Four Trojans Named to Sun Belt All-Conference Football Team
By: Josh Rultenberg
Updated: July 16, 2012
From Troy Media Relations:
Special Teams
NEW
ORLEANS - Four Troy Trojans were named to the Sun Belt Preseason
All-Conference Football Team, which was released by the league office
Monday morning
in conjunction with Sun Belt Media Day at the New Orleans Marriott. The
league also announced the preseason coaches' poll which tabbed the
Trojans to finish fifth.
The
Trojans had three all-conference selections on the defensive side of
the ball led by senior safety Brynden Trawick who led the Sun Belt in
tackles
last season. High school teammates Tony Davis and Kanorris Davis - both
seniors - also represented the Trojan defense. Junior Eric Thomas, who
led the Sun Belt with nine touchdown catches in 2011, was one of three
wide receivers named to the all-conference
team.
Troy
has won a share of five of the past six Sun Belt Conference titles and
is the only school to represent the league in five bowl games. Troy has
11 more Sun Belt victories than any other school in the league since the
Trojans joined the Sun Belt in 2004. The Trojans also have a Sun Belt
leading 84 all-conference selections and 38 first team all-conference
selections over that same time period.
Trawick,
who was named to the Thorpe Award Watch List last week, finished 20th
in the NCAA with 123 tackles in his first season with the Trojans in
2011. The Marietta, Ga., native ranked sixth in the NCAA with 75 solo
tackles and finished 16th nationally averaging 10.2 tackles per game.
Trawick recorded double-digit tackles in six of Troy's 12 games on the
season, including a season-high 20 tackles at
Western Kentucky.
Tony
Davis tallied 34 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss last
season. The senior from Perry, Ga., is a versatile player for the
Trojans who
can play both tackle and end. Davis returned a fumble 29 yards for a
touchdown last season at FIU.
Kanorris
Davis finished the 2011 season with 60 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss
and 1.0 sack over 11 games. The Perry, Ga., native recorded 11 tackles
in back-to-back contests against Navy and North Texas, while recording
eight tackles at Arkansas. Named to the 2011 Preseason Pony Express
Award Watch List, Davis forced a pair of fumbles and had four or more
tackles in eight different games.
Thomas
led the Trojans and ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with 875 receiving
yards and 67 receptions. The Shreveport, La., native finished third in
the league with 5.6 receptions per game and fourth with 72.9 receiving
yards per contest. Thomas led the Trojans in receiving in 10 of 12 games
on the year, had a catch of 30 or more yards in seven different games
and caught a touchdown pass in six different
contests.
FIU
received five first-place votes and was picked as the preseason
favorite to win the league by the Sun Belt's 10 head coaches. Defending
champion
Arkansas State was picked second followed by Louisiana-Lafayette,
Western Kentucky, Troy, ULM, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Florida
Atlantic and South Alabama. Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin was
named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and
FIU defensive lineman Tourek Williams was named the Preseason Defensive
Player of the Year.
Troy
opens the 2012 season on Sept. 1 at in-state rival UAB. The game is
scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. in Legion Field and will be televised
live
on Fox College Sports.
Season
tickets for Troy's record six home games can be purchased by calling
1-877-878-WINS (9467), by logging on to TroyTrojans.com, or in person at
the Troy ticket office in the Tine Davis Fieldhouse.
2012 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
As voted on by the league's 10 head coaches and selected media members.
Offense
Ryan Aplin (Arkansas State, Sr., QB)
Kedrick Rhodes (FIU, Jr., RB)
Alonzo Harris (Louisiana-Lafayette, So., RB)
Josh Jarboe (Arkansas State, Sr., WR)
Javone Lawson (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., WR)
Eric Thomas (Troy, Jr., WR)
Jack Doyle (Western Kentucky, Sr., TE)
Zack McKnight (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)
Rupert Bryan (FIU, Sr., OL)
Caylin Hauptmann (FIU, Sr., OL)
Leonardo Bates (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., OL)
Cyril Lemon (North Texas, So., OL)
Defense
Isame Faciane (FIU, Jr., DL)
Tourek Williams (FIU, Sr., DL)
Tony Davis (Troy, Sr., DL)
Quanterus Smith (Western Kentucky, Sr., DL)
Winston Fraser (FIU, r-Sr., LB)
Kanorris Davis (Troy, Sr., LB)
Andrew Jackson (Western Kentucky, Jr., LB)
Don Jones (Arkansas State, Sr., DB)
Jonathan Cyprien (FIU, Sr., DB)
Melvin White (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DB)
Brynden Trawick (Troy, Sr., DB)
Special Teams
Brett Baer (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr. PK)
Will Atterberry (North Texas, Sr., P)
John Evans (Western Kentucky, So., Return Specialist)
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Ryan Aplin (Arkansas State, Sr., QB)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Tourek Williams (FIU, Sr., DL)
2012 Preseason Sun Belt Poll
As voted on by the league's 10 head coaches (First place votes in parentheses.)
School Points
1. FIU 92 (5)
2. Arkansas State 85 (2)
3. Louisiana-Lafayette 81 (2)
4. Western Kentucky 70 (1)
5. Troy 60
6. ULM 47
7. Middle Tennessee 42
8. North Texas 36
9. Florida Atlantic 23
10. South Alabama 14
