CHARLOTTE, N.C. - VMI seniors A.J. Gross and Byron Allen were both selected to the 2011 All-Big South Conference preseason team as voted by the league's head coaches and select media.

The announcement of the preseason squad was made Thursday in Charlotte as part of the annual football media day event being held at the Crowne Plaza.

Both players are returning all-conference picks from a year ago. Gross was named first team All-Conference at linebacker in 2010 while Allen was tabbed second team All-Conference at defensive back.

Gross led all Big South defensive players in tackles with 110 stops and a 10.0 tackles per game average in the 2010 season. He ranked in the top 20 in tackles in FCS all season long and posted six double-digit tackle games coming against Charleston Southern (17), Liberty and Old Dominion (16), Gardner-Webb (13), and William & Mary and Stony Brook (10). Gross was named Big South Defensive Player of the Week October 4 with nine tackles and three tackles for loss and a forced fumble against Presbyterian College. He tied for third in the BSC in tackles for loss per game (1.0) and tied for second in the conference in fumbles forced per game.

Allen led the team defensive backs and ranked second among Big South secondary players with 78 tackles for 7.1 stops per game and had 31 solos and 47 assists on the season. He ranked seventh in the Big South in total tackles and posted a career-high 13 tackles against Coastal Carolina with 11 assists while also posting 11 tackles against Charleston Southern. Allen logged back-to-back nine tackle games against Lock Haven and William and Mary and intercepted a pass and returned it 24 yards against Gardner-Webb in the season finale. He enters the 2011 season with 235 career tackles.  

For a complete listing of the preseason all-conference sqaud and the results of the preseason poll, log onto to www.bigsouthsports.com .