GREELEY, Colo. - The National Football Foundation All-Colorado Team released its 2008 team and Northern Colorado senior linebacker Cristian Sarmento was honored as the team's Defensive Player of the Year, while two others were named to the second team.

Sarmento was chosen as the best defensive player among the 11 football playing schools in the state of Colorado, while senior tight end Ryan Chesla and sophomore defensive back Max Hewitt were both honored on the second team.

In his senior season, Sarmento led the Big Sky Conference and ranked among the top five in the nation in total tackles with 142 and was a Big Sky All-Conference First-Team selection. He has a 3.46 grade point average in sport and exercise science and is working on becoming a physical education teacher. He is the only three-year player to rank on the Big Sky charts in total tackles as the Bears were not a member of the league in his freshman season, ending his stellar career with 376 stops and 15 career sacks.

Chesla caught 37 passes for 488 yards in his senior season for an average of 48.8 per game, while Hewitt was second on the squad with 79 tackles and was one of three Bears with three interceptions on the season. He also forced one fumble, blocked one kick and broke up three passes.

Offensive Player of the Year: Bobby McCoy, RB, Mesa State

Defensive Player of the Year: Cristian Sarmento, LB, Northern Colorado

Special Teams Player of the Year: Ryan Harrison, PK, Air Force

Coach of the Year: Steve Fairchild, Colorado State

First Team Offense

QB David Pesek, Colorado Mines (Jr., 6-3, 200, Centennial, Colo.)

RB Bobby Coy, Mesa State (Jr., 5-9, 205, Littleton, Colo.)

RB Gartrell Johnson, Colo. State (Sr., 6-0, 227, Miami Springs, Fla.)

WR Adam Saur, Colorado Mines (Jr., 6-3, 190, San Antonio, Texas)

WR Scott y McKnight, Colorado (So., 5-11, 190, Coto de Caza, Calif.)

TE Kory Sperry, Colorado State (Sr., 6-6, 250, Vineland, Colo.)

OL Daniel Sanders, Colorado (Sr., 6-3, 315, Vista, Calif.)

OL Nick Charles, Air Force (Jr., 6-4, 285, San Antonio, Texas)

OL Trevor Wikre, Mesa State (Sr., 6-3, 280, Berthoud, Colo.)

OL Andrew Pipes, Air Force (Sr., 6-1, 265, San Antonio, Texas)

OL Zach Meints, Colorado Mines (Jr., 6-2, 275, Cortland, Neb.) *

OL Chris Campbell, Air Force (Jr., 6-3, 270, Waxahachie, Texas) *

ST Ryan Harrison, Air Force (Sr., PK, 6-1, 175, Keller, Texas) *

ST Josh Smith, Colorado (So., WR/KR, 6-0, 180, Moorpark, Calif.) *

First Team Defense

LB Cristian Sarmento, Northern Colo. (Sr., 6-1, 220, Lakewood, Colo.)

LB Mark Meng, Fort Lewis (Sr., 6-3, 235, Lake Arrowhead, Calif.)

LB Jeff Smart, Colorado (Jr., 6-0, 215, Boulder, Colo.)

LB Jeff Horinek, Colorado State (Sr., 6-3, 236, Atwood, Kan.)

DB Chris Thomas, Air Force (Jr., Safety, 5-11, 205, Westerville, Ohio)

DB Drew Ferren, Colorado Mines (Sr., 6-3, 205, Lyons, Colo.)

DB Ryan Walters, Colorado (Sr., 6-0, 205, Aurora, Colo.)

DL George Hypolite, Colorado (Sr., 6-1, 290, Los Angeles, Calif.) *

DL Marc Schiechl, Colo. Mines (So., 603, 250, Lakewood, Colo.) *

DL Jake Paulson, Air Force (Sr., 6-4, 255, Lake Oswego, Oregon)

DL Chase Vaughn, CSU-Pueblo (Jr., 6-2, 242, Aurora, Colo.)

Second Team Offense

RB Rodney Stewart, Colorado (Fr., 5-6, 175, Westerville, Ohio)

RB Nathan Acrey, Western State (Sr., 5-11, 215, E. Highland, Calif.)

WR Josh Smith, Colorado (So., 6-0, 180, Moorpark, Calif.)

WR Rashaun Greer, Colorado State (Jr., 6-1, 200, N. Las Vegas, Nev.)

TE Ryan Chesla, Northern Colo. (Sr., 6-5, 240, Longmont, Colo.)

OL Randy Greenbaum, Adams State (Jr., 6-4, 290, Arvada, Colo.)

OL Dean Dodero, Adams State (Jr., 6-4, 270, Denver, Colo.)

ST Jared Keating, Mesa State (Sr., PK, 5-10, Cody, Wyo.)

ST Jason Smith, Colorado State (Sr., K/P, 6-2, 202, Centennial, Colo.)

Second Team Defense

LB Ken Lamendola, Air Force (So., 6-2, 230, Westlake, Ohio)

LB Mychal Sisson, Colorado State (Fr., 5-11, 214, Duncanville, Texas)

LB Hunter Altman, Air Force (Sr., 5-11, 205, Orlando, Fla.)

LB Brad Jones, Colorado (Sr., 6-3, 230, East Lansing, Mich.)

DB Cha'pelle Brown, Colorado (Jr., 5-7, 180, La Puenta, Calif.)

DB Max Hewitt , Northern Colorado (So., 6-2, 205, Aurora, Colo.)

DB Grayland Walter, Adams State (Sr., 6-3, 205, Riverside, Calif.)

DL Ian Rivero, Colorado College (Jr., 6-0, 222, Miami, Fla.)

DL Zack Rickett s, Adams State (Sr., 5-9, 228, Riverside, Calif.)

* tie