MONTGOMERY, Ala. (SIAC) – Junior running back George Myers, Jr. of Benedict was named the 2016 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Player of the Year (MVP) as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Senior quarterback Kevin Lacey (Tuskegee) was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year along with teammate Osband Thompson who was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. [lasso align=”right” cart=”y” identifier=”B00IX08NN0″ locale=”US” tag=”hbcusports-20″ ref=”amzn-collegiate-pacific-tuskegee-golden-tigers-pennant-and-12-x-30-ncaa-banner” type=”single” id=”71893″ link_id=”5156″]
Quarterback Jules St. Ge (Kentucky State) earned the Freshman of the Year honor and senior quarterback Johnathon McCrary (Clark Atlanta) was named the Newcomer of the Year.
First-year head coach John L. Smith of Kentucky State was selected as the Coach of the Year.
Myers, a 5’6 junior from Hephzibah, Ga., led the conference this season in all-purpose yards (1,476) averaging 147.6 yards per game. He finished the year with five touchdowns and recorded 1,092 rushing yards. Myers set a school record for rushing with 235 yards against Central State on Sept. 17. Myers also finished with 222 yards over Lane on Oct. 8.
Lacey, a 6’6 senior from Wetumpka, Ala., threw 11 touchdowns in SIAC games to account for 1,277 yards. He completed 79-of-140 passes against conference opponents and averaged 182.4 yards per game. Lacey helped Tuskegee rise to fifth in the America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Poll earlier this year which was the highest ranking in school history. He posted a career-high 300 yards and four touchdowns against Morehouse on Oct. 8. The three-time SIAC Player of the Week was added to Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) Player of the Year Watch List this season.
Thompson led the Golden Tigers throughout the season as the two-time SIAC Defensive Player of the Week and finished in double-digit tackles six times including 16 against Clark Atlanta. A BOXTOROW National Player of the Week selection, Thompson has 98 total tackles which ranks him in the top 20 in NCAA Division II. He has recorded 10 tackles for loss (9.5 in SIAC games) and 2.5 sacks. He also has three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, has recovered a fumble and forced two. The 6’0 junior linebacker from Miami, Fla. also blocked a kick against Morehouse and recorded a safety against Clark Atlanta this year.
St. Ge started every SIAC game of the season for the Thorobreds who will be making their first SIAC Football Championship appearance on Nov. 12. The 6-1 freshman from Lakeland, Fla. has tallied 896 yards of total offense in his 2016 campaign. St. Ge has recorded six touchdowns and had his best game of the season against Fort Valley State where he completed 10-of-17 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
McCrary, a redshirt junior transfer from Decatur, Ga. led Clark Atlanta offensively throughout the season. He completed 142-of-256 passes for 1,903 yards and averaged 211.4 yards per game. McCrary also leads the SIAC with 14 touchdown passes. Against Morehouse he recorded 456 yards including five touchdowns.
In his first season, Smith led Kentucky State to the west division title with a 3-1 record in SIAC divisional games. The Thorobreds defeated nationally-ranked Tuskegee, 10-9 on the road on Oct. 22. KSU also took down the reigning SIAC football champions, Miles College 28-24 on Oct. 15. The Thorobreds will meet Fort Valley State in the championship game on Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. Earlier in the season KSU defeated Fort Valley State 28-10 at Wildcat Stadium.
Tuskegee led this year’s all-conference teams with eight selections which included seven first-team honorees.
2016 SIAC Football All-Conference First Team
| Kevin Lacey | Quarterback | Tuskegee | Senior | Wetumpka, Ala. |
| Leo Gilbert | Tight end | Tuskegee | Senior | Miami, Fla. |
| Otis Brown | Wide receiver | Fort Valley State | Senior | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Trenton Earl | Wide receiver | Clark Atlanta | Senior | Detroit, Mich. |
| Marcus Holliday | Running back | Lane | Junior | Memphis, Tenn. |
| George Myers, Jr. | Running back | Benedict | Junior | Hephzibah, Ga. |
| Javoris Wilburn | Offensive lineman | Albany State | Redshirt-Senior | Warrenton, Ga. |
| Tedrick Cofield | Offensive lineman | Albany State | Junior | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Leeward Brown | Offensive lineman | Tuskegee | Junior | Miami, Fla. |
| Kelvin Shelton | Offensive lineman | Tuskegee | Senior | San Jacinto, Calif. |
| Tyshon Henderson | Offensive lineman | Clark Atlanta | Redshirt-Junior | Newark, N.J. |
| Whitney Richardson | Defensive lineman | Lane | Junior | Perkinston, Miss. |
| Julian Morgan | Defensive lineman | Tuskegee | Senior | Lithia Springs, Ga. |
| Grover Stewart | Defensive lineman | Albany State | Senior | Camilla, Ga. |
| Monte Taylor | Defensive lineman | Albany State | Senior | Springdale, Md. |
| David Smith | Linebacker | Morehouse | Junior | Newport News, Va. |
| Deonate Gary | Linebacker | Central State | Senior | Lakeland, Fla. |
| Osband Thompson | Linebacker | Tuskegee | Junior | Miami, Fla. |
| Brian Walker | Defensive back | Fort Valley State | Senior | Cairo, Ga. |
| Jonah McCutcheon | Defensive back | Tuskegee | Junior | Mobile, Ala. |
| Cedric Poole | Defensive back | Miles | Senior | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Edward Kirkland | Defensive back | Benedict | Junior | Columbia, S.C. |
| Nick Christiansen | Kicker | Miles | Junior | Clayton, N.C. |
| Juan Serna | Punter | Fort Valley State | Junior | Douglasville, Ga. |
| Ricci Nuckles | Kick returner | Morehouse | Freshman | Suwanee, Ga. |
| Cedric Poole | Punt returner | Miles | Senior | Birmingham, Ala. |
2016 SIAC Football All-Conference Second Team
| Johnathon McCrary | Quarterback | Clark Atlanta | Redshirt-Junior | Decatur, Ga. |
| Lake McGuffie | Tight end | Morehouse | Senior | Hampton, Ga. |
| Desmond Reece | Wide receiver | Tuskegee | Senior | Valley, Ala. |
| Okechi Ntiasagwe | Wide receiver | Benedict | Junior | Columbia, S.C. |
| De’Michael Jackson | Running back | Central State | Senior | Louisville, Ky. |
| Reginal Harris | Running back | Kentucky State | Senior | Miami, Fla. |
| Brian Cornish | Offensive lineman | Fort Valley State | Senior | Warner Robins, Ga. |
| Justin Brown | Offensive lineman | Benedict | Sophomore | Marietta, Ga. |
| Howard Bush | Offensive lineman | Lane | Junior | Mobile, Ala. |
| Marcus Campbell, Jr. | Offensive lineman | Kentucky State | Sophomore | Radcliff, Ky. |
| Darius Thomas | Offensive lineman | Central State | Freshman | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Ashton McKenzie | Defensive lineman | Miles | Senior | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Charles Williams | Defensive lineman | Benedict | Junior | Barnwell, S.C. |
| Rodriguez Jones | Defensive lineman | Kentucky State | Junior | Newport News, Va. |
| Sam Goode | Defensive lineman | Fort Valley State | Senior | Duval County, Fla. |
| Travon Spencer | Linebacker | Kentucky State | Senior | Louisville, Ky. |
| Jacob Mitchell | Linebacker | Clark Atlanta | Senior | Decatur, Ga. |
| Javonte Kelly | Linebacker | Lane | Senior | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Clim Robbins | Defensive back | Central State | Senior | West Orlando, Fla. |
| Anthony Blackmon | Defensive back | Lane | Junior | Fairhope, Ala. |
| Caleb Duncan | Defensive back | Miles | Senior | New Orleans, La. |
| Vincent Edwards, Jr. | Defensive back | Kentucky State | Senior | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Bill Rose | Kicker | Kentucky State | Redshirt-Senior | Lawrenceburg, Ky. |
| Nick Christiansen | Punter | Miles | Junior | Clayton, N.C. |
| Deandre Jackson | Kick returner | Clark Atlanta | Senior | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Jamion Dunning | Punt returner | Lane | Senior | Memphis, Tenn. |
