MEAC Announces 2014 Football All-MEAC Awards

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Howard quarterback Greg McGhee and North Carolina A&T Staterunning back Tarik Cohen were selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Co-Offensive Players of the Year and Javon Hargrave of South Carolina State earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, as voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.

South Carolina State’s Darius Leonard earned the Rookie of the Year award and Morgan State’s Darren Pinnock was selected as Offensive Lineman of the Year. 

First-year head coach Lee Hull of Morgan State was selected as the Coach of the Year.  Hull guided the Bears to a share of the MEAC title, the first MEAC football title for the institution.  Under his leadership, the Bears finished 7-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play. The Bears defeated Savannah State 69-7 in their final game of the season to secure the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Championships.

Howard senior Greg McGhee became the conference’s all-time leader in total offensive yards (10,168 yards) after capping his four-year career as the Bison quarterback.  As a senior, he led the MEAC in total offense (3,235 yards), 21^st in the FCS, and passing yards (2,388).  He completed 56-percent of his passes (222-for-399) with 15 touchdowns, ranking 28^th in the nation, and threw only eight interceptions, in 12 games.  He ranks fourth in the MEAC in rushing yards (847) and averaged a team-best 70.6 yards per game. 

McGhee led the team’s rushing output with 164 carries and posted 13 touchdowns.

Sophomore Tarik Cohen of North Carolina A&T State led the MEAC in rushing and recorded his second straight 1,000 yard season with 1,340 total yards to help the Aggies to a share of the conference title. He led the MEAC with 121.8 rushing yards per game, carrying the ball 197 times with 15 touchdowns in 11 games.  He led the MEAC in scoring (96 points) and touchdowns (16) and finished second in all-purpose yardage (143.4 avg./g.). He has earned the Sports Networks’ Player of the Week honor once and received the conference’s offensive player of the week nod twice this season.

South Carolina State’s Javon Hargrave led the MEAC and ranks third in the nation in sacks with 16 for a loss of 199 yards and ranks fourth in the FCS in tackles for loss with 23.5.  He finished the season recording 55 total tackles, three forced fumbles, one recovered fumble (61 yards), eight quarterback hurries and two breakups.  He is listed on the Sports Networks’ Buck Buchanan Award List and has earned national and conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after tying a conference and FCS-best record of six sacks in a single game in a win over ranked Bethune-Cookman. 

As a freshman, South Carolina State’s Darius Leonard led the MEAC and ranked 30^th in the nation in solo tackles (73).  He tallied 88 total tackles (9^th in MEAC) and ranked t-11^th in the conference in tackles for loss with 13.5.  He garnered the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Week honors once and Rookie of the Week honors twice this season.  Leonard is currently listed on the Sports Networks’ Jerry Rice Award list.

 
Morgan State’s Darren Pinnock started in every game this season for the Bears. He paved the way for the MEAC’s second best rushing offense (211.3 avg.; No. 24 in FCS) and second top scoring offense (28.2 avg./g).  He did not allow a single sack through 11 games and helped the lead the Bears to sacks allowed (15).  He shouldered the offensive line that helped account for 4,464 total offensive yards including 2,536 on the ground. He earned two conference Offensive Lineman of the Week honors this season.

North Carolina Central led with 12 student-athletes to be recognized to the three MEAC post-season teams. North Carolina A&T State and South Carolina State each finished with 11 and Norfolk State followed closely behind with. The N.C. A&T State Aggies received the most first-team honors with seven student-athletes. 

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) - 2014 Football All-Conference Teams

Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T State and Greg McGhee, Howard
Defensive Player of the Year: Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Darren Pinnock, Morgan State
Rookie of the Year: Darius Leonard, South Carolina State
Coach of the Year: Lee Hull, Morgan State

First Team
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
QB Greg McGhee Sr. Howard Pittsburgh, Pa.
RB Tarik Cohen So. North Carolina A&T State Bunn, N.C.
RB Herb Walker Jr. So. Morgan State Cleveland, Ohio
WR Adrian Wilkins r-Jr. North Carolina Central Forest City, N.C.
WR Twarn Mixon r-So. Hampton Charlotte, N.C.
TE Tammarrick Hemmingway r-Jr. South Carolina State Loris, S.C.
C Ronald Canty r-Sr. North Carolina A&T State Chester, S.C.
OL William Ray Robinson III r-Sr. North Carolina A&T State Clinton, Md.
OL Darren Pinnock Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
OL Devin Flowers Sr. South Carolina State Charlotte, N.C.
OL Clevonne Davis Jr. North Carolina Central Miramar, Fla.

DEFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
DL Javon Hargrave Jr. South Carolina State Salisbury, N.C.
DL Deon King Jr. Norfolk State Reston, Va.
DL George Riddick Sr. Norfolk State Suffolk, Va.
DL LeBranden Richardson Sr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
LB Lynden Trail r-Sr. Norfolk State Miami, Fla.
LB D’Vonte Grant Sr. North Carolina A&T State Charlotte, N.C.
*LB Cody Acker Sr. Morgan State Landover, Md.
*LB Ralph Williams Sr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
DB Tony McRae Sr. North Carolina A&T State Laurinburg, N.C.
DB Donald Mattocks r-Sr. North Carolina A&T State Burlington, N.C.
DB Michael Jones So. North Carolina Central Baltimore, Md.
DB Keenan Lambert r-Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
P Christian Kinney R-So. Hampton Williamsburg, Va.
PK Cody Jones So. North Carolina A&T State Gastonia, N.C.
RS Michael Jones So. North Carolina Central Baltimore, Md.

Second Team
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
*QB Malcolm Bell r-So. North Carolina Central Richmond, Va.
*QB Damien Fleming Sr. Florida A&M Jacksonville, Fla.
RB Jorrian Washington Sr. Hampton Los Angeles, Calif.
RB Andre Clark r-Sr. North Carolina Central Mauldin, S.C.
WR Isaac White Jr. Norfolk State Portsmouth, Va.
WR Quentin Atkinson Jr. North Carolina Central Raleigh, N.C.
TE Myles Williams r-Jr. Howard Perris, Calif.
C Clarence Swain r-Sr. Morgan State Fayetteville, Ga.
OL Christopher Pressley Sr. North Carolina Central Upper Marlboro, Md.
OL Toree Boyd So. Howard Miami, Fla.
OL Domanic Wilson r-Sr. South Carolina State Lake City, S.C.
OL Kory Alpichi Sr. Hampton Winchester, Calif.

DEFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
DL Christopher Robinson r-Sr. Morgan State Baltimore, Md.
DL Marquis Ragland r-So. North Carolina A&T State Fayetteville, N.C.
DL Rodney Gunter Sr. Delaware State Lake Hamilton, Fla.
*DL Ty Brown r-Sr. North Carolina Central Charlotte, N.C.
*DL Felix Small Sr. North Carolina Central Brooklyn, N.Y.
LB Tavarus Dantzler Sr. Bethune-Cookman Homestead, Fla.
LB Josh Thorne Jr. Hampton Oxon Hill, Md.
LB Darius Leonard r-Fr. South Carolina Lakeview, S.C.
DB Antonio Hamilton r-Jr. South Carolina State Johnston, S.C.
DB C.J. Moore Sr. North Carolina Central Raleigh, N.C.
DB Paul Eatman Jr. Sr. Morgan State Jersey City, N.J.DB Chris Pauling Jr. South Carolina State High Point, N.C.
P Lawrence Forbes r-So. Morgan State Upper Marlboro, Md.
PK Chase Varnadore r-Sr. Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla.
RS Tony McRae Jr. North Carolina A&T State Laurinburg, N.C.
RS Antonio Hamilton r-Jr. South Carolina State Johnston, S.C.

Third Team
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
QB Kwashaun Quick Jr. North Carolina A&T State Laurinburg, N.C.
RB Jalen Simmons Jr. South Carolina State Charlotte, N.C.
RB William Parker Jr. Howard Stone Mountain, Ga.
WR Milton Williams III Sr. Delaware State Washington, D.C.
WR Desmond Lawrence Sr. North Carolina A&T State Durham, N.C.
TE Jvon Simmons Fr. North Carolina Central LaPlata, Md.
C Andrew Edouard Sr. Bethune-Cookman Philadelphia, Pa.
OL Ronald Rose Sr. Hampton Fort Washington, Md.
OL Brandon Parker r-Fr. North Carolina A&T State Kannapolis, N.C.
OL Justin Myler r-Sr. Norfolk State Woodbridge, Va.
OL Malcolm Rutledge Sr. Howard Detroit, Mi.

DEFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
DL Curtis Hill r-Sr. South Carolina State Columbia, S.C.
DL Miles Groom Jr. Hampton Richmond, Va.
DL Rony Barrow Sr. Bethune-Cookman Brooklyn, N.Y.
DL Erik Williams Grad Bethune-Cookman Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
LB Devin Rollins Jr. Howard Miami, Fla.
LB Marcell Coke Sr. Norfolk State Orlando, Fla.
LB Akil Blount Jr. Florida A&M Pittsburgh, Pa.
DB Darrin Marrow r-Sr. Norfolk State Virginia Beach, Va.
DB Terriick Colston Jr. Delaware State Lakeland, Fla.
DB Devonte Johnson Jr. Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla.
DB Dalonte Hall Jr. Morgan State Fort Washington, Md.
*P Dylan Shaddix r-Sr. Norfolk State McDonough, Ga.
*P Colby Blanton r-So. Florida A&M Jacksonville, Fla.
PK Cameron Marouf So. Norfolk State Woodbridge, Va.
RS Antonio Hamilton r-Jr. South Carolina State Johnston, S.C.

*Indicates Tie 

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS