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Big-time producers headline 2001 "Baad Team"
LUT WILLIAMS 
North Carolina A&T running back Maurice Hicks, Tuskegee tailback Bobby Wilson and Alabama State quarterback Darnell Kennedy, all seniors who were named offensive players of the year in their respective conferences, not only put up awesome numbers for their teams but also led them to outstanding records. Hicks, a six-foot, 205-pound lightning rod from Emporia, Va., led the Aggies to the brink of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title before a knee injury caused him to miss the team's final three games. Without his 165.6 rushing yards per game and 7.3 yards per carry, the highest per game and per carry totals among black college rushing leaders, the Aggies dropped two of their final three to finish in a third place tie. Before he went down, Hicks rushed for 1,325 yards and 15 touchdowns and etched his name into a couple of record books. The senior needed only two seasons to become A&T's all time ground gainer (2,882 yds.), and his 437-yard rushing effort against Morgan State shattered the all-time black college single-game mark of 361 set by Winston-Salem State's Richard Huntley in 1994. The total was the best-ever for Div. I football and the second best of all-time. Hicks, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award presented to the best player in NCAA Div. I-AA football, was selected to the third team of the Sports Network's I-AA all-American squad. Wilson, a transfer from Morris Brown, played an integral role as Tuskegee rolled to a 11-1 finish, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and a tie for the top spot with Grambling in the final BCSP ranking. Wilson and Hicks share the BCSP offensive player of the year award. Kennedy (6-0, 180) finished his career leading ASU to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game and etching his name alongside the greatest black college quarterbacks. Despite missing parts of two games to start the season, the Mobile, Al., native ended the year with 3,151 passing yards while throwing for 33 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. His career numbers are equally impressive. In four seasons, he racked up 11,753 passing yards, the fourth highest total in I-AA history, while his 12,770 yards of total offense is third in I-AA history behind former Alcorn State QB Steve McNair (now of the NFL's Tennessee Titans) and former Mississippi Valley State QB Willie Totten (new MVSU head coach). The greatest competition in picking a black college all-star defensive team is usually among linebackers who normally dominate defensive player of the year awards. But a strong group of very productive defensive backs rivals the backers this year. Stephon Kelly of Winston-Salem State, Rashean Mathis of Bethune-Cookman , Curtis Deloatch of North Carolina A&T, Bobby Perry of Prairie View, Roosevelt Williams of Tuskegee and Ralph "Pete" Hunter of Virginia Union are just some of the DBs that had outstanding 2001 campaigns. Hunter, who posted seven interceptions and blocked a remarkable nine kicks for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's title-winning Panthers, gets the nod as our defensive player of the year. Kelly, who led the CIAA with nine picks, was chosen as the CIAA defensive player of the year. Perry, named the Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive player of the year, had six interceptions, third in the conference, along with 63.5 tackles, the sixth best mark in the league. Williams, who picked off five passes and shut down his side of the field for the Golden Tigers, grabs the other spot. Mathis and Deloatch, who both had four interceptions, were equally dangerous as kick returners. Deloatch returned five punts for touchdowns leading to his selection as a I-AA first team kick returner. He holds down the same position on the "Baad Team." Deloatch also brought back two of his interceptions for scores. Mathis, who led all of I-AA with 11 interceptions in 2000, brought two punts back for scores this season. Jackson State senior T. C. Taylor needed just one full season as a receiver to break the school's single-season pass-catching mark. The converted quarterback hauled in 84 passes to top black college receivers this year and break 2000 first round NFL pick Sylvester Morris's school record of 69. Joining him on the first team is Howard senior Jevonte Philpott who averaged 19 yards on his 58 catches and tied for the black college lead with 12 TD receptions. Alabama State tight end Chris Coleman made the first team by virtue of his 42 receptions for nine TDs. Morehouse linebacker John Grant halted a three-peat for Tuskegee's Kelvin Powell as Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the year. Howard's Tracey White, who got his second straight MEAC defensive POY award, and Grambling hitting machine, Robert Taylor, hold down the other two spots. Howard's defensive bookends, Damien Walker (6-4, 245) and Oby Arah (6-4, 245) were one-three in sacks and hold down two of the defensive line spots. Virginia Union's James Atkins (6-7, 330) and Grambling's Willie Gray (6-0, 280) are the first team tackles. The offensive linemen are Grambling's Larry Metevia (6-0, 320), A&T's Qasim Mitchell (6-6, 350), Hampton's James McCall (6-5, 315), Tennessee State's Lawrence Smith (6-4, 305) and Virginia Union's Jason Reaves (6-4, 310). Joining Deloatch as special team first teamers are Grambling freshman placeckicker Brian Morgan, whose 18 field goals is the most of the last decade, and Alabama State punter David Beckford, who gets his third consecutive selection. Beckford led all black college punters averaging 45.9 yards on 41 punts. Anthony Jones, who led Morehouse to a 6-1 SIAC record and 7-2 overall mark and Johnny Thomas, who guided Alcorn State to a 6-5 record after going 0-11 in 2000, share the 2001 BCSP coach of the year award. © 2001 Azeez Communications, Inc.
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The
six-foot, 220-pounder from Kingsland, Ga., rushed for over 100 yards in all 11
Golden Tiger regular season games en route to breaking the school's single-season
rushing (1,771 yds.) and scoring (22 TDs, 132 points) marks. Wilson added 107
yards and three more TDs in Tuskegee's Pioneer Bowl win over Virginia
Union. He was named to the second team of the D2Football.com all-American
squad.