Bulldogs’ Ford and Bison’s Cooper Earn Top Preseason Honors

South Carolina State’s Will Ford and Endor Cooper of Howard earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) top football preseason awards, as announced by the league on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Ford was selected as the preseason Offensive Player ofthe Year and Cooper was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the MEAC head football coaches and sports nformation directors.

For the second year in a row the South Carolina State Bulldogs were the consensus pick to win the MEAC title in 2008. The defending MEAC Champion Delaware State Hornets finished second in the preseason poll.

Ford led the Bulldogs in total rushing yards with 1,389 yards on 210 attempts and four touchdowns. He finished second in the MEAC in rushing yards per game with an average of 126.3. Ford earned the MEAC’s Rookie of the Year honor his freshman season and was selected to the All-MEAC First Team as a sophomore.

Cooper earned the defensive player of the year honor after leading the Bison with 50 solo and 87 total tackles in 2007. He finished fifth in the league in tackles and tallied three forced fumbles, fourth best in the MEAC.

Hampton led all teams with six players on the preseason All-MEAC first team. The Pirates also had three second team selections for a total of 11. South Carolina State had 12 total selections on both teams; five were recognized on the first team. Delaware State, Morgan State and Norfolk State had six total selections each.

The 2008 Preseason Predictions and All-Conference teams are listed below.

2008 MEAC Football Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

1. South Carolina State (6) 272
2. Delaware State (6) 252
3. Norfolk State (2) 216
4. Hampton (2) 214
5. Morgan State 170
6. Florida A&M 120
7. Bethune-Cookman (1) 91
8. Howard 85
9. North Carolina A&T (1) 35

Photo: Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Will Ford, South Carolina State, #28

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - Endor Cooper, Howard University

2008 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM


Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB TJ Mitchell r-Jr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
RB William Ford Jr. South Carolina State Travelers Rest, SC
RB Philip Sylvester So. Florida A&M Marianna, Fla.
TE Taj Jenkines Jr. Florida A&M Jacksonville, Fla.
WR Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Jamar Johnson r-Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
OL Dennis Conley Sr. Hampton Suffolk, Va.
OL Jamien Banks r-Sr. Norfolk State Tappahannock, Va.
OL Devon Dawson Jr. South Carolina State Greer, SC
OL Dwayne Delaney Sr. Morgan State Amelia, Va.
C Raymond Harrison r-Sr. South Carolina State Columbia, SC

Defense
DL Clarence McPherson Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
DL Ronn Spinner Sr. Delaware State Lofton, Va.
DL Dexter Jackson Jr. Bethune-Cookman Jacksonville, Fla.
DL Cedric Lloyd Sr. South Carolina State Manning, SC
LB Endor Cooper Sr. Howard Woodbridge, Va.
LB Josh Pope r-Jr. Delaware State Philadelphia, Pa.
LB Jarrell Guyton* Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
LB Vernon Wilder* r-Sr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Terrell Whitehead Jr. Norfolk State Virginia Beach, Va.
DB Markee Hamlin Jr. South Carolina State Lamar, SC
DB Sam Pope Sr. Hampton St. Helena Island, SC
DB Chris Williams Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
P Jahmal Blanchard Jr. Hampton Lauderdale Lake, Fla.
P/K James Meade Sr. Morgan State Upper Marlboro, Md.
Ret Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.

2008 All-MEAC SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB Vashon Winton Sr. Delaware State Chicago, Ill.
RB Michael Ferguson Sr. North Carolina A&T Norfolk, Va.
RB Kareem Jones Sr. Delaware State Lansinburg, NY
TE Octavius Darby Sr. South Carolina State Hollywood, Fla.
WR Kevin Teel Sr. Hampton Bowie, Md.
WR Oliver Young* Jr. South Carolina State Charleston, SC
WR Jeremy Wicker* r-So. Norfolk State Quantico, Va.
OL Anthony Collins r-Jr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
OL Reubin Mordecai r-Sr. Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla.
OL Robert Norris Sr. Morgan State Houston, Texas
OL Michael Ola* r-So. Hampton Riverdale, Ga.
OL Adrian Brown* Sr. Delaware State Baltimore, Md.
C Nick Richmond r-Jr. Delaware State Lampeter, Pa.

Defense
DL Tyre Glasper Sr. North Carolina A&T Detroit, Mich.
DL James Simmons Sr. South Carolina State Greenville, SC
DL Keyon Brooks Sr. South Carolina State Miami, Fla.
DL Dennis Marsh r-Sr. Norfolk State Greensboro, NC
LB Andre Thornton Jr. North Carolina A&T Charlotte, NC
LB Tony White Sr. South Carolina State Seneca, SC
LB Charles Robinson r-Sr. Hampton Hampton, Va.
DB Curtis Holcomb So. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Antwane Cox Jr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
DB Don Carey Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
DB Brandon Colbert Sr. North Carolina A&T Fayetteville, NC
P Aaron Haire Jr. South Carolina State Orangeburg, SC
P/K Carlo Turavani So. Hampton Ontario, Canada
Ret Corey Council Sr. Bethune-Cookman Valdosta, Ga.

** indicates tie