Eight ISU football players were honored with all-conference recognition by the Big 12 Conference football coaches, including second-team selections Seneca Wallace and defensive tackle Jordan Carstens.

Kicker Adam Benike and offensive lineman Bob Montgomery were also named to the coaches’ second team. Center Zach Butler and strong safety JaMaine Billups were third-team picks. Lane Danielsen and Jeremy Loyd were honorable mention choices.

Once thought of as a Heisman trophy candidate, Wallace slipped to the second team behind Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury.

Several polls had Wallace as the Heisman front-runner prior to the Oklahoma game, but he had 12 interceptions and six fumbles in Iowa State’s last six games.

Nevertheless, Wallace’s yardage statistics were remarkable in the 2002 campaign. The senior threw for 3,138 yards, breaking a school record nearly two decades old. In two seasons of work, Wallace also set the career mark for total offense with 6,011 yards.

Wallace set an ISU single-game record with 493 yards of total offense against Missouri on Nov. 2.

“Seneca was almost unbelievable today,” head coach Dan McCarney said after that game. “He’s an amazing, amazing football player. … I’m not sure if there’s ever been a football player as important to his team as Seneca was today.”

Carstens, of Bagley, ended the regular season with 97 tackles. He led the Cyclones with 13 stops behind the line of scrimmage and registered six sacks.

The junior had a team-best 26 quarterback hurries in the 2002 campaign. He was a third-team pick last season as a sophomore.

Montgomery has started each of Iowa State’s last 24 games the past two seasons.

His work at right guard helped provide protection for Wallace’s record-breaking passing season. Montgomery, a junior from Lincoln, Neb., will be back next season as the Cyclones push for a fourth consecutive bowl appearance in 2003.

Benike was another record-breaker this season, generating the most points ever by a ISU kicker with 93. Benike was 16-of-22 on field goal attempts after taking over those duties from Tony Yelk early in the year. He was nearly perfect on extra-point attempts, going 45-of-46.

Another stalwart on the offensive line, Butler notched a third-team selection. The Iowa City native was a co-captain this season and is regarded by McCarney as one of the best leaders he has ever been around. Butler also has 24 starts over two seasons.

In his first collegiate season as a defensive player, Billups had 97 tackles and an interception.

Billups was expected to play a role in a stacked Cyclone backfield before the season, but made the switch to strong safety before two-a-days. His two blocked kicks this fall were a team high.

Danielsen, of Dike, will have a chance to break the ISU record for single-season receiving yards in the upcoming bowl game.

With 1,026 yards this season, Danielsen is just 25 yards short of Tracy Henderson’s record. Barring injury, Danielsen will become Iowa State’s career leader in receiving yards early next season.

Loyd had 94 tackles and six sacks from his linebacker position. The senior from Pittsburg, Texas, also forced two fumbles and had a safety against Iowa on Sept. 14.