Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football tops Gateway with 13 all-conference picks
11/29/2005 | 12:00:00 | Football
Nov. 29, 2005
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Southern Illinois University football team led the Gateway Conference with 13 players named either first or second-team all-conference.
For the first time in six years, a school has swept the top two player honors as Illinois State's WR Laurent Robinson and DE Brent Hawkins have been named the league's Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year by a vote of league coaches, media and sports information directors.
Youngstown State's Jon Heacock, meanwhile, is the first Penguin mentor to earn the Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year award since YSU joined the Gateway in 1997.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: WR Laurent Robinson, Illinois State DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Brent Hawkins, Illinois State `BRUCE CRADDOCK' COACH OF THE YEAR: Jon Heacock, Youngstown State
Robinson set Gateway and Illinois State marks with 1,465 receiving yards on a conference-tying best 86 catches. A finalist for the Walter Payton Award -- given to the nation's top offensive I-AA player -- Robinson led the nation with 133.2 receiving yards per game and was No. 2 in the nation in receptions per game. He set a league record with 292 receiving yards in Illinois State's win against Indiana State. He's the second Redbird (RB Toby Davis in 1992) to earn the league's offensive MVP award.
Brent Hawkins Hawkins, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, leads all of I-AA with 26.5 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles and is second nationally with 17 sacks. His 17 sacks are an Illinois State and Gateway Conference record. He led all defensive linemen in the league with 67 tackles. Hawkins is the fourth different Redbird to win the league's top defensive honor.
One of two Gateway finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the nation's top I-AA coach, Jon Heacock is this year's Gateway Coach of the Year. Despite being picked sixth in the league's pre-season poll, the Penguins won their first Gateway Conference championship, sharing the title with UNI and Southern Illinois with 5-2 conference records. At 8-3 this year, Youngstown State had its best season since 2001, Heacock's first as head coach at YSU.
2005 All-Gateway Football Conference Team
(selected by coaches, sports info. directors and media)
FIRST TEAM
QB -- Joel Sambursky, Southern Illinois, Sr.
RB -- Lerron Moore, Western Kentucky, Sr.
RB -- Arkee Whitlock, Southern Illinois, Jr.
FB -- Demetrius Ison, Youngstown State, Jr.
WR -- Sam Logan, Indiana State, Jr.
WR -- Laurent Robinson, Illinois State, Jr.
TE -- Jamie Petrowski, Indiana State, Sr.
OL -- Stafford Davis, Illinois State, Sr.
OL -- Ryan Jewell, Youngstown State, Jr.
OL -- Will Justice, Southern Illinois, Jr.
OL -- Erik Losey, Western Kentucky, Sr.
OL -- Chad Rinehart, UNI, So.
PK -- Chris James, Western Kentucky, So.
DL -- Linton Brown, Southern Illinois, Sr.
DL -- Brent Hawkins, Illinois State, Sr.
DL -- John Hermann, UNI, Sr.
DL -- Kyle Mitchell, Indiana State, Sr.
DL -- Justin Scholes, Youngstown State, Sr.
LB -- Darin Heideman, UNI, Sr.
LB -- Cameron Siskowic, Illinois State, Jr.
LB -- James Terry, Youngstown State, So.
LB -- Royal Whitaker, Southern Illinois, Sr.
DB -- Codera Jackson, Youngstown State, Jr.
DB -- Jamarquis Jordan, Southern Illinois, Sr.
DB -- Marion Rumph, Western Kentucky, So.
DB -- Antonio Thomas, Western Kentucky, Sr.
P -- Ryan Hoffman, Illinois State, Sr.
RS -- Craig Turner, Southern Illinois, So.
SECOND TEAM
QB -- Eric Sanders, UNI, So.
RB -- Travis Glasford, Western Illinois, Sr.
RB -- Marcus Mason, Youngstown State, Jr.
FB -- J.T. Wise, Southern Illinois, Jr.
WR -- Reggie Gray, Western Illinois, Sr.
WR -- Brent Little, Southern Illinois, Sr.
WR -- Michael Sparks, Missouri State, Sr.
TE -- Chris Kupec, Southern Illinois, Sr.
OL -- Jared Green, Southern Illinois, Sr.
OL -- Mike Stegeman, Illinois State, Sr.
OL -- Mike Thorpe, Indiana State, So.
OL -- Chad Walker, Western Illinois, Jr.
OL -- Justin Williamson, Missouri State, Jr.
PK -- Jon Scifres, Missouri State, Sr.
DL -- Brandon Brown, Youngstown State, Sr.
DL -- Piana Lukabu, Western Illinois, Sr.
DL -- Daniel Williams, Western Kentucky, Sr.
DL -- Lionel Williams, Southern Illinois, Sr.
LB -- Orlando "Doc' Gooden, Indiana State, Sr.
LB -- Wyatt Green, Western Illinois, Sr.
LB -- Deion Holts, Western Kentucky, Sr.
LB -- Brett Koebcke, UNI, Sr.
DB -- Dre Dokes, UNI, Jr.
DB -- Frank Johnson, Southern Illinois, Sr.
DB -- Jason Perry, Youngstown State, Jr.
DB -- Tanner Varner, UNI, Sr.
P -- Joe Bishop, Youngstown State, Jr.
RS -- Dennis Mitchell, Western Kentucky, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Illinois State: TE Jonathan Denley; QB Luke Drone; DB James Temple • Indiana State: QB Blayne Baggett; RB Andre Forte; PK Kyle Hooper • Missouri State: RB Lee Baker; DE Deyontae Batiste; OG Steve Kohenskey • UNI: P Adam Kos; TE Brian Cutright; RS Jamie Goodwin; OT Joe Lobdell • Southern Illinois: WR Kellen Allen; LB Phillip Doyle; DT Mark Phillip • Western Illinois: QB Steve LaFalce, WR Marco Thomas; DB Milan Woodard • Western Kentucky: QB Justin Haddix; DE Charlie Phillips; OL Greg Ryan • Youngstown State: LB Mike Andrews; OT John Bartos; WR Kyle Smith.
