Norfolk, VA – Fourth-year head coach Brian Jenkins of Bethune-Cookman was selected for his third Coach of the Year honor. Jenkins led the Wildcats to a 7-1 MEAC mark and a 10-2 overall record. The Wildcats defeated Florida A&M, 29-10, to clinch a share of the conference’s regular season title and secure the MEAC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division I (FCS) Championships. The Wildcats are currently ranked 12th in both the Sports Network’s FCS and FCS Coaches Poll. He has led Bethune-Cookman to three MEAC titles in four years and fell just one game shy of back-to-back undefeated MEAC finishes.
Howard quarterback Greg McGhee was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) Offensive Player of the Year and Joe Thomas of South Carolina State earned the Defensive Player of the Year honors, as voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.
North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen earned the Rookie of the Year award and Tristan Bellamy, of S.C. State, was selected as Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Junior Greg McGhee led the MEAC in total offense (272.9 avg./g) and ranked second in passing yards per game (198.2 avg./g). He completed 228 passes on 385 attempts (59%) with 16 touchdowns in 12 games this season. He also finished the season ranked third in the MEAC in rushing with 896 yards (74.7 avg./g), on 157 attempts, and three touchdowns. McGhee ranks 19th in the nation in total offense and 31st in completions per game (19). He earned conference Offensive Player of the Week accolades twice this season. McGhee is the tenth Bison to earn the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year honor and first since Ted White in 1996.
Joe Thomas recorded 116 total tackles, 84 solo, with a conference-best 19 tackles for a loss during the 2013 campaign. Thomas collected 7.5 sacks, sixth in the MEAC, with one interception, five breakups, five hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery to help the Bulldogs finish as the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense (80.5 avg./g) and No. 2 scoring defense (14.0 avg./g). Thomas earned Defensive Player of the Week honors once this season and is currently listed on the Sports Network’s Buck Buchannan Award watch list, which recognizes the nation’s top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) defensive player. Thomas becomes the 13th Bulldog to earn the conference’s top defensive award, however he is only the second to have been selected in more than 10 years (David Erby 2010).
As a freshman, North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen led the MEAC in rushing, averaging 104.4 yards per game (,) on 195 attempts with eight touchdowns. He earned the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week accolades three times and Rookie of the Week honors twice this season. A native of Bunn, North Carolina, Cohen became the first freshman in North Carolina A&T State history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Cohen’s is currently listed on the Sports Network’s Jerry Rice Award watch list, which recognizes the nation’s top FCS freshman. Cohen is just the second Aggie to be named Rookie of the Year. He joins the school’s all-time rushing leader, Mike Mayhew, who earned the honor in 2009.
Tristan Bellamy aided a dominating Bulldog offense that accounted for 4,101 yards of total offense , including 2,000 yards on the ground. Behind Bellamy’s blocking S.C. State finished second in the MEAC in scoring offense (29.6 ppg), and third in total offense (341.1 avg./g). Bellamy earned the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Week honor twice this season. Bellamy is the sixth Bulldog to earn Offensive Lineman of the Year accolades.
South Carolina State led all schools with 13 student-athletes recognized on the three MEAC post-season teams. The Bulldogs have five student-athletes earn first-team honors, in addition to two-of-four top awards.
Bethune-Cookman finished close behind with 12 student-athletes to earn post–season honors, in addition to five first-team selections.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) – 2013 Football All-Conference Teams
First Team
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
QB | Greg McGhee | Jr. | Howard | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
RB | Tarik Cohen | Fr. | North Carolina A&T | Bunn, N.C. |
RB | Rolandan Finch | Grad. | Norfolk State | New Albany, Ind. |
WR | Tyler McDonald | Sr. | South Carolina State | Summerville, S.C. |
WR | Milton Williams III | Jr. | Delaware State | Upper Marlboro, Md. |
TE | Joseph Hawkins | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Chicago, Ill. |
C | Andrew Edourad | Jr. | Bethune-Cookman | Philadelphia, Pa. |
OL | Karim Barton | Sr. | Morgan State | Los Angeles, Calif. |
OL | Alex Monroe | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Jacksonville, Fla. |
OL | Domanic Wilson | r-So. | South Carolina State | Lake City, S.C. |
OL | Rashard Brown | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Kissimmee, Fla. |
DEFENSE | ||||
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
DL | Miles Groom | So. | Hampton | Richmond, Va. |
DL | Andrew Carter | r-Jr. | South Carolina State | Hamlet, N.C. |
DL | Alex Glover | Jr. | South Carolina State | Charlotte, N.C. |
DL | Rodney Gunter | Jr. | Delaware State | Haines, Fla. |
LB | Lynden Trail | r-Jr. | Norfolk State | Miami, Fla. |
LB | Jarkevis Fields | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Samford, Fla. |
LB | Joe Thomas | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Blackville, S.C. |
DB | Nick Addison | Jr. | Bethune-Cookman | Tampa, Fla. |
DB | Darrin Marrow | r-Jr. | Norfolk State | Virginia Beach, Va. |
DB | Justin Blake | r-Sr. | Hampton | Piscataway, N.J. |
DB | Ademola Olatunji | Jr. | Howard | Riverdale, Md. |
P | Lawrence Forbes | r-Fr. | Morgan State | Upper Marlboro, Md. |
PK | Anthony Prevost | Fr. | Hampton | Chesterfield, Va. |
RS | Adrian Wilkins | r-So. | North Carolina Central | Forest City, N.C. |
Second Team
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
QB | Cory Murphy | Sr. | Delaware State | Sunnyvale, Calif. |
RB | Isidore Jackson | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Mossy Head, Fla. |
RB | Anthony Philyaw | Fr. | Howard | Redondo Beach, Calif. |
WR | Eddie Poole | Grad. | Bethune-Cookman | Belle Glade, Fla. |
WR | Simon Heyward | Sr. | Savannah State | Savannah, Ga. |
TE | Kris Drummond | Jr. | Savannah State | Washington, D.C. |
C | Tristan Bellamy | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Johnston, S.C. |
OL | William Robinson | r-Jr. | North Carolina A&T | Clinton, Md. |
OL | Nathan Isles | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Atlanta, Ga. |
OL | Darren Pinnock | Jr. | Morgan State | Miami, Fla. |
OL | Kory Alpichi | Jr. | Hampton | Winchester, Calif. |
DEFENSE | ||||
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
DL | Dyron Dye | Grad. | Bethune-Cookman | Sanford, Fla. |
DL | Javon Hargrave | So. | South Carolina State | Salisbury, N.C. |
DL | LeBrandon Richardson | Jr. | Bethune-Cookman | Miami, Fla. |
DL | Deon King | So. | Norfolk State | Reston, Va. |
LB | D’Vonte Grant | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Charlotte, N.C. |
LB | Delbert Tyler | Sr. | Hampton | Monroeville, Pa. |
LB | Tazmon Foster | Sr. | North Carolina Central | Henderson, N.C. |
DB | D’Vonte Graham | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Tallahassee, Fla. |
DB | Michael Jones | Fr. | North Carolina Central | Baltimore, Md. |
DB | Kimario McFadden | Sr. | South Carolina State | Riverdale, Ga. |
DB | Carvin Johnson | Sr. | Hampton | New Orleans, La. |
P | Christian Faber-Kinney | r-Fr. | Hampton | Williamsburg, Va. |
PK | Nick Belcher | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Sumter, S.C. |
RS* | Tubotein Taylor | Sr. | Morgan State | Anaheim, Calif. |
RS* | D’Vonte Graham | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Tallahassee, Fla. |
Third Team
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
QB | Richard Cue | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Florence, S.C. |
RB | Lamont Brown | r-Fr. | Morgan State | Suffolk, Va. |
RB | Justin Taylor | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Atlanta, Ga. |
WR | Antwon Chisholm | Sr. | Hampton | Belle Glade, Fla. |
WR* | Lenworth Lennon | r-Jr. | Florida A&M | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
WR* | Malik Golson | r-Fr. | Delaware State | Smyrna, Del. |
TE | Termarrick Hemingway | r-So. | South Carolina State | Loris, S.C. |
C | Joshua Matthews | Sr. | Howard | Bowman, S.C. |
OL | Toree Boyd | Fr. | Howard | Miami, Fla. |
OL | Deonta Allen-Wright | r-So. | Howard | Midolthian, Va. |
OL | Blake Matthews | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Manassas, Va. |
OL | Anthony Kibler | Jr. | Bethune-Cookman | Belle Glade, Fla. |
DEFENSE | ||||
Pos. | Name | Cl. | School | Hometown |
DL | Tyree Hearn | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Durham, N.C. |
DL | Damon Gresham Chisholm | So. | Howard | Covington, Ga. |
DL | George Riddick | Jr. | Norfolk State | Suffolk, Va. |
DL | Tevin Toney | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Sebring, Fla. |
LB | Marquis Smith | So. | Savannah State | Prince Georges County, Md. |
LB | Cody Acker | Jr. | Morgan State | Greenbelt, Md. |
LB | Ernest Adjei | Sr. | Delaware State | Woodbridge, Ga. |
DB | Terrick Colston | So. | Delaware State | Lakeland, Fla. |
DB | Travis Crosby | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Charlotte, N.C. |
DB | John Wilson | Sr. | Savannah State | Athens, Ga. |
DB* | Tim Burke | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
DB* | Patrick Aiken | r-So. | Florida A&M | Miramar, Fla. |
P | Oleg Parent | Jr. | North Carolina Central | Lake Forest, Calif. |
PK | Cody Jones | Fr. | North Carolina A&T | Gastonia, N.C. |
RS | Darius Drummond | Sr. | South Carolina State | Asheville, N.C. |
*indicates tie