STERLING, Va. -- 2007 Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jay Tully headlines a list of four Whitworth University football players named to the 2007 D3football.com All-West Region Team today. Tully also participated in the 2007 Aztec Bowl in Chihuahua, Mexico over the weekend.

Jay Tully	Marc Grow	Casey Clifton	Adam Anderson

Tully (Sr., SS, Spokane, Wash. - Mead) was selected as part of the First Team Defense, the only Pirate named to the first squad. Tully led the Pirates in tackles this season with 71 and had four interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

Tully also participated in the 2007 Aztec Bowl on Saturday. He had three tackles, including one for loss of three yards, for Team USA in a 37-19 win over Mexico. Tully became the fourth Pirate player to participate in the game since it became a showcase for NCAA Division III all-stars 11 seasons ago. He joins Sky Blake (1999), Doug Edmondson (2001), and Scott Biglin (2002). Team USA is 10-1 in the series.

Marc Grow (Sr., LB, Warden, Wash. - Warden) was named to the D3football.com Second Team Defense. Grow led the Pirates in both tackles for loss and sacks (12.0-64 and 7.5-51). In addition, Grow forced four fumbles, recovered another and intercepted two passes (one of which he returned for a touchdown).

Casey Clifton (Sr., LB, Spokane, Wash. - University) was a Third Team Defense honoree. Clifton, a 2007 Whitworth team captain, finished with 61 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.

The trio helped Whitworth lead the nation in turnover margin (+26) this season.

Adam Anderson (So., RB, Elk, Wash. - Univ. of Idaho/Riverside HS), the 2007 NWC Offensive Player of the Year, was a Third Team Offense selection. Anderson led the league in rushing yards with 958 and scored 12 touchdowns.

This group of four players helped lead Whitworth to an 8-2 final record and a 6-0 mark in the Northwest Conference, earning a second consecutive NWC title. The Pirates broke a school record for combined victories in back to back seasons with 19 - 11 in 2006 and 8 in 2007 (surpassing the consecutive 9-win seasons in 1960 and 1961).