North Carolina A&T running back Mike Mayhew and Howard linebacker Keith Pough received top honors as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2012 preseason football team at the annual Football Press Luncheon Banquet on Friday afternoon.  Mayhew was selected as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Pough was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. 

Last year’s conference champion, Norfolk State Spartans, were predicted to finish atop the conference standings in 2012.  South Carolina State was picked to finish second followed by Bethune-Cookman.

All preseason honors are voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.

Four Wildcat student athletes received preseason all conference First Team recognition (Isidore Jackson-RB, Terrence Hackney-OL, DJ Howard-DB, and Jarkevis Fields-LB) and three Wildcats received Second Team honors (Harold Love III-DL, Marquell Rozier-OL, and Eddie Poole-WR). 

2012 Predicted Order of Finish

(First Place Votes in Parenthesis)

1. Norfolk State (11)……….. 454 pts.
2. South Carolina State (4).. 432 pts.
3. Bethune-Cookman (3)…. 417 pts.
4. Florida A&M (2)……….. 354 pts.
5. Hampton (1)………………. 268 pts.
6. N.C. A&T…………………. 216 pts.
7. Morgan State……………… 198 pts.
8. Howard…………………….. 188 pts.
9. N.C. Central ……………… 116 pts.
10. Delaware State……………. 78 pts.
11. Savannah State (1)………. 73 pts.

 
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) – 2012 Football All-Conference Preseason Teams

Offensive Player of the Year: Mike Mayhew, North Carolina A&T                
Defensive Player of the Year: Keith Pough, Howard

2012 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Greg McGhee	So.	Howard	Pittsburgh, Pa.
RB	Mike Mayhew	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte,N.C.
RB	Isidore Jackson	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Mossy Head, Fla.
WR	Xavier Boyce	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Virginia Beach, Va.
WR	Travis Tarpley	r-Sr.	Delaware State	Danville, Va.
TE	Joseph Hawkins	Sr.	Norfolk State	Chicago, Ill.
C	Michael Kay	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Capital Heights, Md.
OL	Steven Robinson	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
OL	Blake Matthews	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Manassas, Va.
OL	Terrance Hackney	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Chapel Hill, N.C.
OL	Cory Gwinner	r-Sr.	Howard	Ypsilanti, Mich.
DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Tony Mashburn	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Tallahassee, Fla.
DL	Padric Scott	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DL	Richard Ndubueze	Sr.	Morgan State	Washington DC
DL	Matthew Davis	Jr.	Hampton	Chesapeake, Va.
LB	Keith Pough	r-Sr.	Howard	Orangeburg, S.C.
LB	Jarkevis Fields	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sanford, Fla.
LB	D’Vonte Grant	r-So.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, N.C.
DB	John Ojo	Sr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	DeVontae Johnson	So.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Travis Crosby	Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, NC
DB	D.J. Howard	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Daytona Beach, Fla.
P	Brandon Holdren	Sr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
PK	Everett Goldberg	Sr.	Norfolk State	Mesa Ridge, Col.
RS	Geovonie Irvine	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Durham, N.C.
Second Team
OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Damien Fleming	So.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
RB	Antwon Chisholm	Jr.	Hampton	Belle Glade, Fla.
RB	Travis Davidson	Sr.	Morgan State	Redford, Mich.
WR	Eddie Poole	r-Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Belle Glade, Fla.
WR	Justin Wilson	r-Sr.	Delaware State	Windsor, Conn.
TE	Kris Drummond	So.	Savannah State	Washington, DC
C	Tristan Bellamy	r-So.	South Carolina State	Jonston, S.C.
C	Vincent Harper	Jr.	Hampton	Belle Glade, Fla.
OL	Sam Hammond	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Union, S.C.
OL	Nathan Isles	Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Atlanta, Ga.
OL	Cameron Williams	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	Burke, Va.
OL	Marquell Rozier	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	St. Pauls, N.C.
DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Xavier Proctor	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Ellicott City, Md.
DL	Leon Smith	Sr.	South Carolina State	James Island, S.C.
DL	Harold Love III	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Portland, Oregon
DL	Brandon Young	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Louisville, Ky.
LB	Delbert Tyler	Jr.	Hampton	Monroeville, Pa.
LB	Joe Thomas	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Blackville, S.C.
LB	Lyndell Gibson	Sr.	Hampton	Virginia Beach, Va.
DB	Justin Blake	Sr.	Hampton	Piscataway, NJ
DB	Kenneth Ridley	Jr.	Morgan State
DB	Darius Drummond	Jr.	South Carolina State	Ashville, N.C
DB	DeCarlos Knight	r-Sr.	Howard	Nashville, Tenn.
P	Jordan Stovall	Jr.	Hampton	Elgin, S.C.
PK	Taureab Durham	Sr.	Hampton	Uniondale, N.Y.
RS	Darius Drummond	Jr.	South Carolina State	Ashville, S.C