2008 MEAC GRID HONORS:

South Carolina State running back Will Ford was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive Player of the Year and Morgan State linebacker Jarrell Guyton earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor as voted by the MEAC head football coaches and sports information directors.

Wide receiver Willie Carter of Howard earned the Rookie of the Year award and South Carolina State center Raymond Harrison was selected as the Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Coach of the Year honors went to South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough who led the Bulldogs to their first playoff berth in 26 years. Under Pough's guidance, the Bulldogs finished the season with a 10-3 overall mark and clinched the MEAC title with an unblemished 8-0 conference record. The Bulldogs ranked in the top 10 of three FCS statistical categories including tackles for loss (4th), sacks allowed (6th), and scoring defense (9th).

Ford led the MEAC in rushing with 1,499 yards and was tied for third in the conference in scoring (78 points). He carried the ball 246 times for an average of 115.3 yards per game and accounted for 13 touchdowns. Ford, a junior from Travelers Rest, S.C., is just 1,009 yards away from becoming the MEAC's all-time leading rusher. He received the Rookie of the Year award in 2006 and was recently named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.

Guyton led one of the most dominating defensive units in the FCS. For the second year in a row MSU led the FCS in total defense giving up less than 213.4 yards per game. Guyton collected 35 solo and 35 unassisted tackles for the Bears this season. He put up numbers in almost every defensive statistical category including 70 total tackles, 13 tackles for a loss of 41 yards, four sacks for 22 yards in losses, one interception for a 22 yard return, three pass break-ups, one hurry, and one forced and recovered fumble.

Carter was a key offensive threat for the Bison before being sidelined with an ankle injury after just six games. He caught 44 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns during that span averaging 10.8 yards per catch.

Harrison was the linchpin of one of the most dominating offensive attacks in the MEAC this season. The Bulldogs' third consecutive Lineman of the Year, Harrison was the anchor of a line that produced 4,972 yards of total offense including 2,651 yards on the ground.

2008 All-MEAC SELECTIONS

FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB - Curtis Pulley, r-Jr., FAMU; RB - Will Ford, Jr. SCSU; DevanJames, Jr., MSU; TE - Octavius Darby, Sr., SCSU; WR - Justin Brown, Sr., Hampton; Kevin Elliott, r-Fr., FAMU; OL - Robert Okeafor, Jr., FAMU; Dennis Conley, r-Sr., Hampton; Dwayne Delaney Sr., MSU; Johnny Culbreath, So., SCSU; C - Raymond Harrison, Sr., SCSU
Defense
DL - Justin Lawrence, Jr., MSU; Cedric Lloyd, Sr., SCSU; Chris Baker, Jr., Hampton; Dennis Marsh, r-Sr., NSU; LB - Jarell Guyton, Sr., MSU; Travis Roland, r-Sr., B-CU; Endor Cooper, Sr., Howard; DB - Terrell Whitehead, Jr., NSU; Markee Hamlin, Jr., SCSU; Chris Williams, Sr., MSU; Darren McKhan, Jr., MSU; P - Jahmal Blanchard, Jr., Hampton; PK - Justin Castellat, Jr., NSU; RS - LeRoy Vann, Jr., FAMU

SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB - Herbert Bynes, r-So., Hampton; RB - DeAngelo Branche, r-So., NSU; Brian Sulmer, Jr., B-CU; Philip Sylvester, So., FAMU;
TE - Taj Jenkines, Jr., FAMU; WR - Oliver "Tre" Young, Jr., SCSU;
Jeremy Gilchrist, r-Sr., Hampton; Willie Carter Fr., Howard; OL - Ruebin Mordecai III, r-Sr., B-CU; Nygel Pearson, Sr., SCSU; Adrian Brown, Sr., DSU; Anthony Collins, r-Jr., FAMU; Robert Norris, Jr., MSU; C - Ryan Cave, Jr., Hampton
DEFENSE
DL - Cameron Houston, Jr., FAMU; Keyon Brooks, Sr., SCSU; Kendrick Ellis, So., Hampton; Dexter Jackson, Jr., B-CU; LB - Wakeem Goode, Sr., Hampton; Tony White, Sr., SCSU; Marshall McFadden, Sr., SCSU; DB - Curtis Holcomb, So., FAMU; Antonio Cox, Jr., B-CU; Don Carey, Sr., NSU; Jonathan Wade, So., Hampton; P - Justin Keable, r-So., B-CU; PK - Carlo Turavani, So., Hampton; RS - Kevin Teel, Sr., Hampton

© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.

Return to Front Page