ATLANTA – Albany State University and its quarterback, Frank Rivers, along with Miles College linebacker, Julantate English, headline the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (S-I-A-C) 2014 SIAC Preseason Teams.
The conference made the announcement during the 2014 SIAC Football Media Day and Luncheon. In a vote by the league football head coaches, Rivers collected SIAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors while English was tabbed as the SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Rivers and English join 50 players that total this year’s preseason squads. Eleven member institutions were spotlighted on this year’s team. Returning players from the 2013 postseason teams received an automatic selection. Players from the second team at the end of 2013 were elevated to the first team as a result of last year’s voting and positions available for nomination.
Albany State registered the most selections on this year’s preseason squads with 11 including five voted to the first team. Miles posted nine players and led the first team with six picks followed by Tuskegee with seven players tabbed overall. Fort Valley State and Stillman recorded five apiece with Lane (4), Kentucky State (3), Clark Atlanta (3), Central State (2), Morehouse (2), and Benedict (1) rounding out the preseason honors. As a result of entering its first year of conference play, Paine College did not have players on the voting ballot.
Last season, Rivers helped lead the Golden Rams to the SIAC Centennial football crown and its second title in four years. He passed for more than 2,000 yards with 19 touchdowns. English spearheaded the Golden Bears defense catapulting to the championship game. He notched 90 tackles in 2013 including 45 solo and 4.5 for a loss.
For the predicted order of finish and in addition to receiving the most votes from the East Division, defending SIAC Champions, Albany State was selected to repeat as this year’s overall winner. ASU received 23 points and all available first-place votes from the East Division poll including 111 points in the overall ranking. To close out the division ballot, Fort Valley State garnered 21 points with two first-place votes followed by Benedict (12), Morehouse (11), Clark Atlanta (8), and Paine (7).
For the West Division, Tuskegee landed 23 points with three first-place votes to become the favorite. Miles recorded 21 points including two for first place. Stillman (17), Kentucky State (14), Lane (8) and Central State (7) closed out the preseason ranking.
East Division Predicted Order of Finish
Team Total Points (First Place Votes)
Albany State 20 (4)
Fort Valley State 17
Benedict 12
Morehouse 11
Clark Atlanta 8
Paine 7
West Division Predicted Order of Finish
Team Total Points (First Place Votes)
Tuskegee 23 (3)
Miles 21 (2)
Stillman 17
Kentucky State 14
Lane 8
Central State 7
Predicted Overall Champion
1. Albany State 111 (3)
2. Tuskegee 103 (5)
3. Miles 102 (4)
4. Fort Valley State 87
5. Stillman 64
6. Kentucky State 63
7. Benedict 62
8. Morehouse 56
9. Clark Atlanta 43
10.Lane 42
11. Central State 31
12. Paine 28
First Team Offense
QB Frank Rivers – Albany State
RB Jacquise Lockett – Kentucky State
RB Hoderick Lowe – Tuskegee
OL Victor Moli – Albany State
OL Terrence Owens – Miles
OL Matthew Reece – Tuskegee
OL Michael D. Thornton – Tuskegee
OL Aderus Hood – Miles
TE Delarius Webb – Miles
WR Jamion Dunning – Lane
WR Jesse Atkins – Albany State
KR Dondre Purnell – Stillman
K Zach Holley – Albany State
First Team Defense
DL Grover Stewart – Albany State
DL Bryshon Jones – Miles
DL Gabriel Mass – Lane
DL Clarence Christian – Morehouse
LB Julantate English – Miles
LB Bre’Nard Williams – Clark Atlanta
LB LeRon Furr – Fort Valley State
DB Joe Beckham – Miles
DB Cameron Stallings – Stillman
DB Michael Robinson – Tuskegee
DB Robert Crosby – Stillman
P Austin Casillas – Clark Atlanta
PR Rodney Hall – Benedict
Second Team Offense
QB Demetrice Price – Miles
RB Montavious Taylor – Clark Atlanta
RB Phillip Moore – Albany State
OL Montell Collins – Miles
OL Shea Martin – Morehouse
OL Daniel Ford – Kentucky State
OL Brandon Baker – Fort Valley State
OL Michael Brown – Fort Valley State
TE Zach Thomas – Central State
WR Dondre Purnell – Stillman
WR Antonio Pitts – Miles
KR Darius Mitchell – Lane
K Trevor Wylie – Tuskegee
Second Team Defense
DL Peter Dele – Stillman
DL Damien Goosby – Albany State
DL Benard Little – Fort Valley State
DL Justin Woods-West – Central State
LB Terry Horton – Kentucky State
LB El’Malik Chinn – Tuskegee
LB Larry Whitfield – Albany State
DB Dewayne Brown – Lane
DB Bryan Walker – Fort Valley State
DB Breon Issac – Fort Valley State
DB Tyrin Thurmon – Tuskegee
P Ryan Latner – Albany State
PR Adrian Alexander – Albany State
Courtesy: SIAC
