MEAC Preseason All-Conference Team
Staff Report
College Sports Journal
NORFOLK, Va. -North Carolina A&T running back Mike Mayhew and linebacker Keith Pough received top honors as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2012 preseason football team at the annual Football Press Luncheon Banquet on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Virginia. Mayhew was selected as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Pough was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
All preseason honors are voted on by the MEAC's head football coaches and sports information directors.
Norfolk State earned its first-ever conference title in 2011 with a 7-1 MEAC mark and 9-3 record overall. The Spartans return 43 student-athletes from last year's team including 13 starters, nine on offense. South Carolina State was picked to finished second and Bethune-Cookman round out the top three positions.
Mayhew, a native of Charlotte, N.C., led the MEAC in rushing with 1,120 yards on 231 total attempts. He averaged 101.8 yards per game and recorded nine touchdowns. A fifth-year senior, Mayhew earned a share of the conference's postseason Player of the Year honor last year. He also ranked 3rd in all purpose yards with 1,222 yards with 93 yards through the air.
Pough led the conference in total tackles with 120 including 10.9 per game. He posted 71 solo tackles and ranked second in the MEAC in tackles for loss with 21.0. He also added 3.0 sacks, two breakups, 11 hurries, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. The senior linebacker from Orangeburg, S.C., helped Howard to a 4-4 finish in conference play and 5-6 overall record.
Hampton led all teams with eight student-athletes receiving preseason honors including seven on the second team. Florida A&M had five student-athletes to earn first-team honors followed by Bethune-Cookman with four.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) – 2012 Football All-Conference Preseason Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Mike Mayhew, North Carolina A&T
Defensive Player of the Year: Keith Pough, Howard
2012 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
QB Greg McGhee, So., Howard, Pittsburgh, Pa.
RB Mike Mayhew, Sr., North Carolina A&T, Charlotte,N.C.
RB Isidore Jackson, Jr., Bethune-Cookman, Mossy Head, Fla.
WR Xavier Boyce, r-Sr., Norfolk State, Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Travis Tarpley, r-Sr., Delaware State, Danville, Va.
TE Joseph Hawkins, Sr., Norfolk State, Chicago, Ill.
C Michael Kay, r-Sr., Norfolk State, Capital Heights, Md.
OL Steven Robinson, r-Sr., Florida A&M, Tallahassee, Fla.
OL Blake Matthews, r-Sr., Norfolk State, Manassas, Va.
OL Terrance Hackney, Jr., Bethune-Cookman, Chapel Hill, N.C.
OL Cory Gwinner, r-Sr., Howard, Ypsilanti, Mich.
DEFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
DL Tony Mashburn, Sr., North Carolina A&T, Tallahassee, Fla.
DL Padric Scott, r-Sr., Florida A&M, Tallahassee, Fla.
DL Richard Ndubueze, Sr., Morgan State, Washington DC
DL, Matthew Davis, Jr., Hampton, Chesapeake, Va.
LB Keith Pough, r-Sr., Howard, Orangeburg, S.C.
LB Jarkevis Fields, r-Jr., Bethune-Cookman, Sanford, Fla.
LB D'Vonte Grant, r-So., North Carolina A&T, Charlotte, N.C.
DB John Ojo, Sr., Florida A&M, Tallahassee, Fla.
DB DeVontae Johnson, So., Florida A&M, Tallahassee, Fla.
DB Travis Crosby, Jr., North Carolina A&T, Charlotte, NC
DB D.J. Howard, r-Jr., Bethune-Cookman, Daytona Beach, Fla.
P Brandon Holdren, Sr., Florida A&M, Jacksonville, Fla.
PK Everett Goldberg, Sr., Norfolk State, Mesa Ridge, Col.
RS Geovonie Irvine, r-Sr., North Carolina Central, Durham, N.C.
Second Team
OFFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
QB Damien Fleming, So., Florida A&M, Jacksonville, Fla.
RB Antwon Chisholm, Jr., Hampton, Belle Glade, Fla.
RB Travis Davidson, Sr., Morgan State, Redford, Mich.
WR Eddie Poole, r-Sr., Bethune-Cookman, Belle Glade, Fla.
WR Justin Wilson, r-Sr., Delaware State, Windsor, Conn.
TE Kris Drummond, So., Savannah State, Washington, DC
C Tristan Bellamy, r-So., South Carolina State, Jonston, S.C.
C Vincent Harper, Jr., Hampton, Belle Glade, Fla.
OL Sam Hammond, r-Sr., South Carolina State, Union, S.C.
OL Nathan Isles, Jr., North Carolina A&T, Atlanta, Ga.
OL Cameron Williams, r-Jr., Norfolk State, Burke, Va.
OL Marquell Rozier, Jr., Bethune-Cookman, St. Pauls, N.C.
DEFENSE
Pos. Name Cl. School Hometown
DL Xavier Proctor, r-Sr., North Carolina Central, Ellicott City, Md.
DL Leon Smith, Sr., South Carolina State, James Island, S.C.
DL Harold Love III, Sr., Bethune-Cookman, Portland, Oregon
DL Brandon Young, r-Sr., North Carolina A&T, Louisville, Ky.
LB Delbert Tyler, Jr., Hampton, Monroeville, Pa.
LB Joe Thomas, r-Jr., South Carolina State, Blackville, S.C.
LB Lyndell Gibson, Sr., Hampton, Virginia Beach, Va.
DB Justin Blake, Sr., Hampton, Piscataway, NJ
DB Kenneth Ridley, Jr., Morgan State
DB Darius Drummond, Jr., South Carolina State, Ashville, N.C
DB DeCarlos Knight, r-Sr., Howard, Nashville, Tenn.
P Jordan Stovall, Jr., Hampton, Elgin, S.C.
PK Taureab Durham, Sr., Hampton, Uniondale, N.Y.
RS Darius Drummond, Jr., South Carolina State, Ashville, S.C.