Brown, Jones and Pettway lead "Baad Team"
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Unlike in 2005 when there were a number of individual record-breakers and stat stuffers, the 2006 year in black college football will likely be remembered more for outstanding team accomplishments.
Well-balanced, senior-dominated squads like North Carolina Central in the CIAA, Hampton in the MEAC and Alabama A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the SWAC grabbed the headlines and all but overshadowed their individual stars.
Interestingly, there were no 4,000- or 3,000-yard passers. There was just one
1,000-yard receiver and just eight rushers that topped the 1,000-yard mark. Still, 2006 did
see some players reach the limelight.
Foremost among them was NCCU freshman quarterback Stadford Brown, not even a starter at the beginning of the season, who literally came from nowhere to lead the Eagles to their second consecutive CIAA crown and NCAA Div. II playoff berth.
The Washington, D.C., native led all black college passers with 2,577 passing yards and topped the charts with 26 touchdown passes. While those numbers are nowhere near Grambling QB Bruce Eugene's 4,408 passing yards and 56 TDs last season, they were good enough to earn Brown the CIAA offensive player of the year award and a share of the 2006 BCSP Offensive Player of the Year Award. Brown is the first freshman to ever win the BCSP award.
He shares the award this year with a player who certainly did his best to stuff the stat sheet.
Lane senior wide receiver/kick returner Jacoby Jones was the engine that propelled the Dragons from a winless (0-10) 2005 campaign to a sterling 8-3 mark this season and a tie for second place in the SIAC. For his efforts, Jones was named the SIAC's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Jones did it receiving _ catching over six passes
per game, 68 total, for 822 yards and six TDs. He also did it as
a returner _ piling up 848 yards on kickoff returns and
another 330 on punt returns. He brought back one punt for a TD
(58 yards) and returned two kickoffs to paydirt (85 and 74 yards).
For good measure, he also completed the two passes he attempted and rushed the ball nine times for 89 yards and a TD (24 yards).
His all-purpose yardage total of 2,089 yards was the best in black college football and almost 400 yards more than the next player. His total was fifth best in NCAA Div. II stats. That number has only been matched in black college football since 2000 by former Tennessee State RB Charles Anthony who had back-to-back 2,000-yard all-purpose seasons in 2003 and 2004.
On the defensive side, Albany State defensive end Alton Pettway was the player that most stood out this season. Pettway won his second consecutive SIAC defensive player of the year award while leading the Golden Rams to their fourth consecutive conference title. He takes home the 2006 BCSP Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Along the way, Pettway notched black-college bests of 14 1/2 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for losses. He also had 57 total tackles, 13 QB hurries. three forced fumbles and a pass break-up.
He was the only defender named a finalist, one of eight, for the Harlon Hill Trophy given to the best player in Div. II football, and was an Associated Press first team Little All-America selection as well as a first team all-American on the Daktronics and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) teams.
© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.