2002 All-MAC Football Team Announced

December 2, 2002

MAC Press Release

 

8 First Teamers and 21 Overall Repeat From 2001 Team

Cleveland, Ohio --The 2002 All-Mid American Conference football team, as voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches, was announced today and 21 honorees from last year’s team were recognized again with those accolades. Eight members are repeat first-team selections from last year - Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, Ball State running back Marcus Merriweather, Bowling Green wide receiver Robert Redd, Marshall wide receiver Darius Watts, Marshall offensive lineman Steve Sciullo and Western Michigan tight end Mobolaji Afariogun on offense, and outside linebacker Matt Robillard of Miami and defensive back Vince Thompson of Northern Illinois on the defensive side of the ball.

MAC West Division co-champion Northern Illinois led the way with six first team selections while MAC Championship game participants Marshall and Toledo had four each. MAC newcomer University of Central Florida placed three on the first team as did Western Michigan.

Marshall and Northern Illinois led all schools with 11 overall all-MAC honorees. Toledo placed eight players on this year’s all-conference selections and UCF six.

 

First Team Offense

TE-Mobolaji Afariogun, Western Michigan (Sr., Detroit, Mich.)##$$

C-Chris Tuminello, Toledo (Sr., Boardman, Ohio)

OL-Steve Sciullo, Marshall (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.)++

OL-Nick Kaczur, Toledo (So., Brantford, Ontario)##

OL-Tim Vincent, Northern Illinois (Sr., Galena, Ill.)##

OL-Kyle Croskey, Central Michigan (Sr., East Lansing, Mich.)

WR-Darius Watts, Marshall (Jr., College Park, Ga.)++

WR-Robert Redd, Bowling Green (Sr., Dayton, Ohio)++

WR-Kevin Walter, Eastern Michigan (Jr., Libertyville, Ill.)&&

QB-Byron Leftwich, Marshall (Sr., Washington, D.C.)++

RB-Michael Turner, Northern Illinois (Jr., North Chicago, Ill.)

RB-Marcus Merriweather, Ball State (Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.)++

RB-Chad Brinker, Ohio (Sr., Martins Ferry, Ohio)

PK-Jared Parseghian, Miami (So., Sylvania, Ohio)

 

First Team Defense

OLB-Larry Williams, Northern Illinois (Sr., Chicago, Ill.)&&

OLB-Matt Robillard, Miami (Sr., Milford, Conn.)++

ILB-Tom Ward, Toledo (Sr., Defiance, Ohio)

ILB-David Gardner, Toledo (Sr., Ellwood, Pa.)

DL-Jason Babin, Western Michigan (Jr., Paw Paw, Mich.)##

DL-Chris Browning, Western Michigan (Sr., Batavia, Ill.)

DL-Elton Patterson, UCF (Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.)

DL- Travis Moore, Northern Illinois (So., Robbins, Ill.)

DB-Vince Thompson, Northern Illinois (Sr., Chicago, Ill.)++

DB- Randee Drew, Northern Illinois (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.)

DB-Asante Samuel, UCF, (Sr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)

DB-Atari Bigby, UCF (So., Miami, Fla.)

P-Curtis Head, Marshall (Jr., Shelbyville, Ky.)##

++(2001 first-team all-MAC), ## (2001 second-team all-MAC), && (2001 honorable mention all-MAC), $$ (2000 first-team all-MAC),

^^ (2000 honorable mention all-MAC),

 

MAC Awards This Week

Tue., Dec. 3

Freshman of the Year

Special Teams Player of the Year

Wed., Dec. 4

Defensive Player of the Year

Thur., Dec. 5

Offensive Player of the Year

Fri, Dec. 6

Coach of the Year

Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner

 

2-2-2-2 All-MAC Football Selections

Second Team Offense

(tie)TE-Craig Bartoszek, Buffalo (Sr., Salamanca, N.Y.)&&

(tie)TE-Matt Dunker, Northern Illinois (Sr., Marengo, Ill.)

C-Todd Ghilani, Northern Illinois (Jr., Elkhorn, Wis.)

OL-David Miller, Ball State (Sr., Goshen, Ind.)

OL-Dennis Wendel, Bowling Green (Sr., St. Henry, Ohio)

OL-Stephen Peretta, Marshall (Sr., Garden City, N.Y.)##

OL-Erik Faasen, Toledo (Jr., Belding, Mich.)

WR-Jimmy Fryzel, UCF (Sr., Lakeland, Fla.)

WR-Doug Gabriel, UCF (Sr., Orlando, Fla.)

WR-Carl Ford, Toledo (Sr., Monroe, Mich.)

QB-Ben Roethlisberger, Miami (So., Findlay, Ohio)##

RB-Robbie Mixon, Central Michigan (Sr., Detroit, Mich.)

RB-Ime Akpan, Eastern Michigan (Sr., Novi, Mich.)

RB-Luke Clemens, Miami (Jr., Dayton, Ohio)

PK-Steve Azar, Northern Illinois (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.)++^^

 

Second Team Defense

OLB-Justin Beriault, Ball State (So., Indianapolis, Ind.)

OLB-Brian Atkinson, Northern Illinois (So. Chicago, Ill.)

ILB-Chris Haneline, Bowling Green (Sr., North Olmsted, Ohio)

ILB-Nick Duffy, Northern Illinois (Jr., Wheaton, Ill.)

DL-Alex Glantzis, Bowling Green (Sr., Mentor, Ohio)

DL-Orlando Washington, Marshall (Jr., Accoville, W.Va.)##

DL-Jamus Martin, Marshall (So., Martinsville, W.Va.)

DL-Toriano Brown, Marshall (Jr., Batesville, Miss.)

DB-Janssen Patton, Bowling Green (Jr., Stone Mountain, Ga.)##

DB-Chris Crocker, Marshall (Sr., Chesapeake, Va.)++

DB-Bop White, Ohio (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio)

DB-Brandon Hefflin, Toledo (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.)

(tie) P-Ryan Flinn, UCF (Sr., Lehigh Acres, Fla.)

(tie) P-David Rysko, Eastern Michigan (Jr., Rockford, Mich.)

 

Honorable Mention (top four remaining for a total of 60 all-MAC selections)

WR-Josh Davis, Marshall (So., Hickory Grove, S.C.)

OLB-Keon Jackson, Toledo (Fr., East Chicago, Ind.)

ILB-Duran Smith, Marshall (Sr., Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.)

ILB-Bryan Lape, Western Michigan (Sr., Jackson, Mich.)

 

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