NORFOLK, Virginia -- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion North Carolina Central University and runner-up North Carolina A&T State University dominated the 2016 All-MEAC Football Team with 30 student-athletes between both teams. The team is voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.
North Carolina A&T State’s Brandon Parker was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive Lineman of the Year, for the second consecutive year, while teammate Elijah Bell earned Rookie of the Year honors. North Carolina Central’s Jerry Mack was selected as Coach of the Year.
Parker started all 12 games for the Aggies, at left tackle, this season. He paved the way for the MEAC’s top scoring offense (35.2 points/game), 12th nationally. North Carolina A&T State led the MEAC in rushing offense averaging 203.8 yards per game, with 27 rushing touchdowns. Parker led an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the conference (13th nationally), while amassing 2,385 passing yards and 26 receiving touchdowns. The Aggies had seven games with 400-plus yards of total offense including three games of 500 yards or better. On the ground, the offensive line paved the way for six games with 200-plus rushing yards with a high of 313 yards.
As a freshman, Bell led the Aggies in total receiving yards (631) and ranked third in the MEAC in receiving yards per game (52.6). He earned MEAC Rookie of the Week honors after catching two touchdown passes in a win over South Carolina State. He had a pair of 100-yard receiving games this season and was the second freshman in school history to have a 100-yard receiving game when he had 101 yards in the game at Tulsa on Sept. 17. Bell finished the season with eight touchdowns, averaging 18 yards per reception.
Since arriving at North Carolina Central in 2014, all head coach Jerry Mack has done is win as the Eagles won the 2016 MEAC Football Championship outright after winning a share of the title in 2014 and 2015. A finalist for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award, Mack led the Eagles to a national ranking for the first time in school history as an FCS member and has won 15 consecutive contests versus MEAC opponents. This past season, the Eagles finished third or higher in 16 of the MEAC’s 31 statistical categories while also fielding the top dual threat quarterback in the conference in Malcom Bell. The Eagles had the highest single game offensive output in the MEAC this past season along with the highest scoring output. Mack is the first NCCU head coach to win 24 contests in his first three seasons with one more contest scheduled as the Eagles will play in the 2nd annual Air Force Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17 in Atlanta, Ga.
In a partnership with the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame, the league’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year will be announced as part of the festivities surrounding the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
Listed below are the 2016 All-MEAC teams:
2016 MEAC Football All-Conference Teams
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T State
Rookie of the Year: Elijah Bell, North Carolina A&T State
Coach of the Year: Jerry Mack, North Carolina Central
First-Team Offense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
QB
Malcolm Bell
r-Sr.
North Carolina Central
Richmond, Va.
RB
Tarik Cohen
Sr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Bunn, N.C.
RB
Anthony Philyaw
Jr.
Howard
Los Angeles, Calif.
WR
Rashawn Proctor
Sr.
Hampton
Hampton, Va.
WR
LaVontis Smith
Sr.
North Carolina Central
Maben, Miss.
TE
Leroy Hill
r-So.
North Carolina A&T St.
Smithfield, N.C.
C
Carl Jones
r-Sr.
North Carolina Central
Nashville, Tenn.
OL
Brandon Parker
r-Jr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Kannapolis, N.C.
OL
Wes Cole
Sr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Norwood, N.C.
OL
Tarrance Wells
Sr.
North Carolina Central
Oxon Hill, Md.
OL
Toree Boyd
Sr.
Howard
Miami, Fla.
First-Team Defense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
DL
Marquis Ragland
r-Sr.
North Carolina A&T
Fayetteville, N.C.
DL
Angelo Keyes
r-Sr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Kinston, N.C.
DL
Marquis Smith
Sr.
Savannah St.
District Heights, Md.
DL
Frederick Henry-Ajudua
Sr.
North Carolina Central
Durham, N.C.
LB
Darius Leonard
r-Jr.
South Carolina St.
Lake View, S.C.
LB
Dayshawn Taylor
r-Jr.
South Carolina St.
Lincolnton, Ga.
LB
Jeremy Taylor
Jr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Kinston, N.C.
DB
Jacques Bryant
So.
Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
DB
Diquan Richardson
Jr.
Bethune-Cookman
Alvin, S.C.
DB
Phillip Henry
r-Sr.
South Carolina St.
Manning, S.C.
DB
Mike Jones
r-Jr.
North Carolina Central
Baltimore, Md.
P
John Barron
Sr.
Savannah St.
Marietta, Ga.
PK
Cameron Marouf
Sr.
Norfolk St.
Woodbridge, Va.
RS
Mike Jones
r-Jr.
North Carolina Central
Baltimore, Md.
Second-Team Offense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
QB
Lamar Raynard
r-So.
North Carolina A&T St.
High Point, N.C.
RB
Ramone Simpson
r-So.
North Carolina Central
Wilmington, N.C.
RB
Yahkee Johnson
Jr.
Hampton
Richmond, Va.
WR
Denzel Keyes
Sr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Kinston, N.C.
WR
Elijah Bell
Fr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Wheeling Park, W.Va.
TE
Jack Willenbrock
Gr.
Hampton
West Chester, Pa.
C
Darriel Mack
r-Jr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Cilo, S.C.
OL
Javarius Leamon
r-Sr.
South Carolina St.
Woodruff, S.C.
OL
Jamaal Symmonett
r-Sr.
North Carolina Central
Nassau, Bahamas
OL
Johnny Cruz
Sr.
Hampton
Yorktown, Va.
OL
Keonte Cash
Sr.
Florida A&M
Miami, Fla.
Second-Team Defense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
DL
Antonio Brown
r-Jr.
North Carolina Central
Jacksonville, Fla.
DL
Stefen Banks
So.
Savannah St.
Columbus, Ohio
DL
Elijah Price
Jr.
Florida A&M
Jacksonville, Fla.
DL
Jai Franklin
Jr.
Morgan St.
Clinton, Md.
LB
Reggie Hunter
r-Jr.
North Carolina Central
Henderson, N.C.
LB
LeGrande Harley
r-Sr.
North Carolina Central
Durham, N.C.
LB
Greg Gibson
Sr.
Morgan St.
Houston, Texas
DB
Sandy Chapman
Sr.
Norfolk St.
Raleigh, N.C.
DB
Jason Baxter
r-Jr.
South Carolina St.
Manning, S.C.
DB
Alden McClellon
So.
North Carolina Central
Lake Butler, Fla.
DB
Craig Johnson
Sr.
Howard
Brooklyn, N.Y.
P
Christian Faber-Kinney
Gr.
Hampton
Williamsburg, Va.
PK
Brandon McLaren
r-Sr.
North Carolina Central
Miami, Fla.
RS*
Khris Gardin
Jr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Morganton, N.C.
RS*
Frank Brown
r-Jr.
Bethune-Cookman
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Third-Team Offense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
QB
Jaylian Williamson
Gr.
Hampton
Chesapeake, Va.
RB
Arshon Spaulding
Sr.
Savannah St.
Brunswick, Ga.
RB*
Jamaruz Thompkins
Sr.
Bethune-Cookman
Tampa, Fla.
RB*
Mike Waters
Fr.
Delaware St.
Philadelphia, Pa.
WR
Brandon Norwood
Jr.
Florida A&M
Atlanta, Ga.
WR*
Kyle Anthony
Fr.
Howard
Miramar, Fla.
WR*
Mason Rutherford
Jr.
Delaware St.
San Bernadino, Calif.
TE
Willie Gillus, III
Sr.
Morgan St.
Suffolk, Va.
C
Victor Ishmael, Jr.
r-Jr.
South Carolina St.
Miami, Fla.
OL
Nick Leverett
r-Fr.
North Carolina Central
Concord, N.C.
OL
Daquan Blake
Jr.
North Carolina A&T St.
Leavenworth, Kan.
OL
Robbie Stephenson
Jr.
South Carolina St.
Fairburn, Ga.
OL
Justin Evans
r-Jr.
South Carolina St.
Florence, S.C.
Third-Team Defense
Pos.
Name
Cl.
School
Hometown
DL
Ja’Quan Smith
r-Jr.
North Carolina Central
Miramar, Fla.
DL
Chris Lee
Jr.
Norfolk St.
Woodbridge, Va.
DL
Curtis Alexander
So.
Florida A&M
Quincy, Fla.
DL
Kevin Thompson
r-Jr.
Bethune-Cookman
Baltimore, Md.
LB
Devin Vandyke
Gr.
Hampton
Lorton, Va.
LB
Mulik Simmons
Jr.
Savannah St.
Savannah, Ga.
LB
T.C. Livingston
r-Jr.
Norfolk St.
Suffolk, Va.
DB
Brandon Walker
Sr.
Norfolk St.
Chester, Va.
DB
Carl Garnes
So.
Morgan St.
Columbus, N.J.
DB
Terry Jefferson
r-Fr.
Florida A&M
Miami, Fla.
DB
Brendan Cole
r-Jr.
Hampton
Hampton, Va.
P
Colby Blanton
r-So.
Florida A&M
Jacksonville, Fla.
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