CLEVELAND – Ten Temple Owls earned All-Mid-American Conference team honors for football, the league announced on Wednesday.
Named to the first team were senior OL Pat Boyle (Towson, Md.), junior RB Bernard Pierce (Ardmore, Pa.), senior TE Evan Rodriguez (North Bergen, N.J.), and senior DE Adrian Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa.).
Named to the second team were senior LB Tahir Whitehead (Newark, N.J.) and junior P Brandon McManus (Hatfield, Pa.).
Third-team honorees were senior OL Wayne Tribue (York, Pa.), junior RB Matt Brown (Baltimore, Md.), senior DE Morkeith Brown (Harrisburg, Pa.), and senior S Kevin Kroboth (Nazareth, Pa.).
Pierce and Robinson garnered first-team accolades for the third consecutive season. They are Temple’s first three-time MAC first-team selections since joining the conference in 2007. Rodriquez earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.
Ohio led all MAC schools with 11 honorees, followed by Temple with 10 honorees, Northern Illinois with nine, and Ball State, Toledo, and Western Michigan with eight each. Toledo’s five first-team selections were the most of any MAC team, followed by Northern Illinois, Temple, and Bowling Green with four each.
In 2010 and 2009, Temple had a school record eight first-team All-MAC honorees. The Owls had a school record 15 All-MAC honorees overall in 2009.
During their fifth season of MAC play, the Owls finished the regular season at 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the MAC’s East Division. Temple now awaits a bowl bid which will be announced on Dec. 4.
The 2011 Vern Smith Leadership Award and MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors went to Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish. Western Michigan DL Drew Nowak was the Defensive Player of the Year, and Ohio’s K Matt Weller was named the Special Teams Player of the Year. Bowling Green RB Anthon Samuel was the Freshman of the Year, while Eastern Michigan’s Ron English was named the MAC Coach of the Year.
The All-MAC teams and the Vern Smith Leadership Award were selected by the MAC head coaches. The other award winners were selected by the MAC News Media Association.
Boyle started all 12 games at left tackle. He also saw action as a member of the field goal unit. Boyle and his four fellow offensive linemen have combined for 130 starting appearances. Providing great protection, the offensive line gave up no sacks against Ohio, Buffalo, and Akron this season.
Matt Brown played in all 12 games with three starts at running back. He is second in team rushing with 867 yards and five touchdowns on 142 carries. Combining with Pierce, the duo each rushed for 100 yards in four games this fall, becoming the first duo to accomplish the feat in school history five times (13h time overall). Brown is No. 6 on the career list with 2,226 rushing yards. He was named the MAC Player of the Week twice.
Team captain Morkeith Brown started all 12 games at defensive end. He has 35 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble. A member of the MAC’s best defense, Brown had a career-high two sacks for a loss of 11 yards in the win over Miami. He also recorded a career-high seven tackles at Bowling Green. Brown was named the team’s most improved defensive player following 2011 spring drills.
Kroboth started all 12 games at safety. He is second on defense with 71 tackles, a team-best six break-ups, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He had a career-high 12 tackles in the win over Army, including a career-best 11 solo takedowns. Kroboth led the nation in interceptions in the first week of the season following a career-high two interceptions in the win over Villanova.
McManus, Temple’s placekicker for three seasons, took over punting duties this fall. In 12 games, McManus is second in team scoring with 85 points. He leads the MAC with a perfect 46-of-46 in PATs. McManus has punted 45 times for 2,065 yards. Fifteen of those 45 landed inside the 20, while 16 were longer than 50 yards. McManus earned national specialist honors seven times this season.
Pierce has had a record-breaking season. In 11 games, he leads the Owls (and the MAC) with 1,381 yards and 25 touchdowns on 248 carries. He is the Owls’ and MAC’s top scorer with 150 points. Pierce is No. 2 nationally with 13.64 points per game, No. 2 in rushing TDs (25), and No. 7 in rushing (125.55). On Temple’s career charts, he ranks No. 1 in rushing TDs (51), No. 1 in total touchdowns (52), No. 2 in rushing yards (3,470), and No. 2 in 100-yard games (17). As a true freshman in 2009, Pierce was a first-team All-MAC selection as well as the MAC Freshman of the Year.
Team captain Robinson started all 12 games at defensive end. Named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, he has 47 tackles, 11.0 TFL, a team-best six sacks, an interception, and a blocked kick. Playing in EVERY game of his collegiate career, Robinson has started 31 consecutive games and 37 games total. Robinson was a first-team All-MAC selection and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.
Rodriguez played in all 12 games with 11 starts at tight end this season. Named to the Mackey Award Watch List, he leads the Owls with 427 yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions. In the win at Maryland, Rodriguez had a career-high 96 yards on five receptions en route to National TE?of the Week honors from the National Football Performance Awards.
Tribue has started all 12 games at right guard. He also saw action as a member of the field goal unit. Tribue and his four fellow offensive linemen have combined for 130 starting appearances. Providing great protection, the offensive line gave up no sacks against Ohio, Buffalo, and Akron this season. Tribue was named to the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his community service work.
Team captain Whitehead played in all 12 games with 11 starts at Sam linebacker. Named to the Butkus Award Watch List, he is third in team tackling with 59 tackles, a team-best 12.0 TFL for a loss of 64 yards, five sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
2011 All-MAC Football Awards
FIRST TEAM
QB – Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois
C– Scott Wedige, Northern Illinois
OL – Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo
OL – Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois
OL – Joe Flading, Ohio
OL – Pat Boyle, Temple
TE – Evan Rodriquez, Temple
WR – Jordan White, Western Michigan
WR – Eric Page, Toledo
WR – Nick Harwell, Miami
WR – Kamar Jorden, Bowling Green
RB - Bernard Pierce, Temple
RB –Branden Oliver, Buffalo
PK –Mathew Sims, Northern Illinois
OLB –Aaron Morris, Ball State
OLB – Khalil Mack, Buffalo
ILB – Brian Wagner, Akron
ILB - Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green
DL – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
DL – Adrian Robinson, Temple
DL – Chris Jones, Bowling Green
DL – Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
DB – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan
DB – Dayonne Nunley, Miami
DB – Desmond Marrow, Toledo
DB – Sean Baker, Ball State
P – Brian Schmeidebusch, Bowling Green
KOR – Eric Page, Toledo
PR –Eric Page, Toledo
SECOND TEAM
QB – Alex Carder, Western Michigan
C– Zac Kerin, Toledo
OL – Brandon Brooks, Miami
OL – Jordan Hansel, Ball State
OL – Brian Winters, Kent State
OL – Eric Herman, Ohio
TE – David Blackburn, Central Michigan
WR – LaVon Brazill, Ohio
WR – Briggs Orsbon, Ball State
WR – Perez Ashford, Northern Illinois
WR – Marcus Rivers, Buffalo
RB – Adonis Thomas, Toledo
RB – Jasmin Hopkins, Northern Illinois
K – Matt Weller, Ohio
OLB – C.J. Malauulu, Kent State
OLB – Tahir Whitehead, Temple
ILB – Travis Freeman, Ball State
ILB– Noah Keller, Ohio
DL – Sean Progar, Northern Illinois
DL – Tremayne Scott, Ohio
DL – Nate Ollie, Ball State
DL – Brad Ohrman, Eastern Michigan
DB – Johnnie Simon, Western Michigan
DB – Josh Pleasant, Kent State
DB – Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois
DB – Travis Carrie, Ohio
P– Brandon McManus, Temple
KOR – BooBoo Gates, Bowling Green
PR – Jamill Smith, Ball State
THIRD TEAM
QB – Tyler Tettleton, Ohio
C– Ben Bojicic, Bowling Green
OL – Dann O’Neill, Western Michigan
OL – Wayne Tribue, Temple
OL – Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
OL – A.J. Strum, Ohio
TE – Garrett Hoskins, Eastern Michigan
WR – Nate Palmer, Northern Illinois
WR – Titus Davis, Central Michigan
WR – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan
WR – Chleb Ravenell, Western Michigan
RB – Donte’ Harden, Ohio
RB – Matt Brown, Temple
PK – John Potter, Western Michigan
OLB – Justin Cudworth, Eastern Michigan
OLB – Jerrell Wedge, Miami
ILB – Luke Batton, Kent State
ILB – Ryan Kennedy, Miami
DL – Austin Brown, Miami
DL – Morkeith Brown, Temple
DL – Freddie Bishop, Western Michigan
DB – T.J. Fatinikun, Toledo
DB – Latarrius Thomas, Eastern Michigan
DB – Kevin Kroboth, Temple
DB – Luke Wollet, Kent State
DB – Marlon Pollard, Eastern Michigan
P– Scott Kovanda, Ball State
KOR – Donte’ Harden, Ohio
PR – Terrell Jackson, Buffalo
SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois
Coach of the Year: Ron English, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois
Defensive Player of the Year: DL Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year: K Matt Weller, Ohio
Freshman of the Year: RB Anthon Samuel, Bowling Green
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