Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Whitlock named to 2006 American Football Coaches Association All-America Team
12/12/2006 | 12:00:00 | Football
Dec. 12, 2006
WACO, Texas-Southern Illinois University senior Arkee Whitlock was named to the 2006 American Football Coaches Association Division I-AA Coaches' All-America Team, announced today. Whitlock made the team as an all-purpose player.
Whitlock, along with Youngstown State's Marcus Mason and Northern Iowa's Dre Dokes, represent the Gateway Conference on this year's AFCA squad.
The Offense
Central Connecticut State runningback Justise Hairston led the nation with 1,847 yards rushing, which set a new school and Northeast Conference record. He also led the nation in rushing yards per game (167.9) and all-purpose yards (199.8). Joining him in the backfield is Marcus Mason of Youngstown State. Mason earned Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors after finishing second in the nation in rushing yards per game (156.80) and points per game. At quarterback is Coastal Carolina's Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen set nine Big South Conference season records in 2006 in total offense (3,952), total offense per game (329.3), passing yards (3,296), touchdown passes (29), passing yards per game (274.7), passing efficiency (167.42), 300-yard passing games (5), 300-total yard games (9) and rushing yards by a quarterback (656).
Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Jackie Skipper, Massachusetts' Alex Miller, Lafayette's Mike Saint Germain, Yale's Ed McCarthy and Appalachian State's Kerry Brown make up the offensive line for 2006. Skipper played every position on the offensive line during his career and anchored an offense that finished second in points (29.1) and total yards (342.8) per game in the SWAC. Miller, who earned first-team Atlantic 10 honors, was a key member of an offensive line that allowed only 33 sacks the past three years. Saint Germain helped anchor an offense that totaled 351 yards of offense per game in 2006. McCarthy helped a Bulldog offense rank No. 1 in rushing in the Ivy League at 200.8 yards per game. Brown was a big reason that Appalachian State finished third in total offense (416.71) and second in scoring offense (35.71) in the nation this season.
The receiving corps on this year's team is David Ball of New Hampshire, Bruce Hocker of Duquesne and Ben Patrick of Delaware. Ball, who earned his second straight AFCA All-America honor, had a school-record 93 receptions for 1,114 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Wildcats. He finished his collegiate career with 58 touchdown receptions, a Division I-AA record. Hocker led the nation in receiving yards per game (107.0) and points per game by a receiver (9.6), and was tied for No. 1 with 16 touchdown catches. Patrick led Delaware in receiving with 64 receptions for 639 yards and six touchdowns. His 64 receptions at tight end led all of Division I-A, I-AA and II and set a school record.
The Defense
The defensive line is headlined by Maine's Matt King. King was second in the nation with 11.5 sacks and sixth in tackles for a loss with 18, and helped anchor a defense that finished No. 2 in total defense at 229.91 yards per game. The Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Appalachian State's Marques Murrell racked up 65 total tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles. Montana's Mike Murphy recorded 38 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. Chris White of Cal Poly finished the 2006 season with 30 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks, including nine quarterback hurries. Northwestern State's Tory Collins finished the season with 33 tackles, six quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick despite facing double-team blocks all season.
James Madison's Akeem Jordan, Albany's Colin Disch and Georgia Southern's John Mohring make up the linebackers on the Coaches' All-America Team.
Jordan totaled 140 tackles, and sits third nationally in tackles per game with an average of 11.67 per game. He had 69 solo stops, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 quarterback sacks. Disch earned Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after recording 103 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, four pass break-ups and one interception. Mohring finished third in the Southern Conference with 93 tackles, while also recording 14 tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Dre Dokes of Northern Iowa leads a group of three talented defensive backs on the All-America team. Dokes led the nation in interceptions with seven, returning one for a touchdown against Iowa State. Stacey Thomas of Texas Southern earned SWAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after finishing the season with 114 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, five interceptions and six breakups. Eastern Illinois' Tristan Burge recorded 118 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions, earning him first-team Ohio Valley Conference honors for a second straight year.
The Specialists
SIU's Whitlock is this year's all-purpose player. One of three Payton Award finalists, Whitlock rushed for 1,828 yards and a SIU single-season record 25 touchdowns. He also ranked second in the nation in all-purpose yardage (179.23 ypg) and fourth in rushing (140.62 ypg). In 2006, punter Breck Ackley of Southern led the nation in punting, averaging 45.47 yards per punt, and also dropped 21 punts inside the 20-yard line. Andrew Paterini of Hampton was named to the Coaches' All-America team for a second straight year. Paterini was 16 of 21 on field goal attempts and 48 of 52 on PATs this season. He tied his own school record with four field goals in a win over Howard.
Team Background
The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best -- the coaches themselves.
The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams -- Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III respectively. The AFCA is selecting an NAIA-only team for the first time this year.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position has been replaced by an all-purpose player this season.
Selection Process
The AFCA's Division I-AA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee.
The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
Top Teams: Eastern Kentucky has been represented a total of 22 times by 20 players on the AFCA Division I-AA Coaches' All-America Team since 1979. The Colonels are followed by Delaware (16/13), Appalachian State (16/12), Montana (15/15), Furman (15/14), Georgia Southern (15/11), Youngstown State (14/13), Grambling State (13/12), Northern Iowa (13/10), Jackson State (12/11), Stephen F. Austin (12/11), Northwestern State (12/10), Cal Poly (11/10), Eastern Illinois (11/10), Western Kentucky (11/10) and Weber State (10/9) among current I-AA schools.
Top Conference: The Atlantic 10 (94 appearances/85 players) is tops among all I-AA conferences on the AFCA I-AA Coaches All-America Team since 1979. Following the Atlantic 10 Conference is the Southern (90 appearances/79 players), Gateway (64/59), Ohio Valley (56/52), Big Sky (54/54), Southland (53/49), Southwestern Athletic (43/41), Patriot (40/39), Mid-Eastern Athletic (26/24), Ivy League (24/24), Pioneer (11/11), Northeast (10/8), Great West (5/5), Metro Atlantic Athletic (5/4) and Big South (4/4). These totals reflect I-AA selections only from current conference members. Several schools had additional players chosen when they played in divisions other than I-AA.
2006 Conference-by-Conference Breakdown: Atlantic 10 - 5; Gateway - 3; Southern - 3; SWAC - 3; Northeast - 2; Big Sky - 1; Big South - 1; Great West Football - 1; Ivy - 1; Metro Atlantic Athletic - 1; Mid-Eastern Athletic - 1; Ohio Valley - 1; Patriot - 1; Southland - 1.
First Time Schools: Offensive Lineman Jackie Skipper of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Quarterback Tyler Thigpen of Coastal Carolina are the first players from their respective schools to earn AFCA Division I-AA All-America honors.
Consecutive Years: Eastern Kentucky leads all schools, having had at least one player named to the AFCA I-AA Coaches' All-America Team in each of the first 15 years a I-AA team was chosen (1979-93).
Repeat After Me: Linebackers Gary Reasons of Northwestern State (La.) (1981-83) and Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1994-96) are the only three-time AFCA All-Americans in Division I-AA.
Yearly Leaders: Grambling (1979-DL Joe Gordon, LB Aldrich Allen and DB Robert Salters) and Jackson State (1996-QB Grailyn Pratt, LB Otha Evans and DB Sean Woodson) are the only schools to have more than two players named to the AFCA I-AA Coaches' All-America Team in one year.
One Player, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches' All-America honors at two different schools. He was named to the AFCA College Division I team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned I-A All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991.
Class Distinction: This year's AFCA Division I-AA Coaches' All-America Team is made up of 22 seniors and three juniors.
