters this season ranked seventh all-time in rushing at WKU after collecting 978 yards with 11 touchdowns a year ago. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Columbus, Ohio, resident was named second-team all-West Region by Hansen’s Football Gazette and second-team all-conference after recording five 100-yard efforts — he was selected the league’s Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 213 yards and a school-record-tying four touchdowns in a 45-3 win over Western Illinois.
The Hilltoppers were 9-3 in 2004, finishing second in the Gateway with a 6-1 mark en route to their fifth consecutive NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearance and ninth winning season in a row.
