CCU

Football Has 10 Named to All-Big South Conference Squads

       

Football Has 10 Named to All-Big South Conference Squads

CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina’s football squad had 10 players honored with selection to the All-Big South Conference squads for their play in the 2007 season, the league announced today. The team was voted on by the Conference’s head coaches, sports information directors and media panel.

The runner-up Chanticleers had six players named to the First Team – senior running back Mike Tolbert (Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County), senior wide receiver Jerome Simpson (Reidsville, N.C./Reidsville), junior offensive lineman Britt Leggett, redshirt senior defensive lineman Adrain Grady, redshirt junior defensive back Marrio Norman (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood) and redshirt sophomore Brandon Autry (Charlotte, N.C./Independence). Second team selections were sophomore defensive lineman Phillip Oboh (Greensboro, N.C./Dudley), senior linebacker Anthony Steele (Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland), junior linebacker D.J. Rice (Cooleemee, N.C./Davie County) and junior defensive back Whittmin Reese (Durham, N.C./Southern Durham).

Bios of the CCU award winners are below.

Mike Tolbert
Led Coastal in rushing and ranked fourth in the Big South with 748 yards on 111 carries (6.7 ypr – 2nd) and nine touchdowns (3rd) while leading CCU to 2nd in the league… In Big South games had 486 yards of rushing (3rd in the league) on just 60 carries (8.1 ypr - #1 in Big South) and five touchdowns (t-2nd)… His school-record 244 yards against VMI (on just 13 attempts) were the most (by 48 yards) of any Big South rusher this season, while his game-winning 86-yard touchdown run is the longest rushing play in the history of the Big South earning Offensive Player of the Week… Also had 100 yards on 16 carries in the win over GWU… Had a career-best three touchdowns and a two-point conversion run along with 60 rushing yards in the victory at CSU… Also had seven receptions for 58 yards… Finished his career with 1,670 rushing yards (3rd best at CCU) with 21 touchdowns (2nd) and 6.03 yards per rush (3rd).

Jerome Simpson
Is the Big South’s all-time leading receiver in yards (2,720) and touchdowns (44) and ranks fourth with 161 career receptions… Became first receiver in league history with back-to-back 10-touchdown seasons (16 – 2006, 11-2007)… Was the FCS leading active career touchdown receiver (and fourth in FCS history) with 44… Despite being double-covered most of the year still managed 41 catches (t-5th) for 697 yards (3rd) and 11 touchdowns (#1 in league) on the year… Recorded 19 catches (3rd) for 290 yards (4th) and seven scores (1st) in Big South action, helping CCU to a second-place finish… Had at least one touchdown catch in all four league games, including five catches for 91 yards and two TDs against Gardner-Webb… Also had two touchdown catches against Liberty and VMI… Had at least two receptions in all 11 games… Ranked sixth in scoring with 66 points… All-American & First Team All-Big South in 2006 and Second Team in 2005, as well as being Big South Freshman of the Year in 2004.

Britt Leggett
Started all 11 games for the Chanticleers, playing predominantly at left tackle, but also seeing action at right tackle, helping Coastal to a runner-up finish in the Big South… Graded out as Coastal’s top offensive lineman for the 2007 season… Has started 23 straight games on the offensive line…

Adrain Grady
Moved to the interior of the line his final season and had 24 tackles in 10 games played (all starts), along with 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble… Was the anchor on the interior of a defense that led the league with 27 sacks… Had five tackles and a fumble recovery at Delaware State… Posted four tackles (all solo) in the home victory over VMI… Had a forced fumble at Furman… Recorded three tackles, including two sacks for 18 yards, in two quarters of action against Chowan…  Coastal’s all-time leader with 34.5 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks, while finishing with 153 career tackles… Three-time Second Team All-Big South selection.

Marrio Norman
Started in all eight games he played in this year, playing safety for the first five and cornerback for the final three… Missed the final two games of the year with a high ankle sprain, along with one other game during the year… Led the Big South in interceptions with five in just eight games… Also his 53 tackles (including 28 solo) ranked ninth in the league (6.6 tpg), while adding one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four pass breakups on the year… Ranked second among DBs in tackles per game… Had a Big South record tying three interceptions along with one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and four tackles against Presbyterian… Posted a career-high 11 tackles at James Madison and followed it with 10 tackles and one interception at Furman… Had seven tackles (four solo) and one interception at Liberty… Also recorded three tackles and one pass breakup in the victory over VMI... Tied for second in CCU history with 10 career picks in three years.

Brandon Autry
Started all 10 games he played at safety for CCU… Tied for third at Coastal with 60 tackles (team-high 43 solo) along with 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions (t-7th) and one fumble recovery… Tied for 8th among defensive backs in tackles (6.0 per game)… Named Big South Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-best 12 tackles (10 solo), along with one forced fumble, one recovery, one interception (that sealed the game) and one pass breakup in the win over VMI… Prior to that, had a then career-high 10 tackles (seven solo) along with one interception and one forced fumble against Presbyterian… Recorded seven tackles (six solo) against Gardner-Webb… Also had eight tackles (five solo) and one tackle for loss at Furman…­­

Phillip Oboh
Was fifth at Coastal with 54 tackles (29 solo) while leading with 8.5 tackles for loss (t-6th) and 4.0 sacks (6th)… Ranks fifth among defensive linemen in tackles… Posted a career-best 12 tackles (nine solos), with two tackles for loss and one sackagainst Georgia Southern… Had nine tackles (five solo), including 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks (15 yds) and two quarterback hurries in the win over Winston-Salem State… Had five tackles in the victory over VMI followed by six tackles at Liberty… Also had seven tackles (four solo) against Presbyterian… 

Anthony Steele
Led Coastal and ranked ninth in the Big South with 65 tackles in 10 games played (all starts)… Also added 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery on the year… Recorded five or more tackles in nine of 10 games played, with four of eight or more… Had a season-high 11 tackles (six solo) against Georgia Southern… Recorded nine tackles against Presbyterian… Had seven tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss (a sack) in the home win over VMI… Tallied eight tackles (five solo) at Liberty… Had six tackles (two solo) and one interception at Charleston Southern, with the interception return to the CSU 3 setting up Coastal’s first score of the game and setting the tone for the defense giving up no points to the CSU offense… Had five tackles and a fumble recovery at Delaware State to open the season…

D.J. Rice
Tied for third at CCU (and 10th among league linebackers) with 60 tackles, while adding 5.0 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, two fumble recoveries (t-3rd) and five forced fumbles (led the league in forced fumbles) on the year… Had at least five tackles in six games, including seven or more in five of them… Posted a season-high nine tackles at MEAC champion Delaware State and at Liberty… Added one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery against the Flames… Had eight tackles each at Furman and against Presbyterian… Picked off a pass along with three tackles in the win at Charleston Southern where the defense gave up no points… Had four tackles (three solo) with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the home win over Gardner-Webb… Had seven tackles (five solo) with 3.0 tackles for loss (16 yards) and 1.0 sacks (11 yards) against Georgia Southern.

Whittmin Reese
Has been Coastal’s main defensive back on opponents’ top receivers this year… Started all 11 games at cornerback and had 38 tackles, three interceptions (t-4th in the Big South), two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries (t-3rd in the league) and one forced fumble on the year… Had a season-high seven tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery at Furman… Had three tackles and one interception against Presbyterian… Recorded four tackles and one interception (15-yard return) in the road victory at Charleston Southern… Posted five tackles (four solo) and one tackle for loss at MEAC champion Delaware State…Also had six tackles (five solo) and one interception against Georgia Southern…