SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference Sports Media Association selected its football all-conference team and specialty awards for the 2016 season. Samford redshirt sophomore quarterback Devlin Hodges was named the Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year, while junior defensive back Kailik Williams of SoCon champion The Citadel was tabbed the defensive player of the year. Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams was named the freshman of the year and The Citadel’s Brent Thompson was named the Wallace Wade Coach of the Year.
Due to ties in the voting, the first team contains additional spots at defensive line and linebacker and the second team has an additional defensive back.
2016 Media All-Southern Conference Football Team
Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Devlin Hodges, R-So., QB, Samford
Defensive Player of the Year – Kailik Williams, Jr., DB, The Citadel
Freshman of the Year – Tyrie Adams, QB, Western Carolina
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Brent Thompson, The Citadel
First Team Offense
QB Devlin Hodges, R-So., Samford
RB Lorenzo Long, Sr., Wofford
RB Tyler Renew, Sr., The Citadel
OL Nick Jeffreys, Sr., The Citadel
OL Isaiah Pinson, Jr., The Citadel
OL Bret Niederreither, Sr., Mercer
OL Corey Levin, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Anton Wahrby, Sr., Wofford
TE Ryan Swingle, R-Jr., VMI
WR Karel Hamilton, Sr., Samford
WR Terryon Robinson, R-Jr., Western Carolina
First Team Defense
DL Joe Crochet, Sr., The Citadel
DL Ahmad Gooden, R-So., Samford
DL Keionta Davis, Sr., Chattanooga
DL Vantrel McMillan, Sr., Chattanooga
DL Tyler Vaughn, Jr., Wofford
LB Ryan Francis, Jr., VMI
LB Allan Cratsenberg, Jr., VMI
LB Nakevion Leslie, Sr., Chattanooga
LB Tevin Floyd, Sr., The Citadel
DB Dee Delaney, Jr., The Citadel
DB Kailik Williams, Jr., The Citadel
DB Omari Williams, Jr., Samford
DB Jaleel Green, Sr., Wofford
First Team Specialists
PK David Marvin, Jr., Wofford
P David Marvin, Jr., Wofford
RS DeAndre Schoultz, Sr., The Citadel
Second Team Offense
QB Alejandro Bennifield, Jr., Chattanooga
RB Detrez Newsome, Jr., Western Carolina
RB Derrick Craine, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Kyle Weaver, Sr., The Citadel
OL Matthew Schmidt, Jr., Furman
OL Jacob Revis, Jr., Chattanooga
OL Roo Daniels, Sr., Wofford
OL Dequan Miller, Sr., Wofford
TE Duncan Fletcher, Sr., Furman
WR Aaron Sanders, Sr., VMI
WR Marquise Irvin, So., Mercer
Second Team Defense
DL Ken Allen, So., The Citadel
DL Tosin Aguebor, Sr., Mercer
DL Roosevelt Donaldson, R-Sr., Samford
DL Miles Brown, So., Wofford
LB Dylan Weigel, R-So., ETSU
LB Shaheed Salmon, Jr., Samford
LB Dale Warren, Jr., Chattanooga
DB Trey Robinson, Sr., Furman
DB Jamerson Blount, Sr., Samford
DB Montrell Pardue, So., Chattanooga
DB Greg Sanders, Jr., VMI
DB Fred Payne, Sr., Western Carolina
Second Team Specialists
PK Cody Clark, Sr., The Citadel
P Ian Berryman, R-So., Western Carolina
RS Mason Dermott, R-Fr., VMI
Notes:
- Hodges is the second Samford player to be named the Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year, joining quarterback Andy Summerlin, who earned the award in 2013. Hodges, who leads the SoCon in touchdowns (33) and yards per game (337.8) was the league’s offensive player of the month for October and the SoCon’s player of the week four times throughout the season.
- Williams is just the second Citadel player to be named the media’s defensive player of the year since the award was split into offensive and defensive honors in 1986 – which was the same year a Bulldog last won the defensive award (Scott Thompson). Before the award was split, Bulldog linebacker Brian Ruff was named the league’s player of the year in 1975 and 1976, making Williams just the third defensive player in school history to earn player of the year honors from the media. Williams’ honor is the first for The Citadel, either offensive or defensive, since quarterback Gene Brown was named the offensive player of the year in 1988.
- Adams, a redshirt freshman, is the fourth Western Carolina player to be named the media’s freshman of the year and first since running back Michael Johnson in 2009. The others were wide receiver Lamont Seward in 2000 and kicker Kirk Roach in 1984.
- Thompson, who has led The Citadel to a 10-1 record, a SoCon title and a No. 6 national seed entering the FCS Playoffs, is the second straight Bulldog coach to earn to be named coach of the year, following Mike Houston. He is the third Citadel skipper to earn the award in the last five seasons, as Kevin Higgins won the award in 2012.
- The Citadel had a league-best 11 all-conference selections, including a SoCon-best eight on the first teams. The Bulldogs claimed two of the five first-team offensive linemen and two of the four first-team defensive backs. The Citadel was the only league team to put at least one player on the first and second teams for offense, defense and special teams.
- Chattanooga and Wofford had nine all-conference selections each. The Terriers were second only to The Citadel with six first-team selections. UTC had four first-team picks, as did Samford, which had seven total selections.
- Wofford kicker David Marvin earned first-team spots at place kicker and punter.