Mason named to preseason All-America team

This will fall in the category of "other things that happened to Georgia Tech guard Shaquille Mason in the last few days." The All-ACC guard was named to the second team of SI.com's preseason All-America team. The honor arrives five days after Mason became a first-time father. He and his girlfriend Sabrina Gonzalez welcomed Kamrie Maleah Mason to the family Aug. 7.

The honor presumably compensates for Mason being left off the preseason All-ACC team, despite being named to the media's All-ACC first team last year. Tech will face eight of the players on the 30-member team.

First team

Running back Todd Gurley, Georgia

Defensive end Vic Beasley, Clemson

Linebacker Ramik Wilson, Georgia

Cornerback Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech

Returner Ryan Switzer, North Carolina

Second team:

Guard Laken Tomlinson, Duke

Linebacker Denzel Perryman, Miami

Safety Anthony Harris, Virginia

Fairly irrelevant, but interesting: Mason is one of two Shaq's on the team, along with Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson. About the time of Mason's birth (1993; he turns 21 on the 28th of August), there was a spike in babies named Shaquille.