Sixteen Football Players Named To Daktronics All-Region Team

Sixteen football players from the South Atlantic Conference have been named to the 2009 Daktronics Super Region 2 All-Region Football Team, it was announced Tuesday. The Daktronics All-Region team is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

SAC champion Carson-Newman College had five on the All-Region team, including two on the first team offense in offensive lineman Michael Tribue and running back Buck Wakefield, who was a repeat selection on the first team.

Tusculum

Tusculum College punter John Gregory earned All-Region honors for the third year in a row and was one of three Pioneers named to the squad.

Jarrell NeSmith was named the first team tight end for a second straight season, while Gregory and kicker Gareth Rowlands garnered second team recognition.

NeSmith advances to the Daktronics All-America ballot with that team being announced next month.

NeSmith, a 6-2, 225-pound senior from Russellville, Ala., is closing out one of the most decorated football careers in Tusculum history, both on and off the field. On the gridiron, he is a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference First Team selection, including this year where he leads the league in receiving yards per game, averaging 67.8 yards per contest. NeSmith has posted 56 catches for 678 yards (5th in TC history) and three touchdowns. He earned All-America honors in 2008 from three organizations (including Daktronics) as he posted 67 receptions for 635 yards and seven touchdowns and was also an All-Conference and All-Region selection.

NeSmith has wrapped up his career with 158 receptions (3rd in TC history) for 1,670 yards (4th in TC history), both school records for a tight end. He was selected as the 2008-09 recipient SAC Presidents Award, becoming only the second football player in the history of the award to earn the conference's most prestigious honor. He is also a three-time recipient of the SAC Scholar Athlete Award, becoming the first football player in league history to be a three-peat honoree.

NeSmith was also honored by CoSIDA earning a spot on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football First Team. He was an Academic All-America® Second Team selection last year, marking the first time a Pioneer football player has garnered Academic All-America® honors twice in his career.

Last month, he was named as one of the 16 national finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy. He is the only NCAA Division II representative on the 2009 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Team, which includes Heisman Trophy candidates Tim Tebow (Florida) and Colt McCoy (Texas). Earlier this fall, he was also a Southeast Region representative for the 2008-09 Division II Commissioner's Scholar Athlete Award and was a national semifinalist for the American Football Coaches Association's Good Works Team.

Gregory, a 6-2, 210-pound senior punter from Ooltewah, Tenn., becomes the first Tusculum football player to earn All-Region recognition four times in his career. This marks the third time he has been named to the Daktronics All-Region Team. The four-time All-SAC honoree ends his career as the greatest punter in school history, establishing TC marks in punt attempts (219), punting yards (9,120) and average career average (41.64).

The 2008 All-SAC First Team selection currently leads the league in punting average at 41.5 and is looking to claim his third league statistical title. His average is also seventh in the nation.

Gregory, a 2008 All-American, has pinned the opposition inside its respective 20-yard line on 15 occasions, including four times in this year's home finale win over Mars Hill College, earning him D2football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Gregory has also been recognized for his accomplishments in the classroom, being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team three times in his career.

Rowlands, a 6-1, 195-pound junior placekicker from Wales, Great Britain, leads the league in field goals per game, averaging 1.2 per contest. Rowlands finished 2009 as his team's top scorer with 66 points, while are the third-most kicking points in school history.

The King's Academy (Tenn.) graduate connected on 12 of his 16 field goal attempts, while going 30-of-31 on extra points earning him All-SAC First Team accolades. Of his dozen field goals, eight were from 40 more yards, including a school-record 52-yarder at Elizabeth City State University. Only a junior, Rowlands is Tusculum's all-time leading kick scorer with 159 points, which are third in all-time TC scoring.

Like NeSmith and Gregory, Rowlands has also been recognized for his exploits in the classroom, earning ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors the last two years.

Tusculum posted a 3-7 record this past season, while finishing sixth in the South Atlantic Conference.

Newberry

Newberry College also had three named selected to the squad, including safety Ron Parker, the SAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Newberry's Matt Holmes and Parker were named first team, while cornerback Antonio Patton earned second team all-region honors.

Holmes, a junior center from Johnston, was a 2009 first team all-South Atlantic Conference honoree after earning second team all-SAC honors as a sophomore. He has started 20 consecutive games at center for Newberry and graded out at 90% for the season. He had 55 pancake blocks in 10 games and allowed no sacks. The "Roach Patrol" offensive line unit allowed only 11 sacks in 337 passing attempts and ranked 22nd nationally in sacks allowed. The team averaged 30.6 pass attempts for every sack allowed and ranked second in the conference and 32nd in the nation in total offense (410.1 yards per game).

Parker, a junior safety from St. Helena Island, is the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first team all-SAC honoree. He was Newberry's leading tackler and had the second most tackles in the conference at 8.3 stops per game. He led the SAC in interceptions with six picks and added seven pass breakups for a total of 13 passes defended, which was second most in the SAC. He tied for 11th in Division II in interceptions and tied for 68th in Division II in tackles per game. He also forced two fumbles and made 5.5 tackles for loss and was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception for game-winning touchdown at Wingate.

Patton, a senior cornerback from Woodruff, made 24 tackles this season and ranked second on the team in interceptions with four picks, also breaking up four passes. He also returned 22 punts for 279 yards, including a 73-yarder at Wingate. He averaged 12.7 yards per return.

Mars Hill

Mars Hill College had a pair named to the first team offense, including SAC co-Offensive Player of the Year Jonas Randolph.

Randolph, from Daleville, Ala., was the leading vote-getter for his position. He was also named South Atlantic Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year earlier this month. Randolph led the league in rushing yards (1,804), all-purpose yards (1,879) and touchdowns (19).

Sims, a Sumter, S.C., native, was also voted First Team All-South Atlantic Conference in 2009. He started eight games for the Lions at right guard and was part of an offensive line that helped Mars Hill average 197.4 rushing yards per game.

Wingate

Wingate University also had two on the All-Region second-team offense.

Two Wingate University football student-athletes have been named to the 2009 Daktronics All-Super Region 2 football second team, officials announced this week. Wingate redshirt senior offensive lineman Ben Benshoof (Huntersville, N.C.) and senior tight end Ryan Webber (Concord, N.C.) were recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for this prestigious honor.

A first team All-South Atlantic Conference performer, Benshoof did not allow a sack this season. He averaged an 89 percent pass blocking efficiency. Benshoof allowed only one QB pressure this season. An offensive captain and three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Benshoof and his teammates helped Wingate average 395.3 total offense yards per game this season. In 2008, Benshoof helped Wingate place second in the SAC (and ninth in the NCAA) in passing offense with 238.4 yards per game.

Webber earned second team All-SAC honors for the second consecutive year following the 2009 season. Webber finished his senior year with 20 catches for 191 yards and one touchdown. The Jay M. Robinson graduate had a season high four receptions for 45 yards in Wingate's season-opening win over West Georgia. Webber capped the year with his touchdown reception at Mars Hill in the season finale.

Webber was a semifinalist for the 20th anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy presented by the National Football Foundation. He is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III first team selection. In 2008, Webber had 26 receptions for 408 yards and six touchdowns. He earned the 2008 Charlotte Touchdown Club Scholarship.

Arkansas Tech quarterback Nick Graziano and North Alabama linebacker Michael Johnson have been named the 2009 Daktronics Super Region 2 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Johnson, Tusculum tight end Jarrell NeSmith, Carson-Newman running back Buck Wakefield, Delta State linebacker Lardester Hicks-Green and North Alabama punter Will Batson all repeated as first team all-region selections. North Greenville defensive end Andre Bernardi and Tusculum punter John Gregory each earned all-region honors for the third consecutive year.

First team all-region selections are eligible for the 2009 Daktronics All-American team. Regional finalist North Alabama led the way with nine total selections, including six first-teamers. Fellow regional finalists Carson-Newman had five total selections, as did playoff teams Arkansas Tech and West Alabama.

Catawba

Catawba College had one selection, as offensive lineman Terence Crosby was named to the second team offense. Crosby was a three-time All-SAC first team pick. He started 33 games over his career at left tackle and was an All-America selection last season.

Arkansas Tech quarterback Nick Graziano and North Alabama linebacker Michael Johnson were named the 2009 Daktronics Super Region 2 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

First team all-region selections are eligible for the 2009 Daktronics All-American team.

Regional finalist North Alabama led the way with nine total selections, including six first-teamers. Fellow regional finalists Carson-Newman had five total selections, as did
playoff teams Arkansas Tech and West Alabama.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of
competition. Voting for the all-region and All-American teams is powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Yr.
TE Jarrell NeSmith Tusculum Sr.
WR Frantz Simeon Arkansas Tech Sr.
WR Landon Turner Arkansas Tech Sr.
OL Torrence Wright Arkansas Tech Sr.
OL Michael Tribue Carson-Newman Sr.
OL Calvin Wilson North Alabama Sr.
OL Matt Holmes Newberry Jr.
OL Josh Sims Mars Hill Sr.
QB Nick Graziano Arkansas Tech Sr.
RB Jonas Randolph Mars Hill So.
RB Buck Wakefield Carson-Newman Sr.
RS Terry Allen West Alabama Jr.
K Kenny Spencer North Alabama Sr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Yr.
DL Montrell Craft North Alabama Sr.
DL Cedric Thornton Southern Arkansas Jr.
DL Andre Bernardi North Greenville Sr.
LB Michael Johnson North Alabama Sr.
LB Lardester Hicks-Green Delta State Gr.
LB Tariq Ali West Alabama Sr.
LB Jonathan Hall Tuskegee Sr.
CB Jason Tate North Alabama Sr.
CB Shontral Ford West Alabama R-Fr.
S Josh Jones Harding Sr.
S Ron Parker Newberry Jr.
P Will Batson North Alabama Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Yr.
TE Ryan Webber Wingate Sr.
WR Mico McSwain North Alabama Jr.
WR Jeremy Young Ouachita Baptist Sr.
OL Brad Latham Delta State Sr.
OL Terence Crosby Catawba Sr.
OL Ben Benshoof Wingate Sr.
OL Justin Moore West Alabama Jr.
OL Jarod Porter West Alabama Jr.
QB Alex Good Carson-Newman Sr.
RB Keldrick Johnson Ouachita Baptist Sr.
RB Demetrice Johnson Albany State Sr.
RS Frantz Simeon Arkansas Tech Sr.
K Gareth Rowlands Tusculum Jr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Yr.
DL Danny Anderson Tuskegee Jr.
DL Zeke Andrews Carson-Newman So.
DL Jerry McNeil Ouachita Baptist Sr.
LB William Hollis Clark Atlanta Jr.
LB Nicholas Walker North Alabama Sr.
LB Charlie Wilson Morehouse So.
LB Brian Brown Carson-Newman Sr.
CB Justin Hannah Tuskegee Sr.
CB Antonio Patton Newberry Sr.
S Quinton Andrews North Alabama Sr.
S Mario Fuller Albany State Jr.
P John Gregory Tusculum Sr.