Big South Announces 2016 Football Annual Awards
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Gardner-Webb junior quarterback Tyrell Maxwell (Cordova, S.C.) and Charleston Southern junior defensive lineman Anthony Ellis (Apopka, Fla.) have been voted the 2016 Big South Football Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, by the conference’s head coaches and media panel, it was announced today by the league office. Gardner-Webb defensive back Jaylan Foster (Duncan, S.C.) was tabbed Freshman of the Year, Charleston Southern senior Darius Hammond (Johnston, S.C.) was voted Special Teams Player of the Year, and Charleston Southern’s Jamey Chadwell earned Coach of the Year honors. In addition, the Big South’s sports information directors voted Liberty redshirt-junior offensive lineman Lucas Holder (Hillsville, Va.) as the football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Maxwell is the first Gardner-Webb player to be voted the Big South’s Offensive Player of the Year since Jeremy Martin in 2002. A finalist for the Walter Payton Award, Maxwell enjoyed a breakout season in 2016 in which he led the conference in total offense (2,622), total offense per game (238.4) and rushing yards (965). The current FCS leader among quarterbacks in rushing yards, Maxwell had a Big South single-season record five games with 100 yards rushing / 100 yards passing this season, and posted 32 plays of 20 yards or more. He earned Big South Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2016, was 131-of-235 passing for 1,657 yards and nine touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 yards per rush with eight rushing scores. Maxwell directed Gardner-Webb to a win at then-No. 8/9 Charleston Southern on Nov. 5 with 360 yards of offense (165 rush, 195 pass) to snap the Bucs’ 11-game home Big South win streak. Against Presbyterian on Oct. 8, he totaled 377 yards of offense with an 87-yard touchdown run that is the longest rush from scrimmage by a quarterback in Big South history. Maxwell scored a rushing TD in eight of 11 games this season, had a TD pass streak of six contests, and posted two TD runs of 50-plus yards as well as four pass plays of 60 yards or longer. In five Big South games, Maxwell averaged 302 yards of offense, rushed for 591 yards (6.5 per carry) and was 64-of-106 passing in leading the Runnin’ Bulldogs to their first winning conference season (3-2) since 2003.
Maxwell received 10 of the 18 first-place votes cast and 26 total points to finish ahead of runner-up Mike Holloway (Charleston Southern), who received five first-place votes and 19 total points.
Ellis is the first Charleston Southern player to be voted the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year since Jada Ross in 2005, and is the second consecutive defensive lineman to win the award. A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS, Ellis leads the Big South with 13.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks -- the second player in Big South history to record two seven-sack seasons. He tallied 36 tackles (20 solo) with seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. A dominant edge rusher who often commands double teams, Ellis recorded a tackle-for-loss in all but one game and had three multi-TFL efforts, including 3.5 in the Buccaneers’ win at No. 24/25 Liberty on Nov. 12. He recorded a sack in six of nine appearances this season, including four in a three-game span. The Big South Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Flames, Ellis shined in league play as he totaled a league-best 9.5 TFL in five games (1.90 per game), and tied for the top spot with four sacks (one each against Monmouth, Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and Liberty). He also had 24 stops against Big South foes, 15 of which were solo.
Ellis received 11 first-place votes and 25 points, ahead of Gardner-Webb’s Chad Geter (four first-place votes and 14 points) and Monmouth’s Mike Basile (three first-place votes and eight points).
Foster is the first Runnin’ Bulldog to be honored as the league’s top freshman since 2010 and the fifth overall. The second defensive back in three seasons to earn Freshman of the Year honors, Foster is a finalist for the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year award. He set the Big South freshman record with five interceptions this season, as well as the league’s single-season mark with 111 fumble return yards. Foster moved into the starting lineup Oct. 1 and was named Big South Freshman of the Week twice in 2016. Two of his five picks were in the end zone, including one to seal GWU’s win at nationally-ranked Charleston Southern. His combined 185 yards on defensive returns leads FCS, and he scored twice this season -- a 42-yard interception return and a 60-yard fumble return. Foster made 10 tackles (seven solo) with three pass break-ups and an interception at Ohio on Sept. 24 and had three PBU in the season finale against Monmouth. He tied for the league-lead with 14 passes defended (five interceptions, nine pass break-ups) -- all of which came in the last eight games of the year. Foster posted 22 tackles (16 solo) in his five conference appearances, with two tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and five break-ups.
Foster received eight first-place votes and 17 points, edging out Charleston Southern quarterback Shane Bucenell (four first-place votes and 16 points) and Kennesaw State defensive line Desmond Johnson (three first-place votes and 11 points).
Hammond is the Big South’s leading kickoff and punt returner. His 33.7 kickoff return average leads the nation by almost five yards (4.8) and is pacing ahead of the Big South single-season record of 33.5. Hammond has averaged 11.6 yards on his punt returns, which included a season-long 49-yarder. He broke an 83-yard kickoff return at Liberty in addition to a 19-yard punt return to account for 154 return yards and earn Big South Special Teams Player of the Week. Hammond’s returns boosted the Buccaneers’ field position all season, which included a 58-yard return in the win at Monmouth, a key 48-yard kickoff return in CSU’s win at Coastal Carolina, and a 65-yard return in a victory over Bucknell. He averaged 35.6 yards on eight kickoff returns in conference play.
Hammond received 16 first-place votes and 33 points, finishing ahead of Liberty kicker Alex Probert (two first-place votes and 13 points).
Chadwell earns his second consecutive Big South Coach of the honor and third in four seasons as he directed Charleston Southern to its second straight Big South championship and FCS playoff berth in 2016. Now tied for the most Coach of the Year awards in league history, Chadwell’s squad spent all season ranked inside the Top 15 of the national polls and reached as high as No. 7. The Bucs are just the second team in Big South annals to receive the conference’s automatic bid in back-to-back seasons, and tied the conference record for the longest road win streak in Big South games with their 48-26 win at Liberty on Nov. 12. Charleston Southern played five ranked teams in 2016 (four FCS), and went 3-1 with wins over No. 18 Coastal Carolina, No. 24/25 Liberty and No. 22 Kennesaw State. The lone defeat was in overtime to then-No. 1 North Dakota State in the season-opening FCS Kickoff. Charleston Southern was first in the Big South total defense at 305.0 (ninth nationally), as well as first in yards per rush (6.2), punt returns (15.2 – 10th in FCS) and kickoff returns (25.4 – third). In Big South games, the Buccaneers held three of their five opponents to less than 10 points and a stout 12.0 points per game -- 11.2 less than the next competitor. CSU’s defense also limited league members to a conference-best 278.6 yards of offense, 112.8 yards rushing and a 98.8 passing efficiency.
Chadwell received nine of 18 first-place votes and 23 total points, just ahead of Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon (five first-place votes and 21 points).
Holder is a CoSIDA Academic All-District III selection and is on the ballot for Academic All-America. A two-year starter, he started at three different positions on the offensive line this season and graded out as the second-highest offensive lineman this year. Holder, a 3.90 graduate student studying Public Policy: Public Administration, allowed just 1.5 sacks this year in 10 games.
The Big South also announced its All-Conference first and second teams. The squads are comprised of 12 offensive and defensive players and five special teams players, plus any ties. Charleston Southern and Liberty led the way with 13 total selections, just ahead of Kennesaw State and Gardner-Webb with 11 each. Monmouth had five honorees, followed by Presbyterian College (4). The Buccaneers posted a league-high with eight First-Team honorees.
Maxwell, Ellis, Foster and Hammond each earned a spot on the All-Conference First-Team. The list of 2016 All-Conference members and award winners, as well as the All-Academic Team, appears below.
2016 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Tyrell Maxwell, Jr., Gardner-Webb
RB - Mike Holloway, Sr., Charleston Southern
RB- Chaston Bennett, Sr., Kennesaw State
WR - Reggie White Jr., R-Soph., Monmouth
WR - Justin Sumpter, R-Soph., Kennesaw State
WR - Dante’ Shells, Sr., Liberty
TE - Mike Estes, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL - Erik Austell, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
OL - Malik Letatau, Sr., Kennesaw State
OL - Frank Cirone, Jr., Charleston Southern
OL - David Sutton, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL - Alex Thompson, Jr., Monmouth
DEFENSE
DL - Anthony Ellis, Jr., Charleston Southern
DL - Juwan Wells, Soph., Liberty
DL - Tonarius Portress, Jr., Kennesaw State
DL - Desmond Johnson, R-Fr., Kennesaw State
LB - Chad Geter, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
LB - Solomon Brown, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
LB - Aaron Cook, Sr., Gardner-Webb
LB - Nick Newman, Sr., Liberty
DB - Mike Basile, Jr., Monmouth
DB - Troy McGowens, Sr., Charleston Southern
DB - Dante Blackmon, R-Sr., Kennesaw State
DB - Jaylan Foster, Fr., Gardner-Webb
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Alex Probert, Fr., Liberty
P - Trey Turner, R-Jr., Liberty
LS - Hunter Winstead, R-Jr., Liberty
KR - Darius Hammond, Sr., Charleston Southern
PR - Darius Hammond, Sr., Charleston Southern
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Chandler Burks, R-Soph., Kennesaw State
RB - Khalil Lewis, R-Soph., Gardner-Webb
RB - Darius Hammond, Sr., Charleston Southern
WR - Kameron Brown, R-Fr., Charleston Southern
WR - Darren Ambush, Sr., Monmouth
WR - DaShawn Davis, Soph., Presbyterian
TE - Kendall Couamin, Sr., Liberty
OL - Caleb Smith, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL - Lucas Holder, R-Jr., Liberty
OL - Zach Mitchler, R-Soph., Kennesaw State
OL - Will Millikan, Soph., Gardner-Webb
OL - Dontae Duff, R-Fr., Liberty
DEFENSE
DL - Darnell Leslie, R-Sr., Monmouth
DL - Khari Rosier, Sr., Presbyterian
DL - P.J. Fuimaono, Jr., Gardner-Webb
DL - Obinna Ntiasagwe, R-Jr., Presbyterian
LB - Zane Cruz, Jr., Charleston Southern
LB - Anthony Gore Jr., R-Soph., Kennesaw State
LB - Izzy Sam, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
LB - Dexter Robbins, Sr., Liberty
DB - Corbin Jackson, Sr., Charleston Southern
DB - Chris Turner, R-Soph., Liberty
DB - Derrick Farrow, Sr., Kennesaw State
DB - Alpha Jalloh, Sr., Liberty
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Paul Schumacher, Jr., Gardner-Webb
P - Brett Norton, Soph., Presbyterian
LS - Joseph Smith, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
KR - Frankie Hickson, R-Fr., Liberty
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Ben Robinson, RB, Sr., Charleston Southern
Paul Schumacher, PK, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Chandler Burks, QB, R-Soph., Kennesaw State
Lucas Holder, OL, R-Jr., Liberty
Darren Ambush, WR, Sr., Monmouth
Ryan Brown, DE, Sr., Presbyterian
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tyrell Maxwell, QB, Jr., Gardner-Webb
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Ellis, DL, Jr., Charleston Southern
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Darius Hammond, RS, Sr., Charleston Southern
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jaylan Foster, DB, Fr., Gardner-Webb
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jamey Chadwell, Charleston Southern
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Lucas Holder, OL, R-Jr., Liberty