GREENVILLE, SC -- Defending NCAA I-AA national champion Appalachian State placed a league-high 12 players on the conference’s preseason coaches all-conference team, which was released today at the SoCon’s annual Football Rouser, which is being presented by the Carolina Ford Dealers. Mountaineer running back Kevin Richardson was named the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Elon linebacker Chad Nkang was tabbed the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Richardson, one of eight ASU players to be named to the first team and five on the offensive side of the ball, rushed for 1,433 yards and 19 touchdowns and also caught a team-best 52 receptions as a sophomore in 2005. Over his final six games of his sophomore campaign, Richardson had three 100-yard games and scored 11 touchdowns.
Nkang, last season’s coaches Co-Defensive Player of the Year, led the nation with 152 tackles, averaging 13.8 stops per contest. The rising senior had 10 games of 10-plus tackles, including 25 against Chattanooga and 18 in the season finale against Appalachian State.
ASU offensive tackle Matt Isenhour, the 2005 Jacobs Blocking Award recipient, offensive guard Kerry Brown, along with second-team center Scott Suttle helped anchor a squad that piled up over 6,300 yards of total offense and averaged 30.3 points per game in 2005. Marques Murrell was one of five defensive players to be unanimously named to the first team, leading the Mountaineers a year ago with seven forced fumbles, 26.5 tackles-for-loss and tying for league honors with 13 sacks.
Furman was second to ASU with 11 players named to the preseason squad, six to the first team and five second team recipients. First-team honorees for the Paladins include WR Justin Stepp, OT John Kivett, G Scott Shuford, PK Scott Beckler, DL Roy Ravenell and LB Andrew Jones.
All eight SoCon teams placed at least three players on the preseason all-conference team. Chattanooga had eight players earn preseason all-conference honors, followed by Georgia Southern (7), Wofford (5), Western Carolina (4) and The Citadel and Elon (3 each).
2006 Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team
First Team
Offense
TE Daniel Bettis, Appalachian State*
WR Emanuel Hassell, Chattanooga
WR Justin Stepp, Furman
OT Matt Isenhour, Appalachian State
OT John Kivett, Furman
G Kerry Brown, Appalachian State*
G Scott Shuford, Furman
C Lance Wayne, Georgia Southern
QB Trey Elder, Appalachian State
RB Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State
RB Eldra Buckley, Chattanooga
RS Mike Malone, Western Carolina
PK Scott Beckler, Furman
First Team
Defense
DL Marques Murrell, Appalachian State*
DL Felipe Foster, Western Carolina*
DL Roy Ravenell, Furman
DL Charrod Taylor, Georgia Southern
LB Chad Nkang, Elon*
LB John Mohring, Georgia Southern*
LB Andrew Jones, Furman
DB Jeremy Wiggins, Appalachian State
DB Corey Lynch, Appalachian State
DB Quintez Smith, Chattanooga
DB Brian Ford, Wofford
P Tim Mayse, Western Carolina*
*Denotes Unanimous Selection
Second Team
Offense
TE Brad Bell, Furman
WR Dexter Jackson, Appalachian State
WR Ta’Mar Jernigan, The Citadel (tie)
Michael Mayers, Elon (tie)
Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern (tie)
OT Sam Bentley, Chattanooga
OT Russell Orr, Georgia Southern
G Justin Matherson, Chattanooga
G Marty Bauer, Wofford
C Scott Suttle, Appalachian State
QB Antonio Miller, Chattanooga
RB Jerome Felton, Furman
RB Kevious Johnson, Wofford
RS Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern
PK Esteban Lopez, Chattanooga
Second Team
Defense
DL Omarr Byrom, Appalachian State
DL James Wilson, The Citadel
DL Layton Baker, Wofford
DL Wallace Artis, Furman
DL Charles Profit, Chattanooga
LB Monte Smith, Appalachian State
LB Andrew Rowell, The Citadel
LB Justin Franklin, Wofford
DB Austin Holmes, Furman
DB Andrew Thacker, Furman
DB Mitchell Dukes, Western Carolina
DB Brandon Jackson, Georgia Southern
P Brandon Lane, Elon
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Kevin Richardson, RB, Appalachian State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Chad Nkang, LB, Elon