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Â鶹¹û¶³ linebacker Fred Bishop continued to collect preseason awards Sunday when he was named the Division I-AA All-Independent Preseason Defensive Player-of-the-Year, in voting done by sports information directors at the 14 Division I-AA independent schools.

Bishop, from Tuscaloosa, was one of two Â鶹¹û¶³ players to be named preseason All-Independent as he was joined by senior punter Brian Holmes. Bishop, a first-team Division I-AA All-Independent selection in 1998, recorded a career-high 136 tackles as a junior. The 5-foot-11, 235-pound Bishop has already been named a preseason first-team All-American by the Sporting News and was selected as Division I-AA Independent Defensive Player-of-the-Year by Street & Smith's.

Holmes, from Stone Mountain, Ga., was selected at punter after recording a 41.8 average last season with 12 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He established a new school record with a 76-yard punt last season against Troy State.

Hofstra placed six athletes, including quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi who was named preseason offensive player-of-the-year, on the squad. Liberty had four players on the team, while Elon College and Southern Utah had three players named. Â鶹¹û¶³, Charleston Southern, Morehead State, St. John's and South Florida each placed two players on the team.