Twelve NCCU Eagles Earn All-MEAC Football Honors
NORFOLK, VA – Twelve North Carolina Central University Eagles have been voted to the 2017 All-MEAC Football Team, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday.
Earning distinction as members of the All-MEAC First Team are sophomore defensive end Kawuan Cox, senior linebacker Reggie Hunter, junior safety Davanta Reynolds and senior punter Nathaniel Tilque.
All-MEAC Second Team honorees are redshirt-freshman running back Isaiah Totten, senior wide receiver Jacen Murphy, junior tight end Josh McCoy, junior offensive lineman Marley Conley, sophomore offensive lineman Nick Leverett, senior defensive end Antonio Brown, junior safety Alden McClellon and junior kicker Aedan Johnson.
The All-MEAC Football Team is voted on by the conference’s head football coaches and sports information directors.
Cox (Summerville, S.C.) tied for second in the league with a team-high 8.0 sacks for 42 yards lost and three forced fumbles, while collecting 43 total tackles (27 solo), five quarterback hurries, two pass break-ups and an interception returned six yards for a touchdown.
Hunter (Henderson, N.C.) ranked sixth in the conference with a team-best 85 tackles (54 solo), including 7.5 hits for a loss with 1.5 sacks, five pass break-ups, four quarterback hurries and an interception. The 2016 All-MEAC Second Team honoree finished his career with 245 tackles to rank 11th on NCCU’s all-time list.
Reynolds (Tucker, Ga.) topped the MEAC with six interceptions for 141 return yards and a touchdown, while also returning a fumble 85 yards for a score. He tallied 54 tackles (35 solo), including 2.5 stops for a loss with a sack, along with a forced fumble and a pass break-up.
Tilque (Charlotte, N.C.) averaged 39.9 yards per punt, while placing 26 of his 68 punts inside the 20-yard line (38.2%) with only six touchbacks. He broke the NCCU record with 10,007 career punting yards, and his 39.6-yard career average ranks third in school history. In four standout seasons, Tilque regularly pinned opponents deep in their own territory, placing 83 punts inside the 20-yard line with only 19 touchbacks.
Totten (Apex, N.C.) ranked fifth in the conference with 65.3 rushing yards per game and third with an average of 5.7 yards per carry. He totaled a team-high 718 rushing yards with five touchdowns, including the 10th-longest run in NCCU history with an 81-yard touchdown at Duke.
Murphy (Wilmington, N.C.) tied for the league lead with 60 receptions for 742 yards and five touchdowns, and placed fourth with 67.5 receiving yards per game. His 60 catches rank third on NCCU’s single-season list.
McCoy (Sharon, S.C.) collected 11 receptions for 121 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 11.0 yards per catch. His three touchdown grabs are second-most on the squad.
Conley (Fayetteville, N.C.) started 10 of 11 games (749 plays) at tackle, grading out at 87 percent with 43 pancake blocks and surrendering just three sacks. He was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 16.
Leverett (Concord, N.C.) started all 11 games (738 plays) at tackle, grading out at a team-best 90 percent with 52 pancake blocks and allowed just three sacks. He was selected as the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 30, and was a member of the 2016 All-MEAC Third Team.
Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) is among the conference leaders with 8.5 tackles for a loss, 5.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries, even though he was limited most of the season due to an injury. He wrapped up his NCCU career with 124 total tackles, 32.0 hits for a loss, 17.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and six pass deflections. His 17.5 career sacks are the most since 2004.
McClellon (Lake Butler, Fla.) ranked third on the team with 55 tackles (34 solo), including 7.5 hits for a loss with 2.0 sacks, and two pass break-ups.
Johnson (Chula Vista, Calif.) ranked third in the conference with nine field goals (9 of 14), topped the league by making all 29 extra-point kicks, and made the longest field goal in NCCU history with a 52-yard blast at North Carolina A&T. He was selected as the MEAC Specialist of the Week three times (Sept. 11, Sept. 25, Oct. 9).