Missouri’s Marcus Murphy, Shane Ray earn first-team honors from SEC coaches

Missouri matched Alabama with seven representatives on the All-SEC Coaches’ Football Team, which was released Tuesday.

Senior Marcus Murphy was selected to the first team at two positions. He was voted the league’s top all-purpose player on offense and the top return specialist.

Murphy, a native of DeSoto, Texas, ranks second in the SEC in all-purpose yards per game (131.9).

He is the only player in the nation with at least one touchdown rushing, receiving, on a kickoff return and on a punt return this season.

Murphy’s 1,714 all-purpose yards — 767 rushing, 196 receiving, 273 on punt returns and 478 on kickoff returns — were the most in the SEC. He is second only to Jeremy Maclin in career all-purpose yards at Missouri (4,905).

Junior defensive end Shane Ray, a Bishop Miege graduate who was voted The Associated Press’ SEC defensive player of the year, also received first-team honors.

Ray led the conference in sacks (14) and tackles for a loss (21). He ranked third nationally in sacks and sixth in tackles for a loss.

The Tigers had four second-team selections — senior left tackle Mitch Morse, senior wide receiver Bud Sasser, senior defensive end Markus Golden and senior strong safety Braylon Webb.

This story was originally published December 9, 2014 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Missouri’s Marcus Murphy, Shane Ray earn first-team honors from SEC coaches."