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Yates again is an All-American The third time was as charming as the first two for Griff Yates. The Southern Oregon University tailback was chosen to the NAIA All-American first team for the third straight season on Monday after assembling the greatest rushing efforts in school and regional history. Yates, a 6-foot, 195-pound senior, amassed 15 school records and 13 regional records over three seasons as the Raiders' primary runner. This past fall, he led them to their most successful regular-season campaign in 12 years and their highest national ranking (No. 5) since 1991. Before undergoing season-ending wrist surgery with two games still left this season, Yates racked up 1,062 yards rushing to go along with 17 touchdowns for the 7-2 Raiders. Over three seasons, Yates failed to rush for 100 yards in only three of 26 games. Yates started his career in the 1996 season leading the team with 20 special teams tackles and was second in rushing as a redshirt freshman. His first of 57 career touchdowns came on a 55-yard run against Eastern Oregon during that season. The next year, Yates got the starting tailback nod after teammate Casey Jackson suffered a preseason neck injury. Yates filled the void nicely with the top rushing effort in school and Columbia Football Association history. He led the NAIA with 1,713 yards on 216 carries. His 190-yard average per game was the third-best in NAIA history, and he finished with 20 touchdowns. During the historic 1997 season, Yates was named CFA player of the week four times, broke 10 school records, including every season and single-game rushing and scoring mark, and twice broke his own single-game rushing record of 244 yards. Yates capped the season earning first-team CFA and Little Northwest honors and became the first Raider offensive player since 1983 to be named a first-team NAIA All-American. His encore season in 1998 proved a little more painful as he suffered a cracked vertebrae in his lower back during the third game of the season. Still, he managed to rush for 1,594 yards and break the school's all-time rushing record in the third game of the season while repeating as CFA offensive player of the year. He became only the second Raider to repeat as an NAIA All-American. His 348-yard, five-touchdown effort against Pacific Lutheran landed him a spot in Sports Illustrated magazine's "Faces in the Crowd." For his career, Yates totaled a school and Northwest small-college record 4,559 yards rushing. He had 22 games in which he ran for at least 100 yards and seven 200-yard games. He finished his career with 360 points. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.