Price, Robertson Head Up CSJ’s Second All-Freshman Team
By David Coulson
Executive Editor
College Sports Journal
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Wide receiver Sean Price of Appalachian State and quarterback John Robertson of Villanova shared top honors on the second annual College Sports Journal Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-America team as national freshmen of the year.
Price and Robertson head up a 63-man squad that represents the only all-freshman team in the FCS. The 63 players are representative of the 63 scholarships allowed to teams that compete in FCS.
Price, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound redshirt freshman, broke nearly all of Appalachian State’s freshman receiving records — many previously held by the school’s all-time leading receiver and current St. Louis Rams player Brian Quick — as he caught 81 passes for 1,196 yards, a 14.8 average and eight touchdowns in 10 games.
The Southern Conference freshman of the year was sixth nationally in both receptions per game (8.1) and receiving yards per game (119.6) and was 10th in total receiving yards.
He shattered FCS records for freshman receptions (Cal State Northridge’s Drew Amerson had 71 in 1999) and freshman receiving yards (Marshall’s Randy Moss with 1,073 in 1996).
Robertson, the Jerry Rice Award winner (Price placed third), helped lead the biggest turnaround in FCS this season as Villanova improved from 2-9 to 8-4 and won the Colonial Athletic Association automatic playoff bid.
The multi-talented quarterback who rushed for 1,021 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 1,965 yards and threw for 14 more scores, while throwing just seven interceptions.
Robertson, who took over as Villanova’s starting quarterback after a season-opening loss to Temple, went on to win CAA freshman of the year honors.
Price was one of a team-leading four Appalachian State players named to the squad, joining guard Shaq Counts, defensive end Davante Harris and wide receiver Malachi Jones.
Eastern Washington and North Dakota State had three players honored. Quarterback Vernon Adams, returnman Shaquille Hill and safety Jordan Tanani made the squad for the Eagles, while guard Josh Colville, punter Ben LeCompte and defensive tackle Brian Schaetz were selected for the Bison.
Cornell, Delaware, Indiana State, Montana, Northern Iowa and Southern Utah each placed two players on the squad.
The Missouri Valley Conference led all leagues with 13 selections, followed by the Big Sky Conference with 10 honorees. All 13 FCS conferences were represented and 49 individual teams were honored.
The All-Freshman team was selected by a blue ribbon panel of FCS experts put together by College Sports Journal executive editor David Coulson and CSJ publisher and managing editor Chuck Burton.
Coulson has 36 years of experience covering college football, including 21 seasons of following FCS and has served as the executive editor and managing partner of College Sporting News and the executive director for The Sports Network, running its national awards program from 2007-2009.
He has had a hand in selecting honors teams at the FCS level since 2002 and is in the process of writing and compiling the first FCS encyclopedia.
Burton has been acclaimed for his Lehigh Football Nation blog and as a national columnist for College Sporting News in the past decade.
The College Sports Journal will announce its first All-America team, including offensive and defensive players of the year, coach of the year, lineman of the year and special teams player of the year on Thursday.
College Sports Journal
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Sean Price, Appalachian State, Wide Receiver
John Robertson, Villanova, Quarterback
OFFENSE
Quarterback John Robertson, Villanova
Quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen, Northern Iowa
Quarterback Josh Woodrum, Liberty
Quarterback Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington
Running Back Luke Hagy, Cornell
Running Back Jake Hutson, Valparaiso
Running Back Ryan Heaston, Missouri State
Fullback Emmanuel Holder, Towson
All-Purpose Back Johna’ Hebert, Prairie View A&M
All-Purpose Back Darius Ramsey, Western Carolina
Wide Receiver Sean Price, Appalachian State
Wide Receiver Jameer Jackson, North Dakota
Wide Receiver Larry Jones III, Charleston Southern
Wide Receiver D.J. Ward, Stephen F. Austin
Wide Receiver Malachi Jones, Appalachian State
Tight End Joe Bowens, Tennessee State
Tight End Sam Rohr, Northern Iowa
Offensive Tackle Ben Curtis, Delaware
Offensive Tackle Derek Chancellor, South Dakota
Offensive Tackle Adam Pasnik, Albany
Offensive Tackle Ethan Wirth, Southern Illinois
Offensive Guard Josh Colville, North Dakota State
Offensive Guard Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State
Offensive Guard Sedale Young, Richmond
Offensive Guard Shaq Counts, Appalachian State
Center Eric Thoni, Furman
Center Zach Wilk, Cornell
DEFENSE
Defensive End James Cowser, Southern Utah
Defensive End Damon Gresham-Chisholm, Howard
Defensive End Davante Harris, Appalachian State
Defensive End Michael Kozlakowski, Maine
Defensive End Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas
Defensive End Mark Thomas, The Citadel
Defensive End Connor Underwood, Indiana State
Defensive Tackle Daevonte Barnett, Wagner
Defensive Tackle Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State
Defensive Tackle Alex Mosley, James Madison
Defensive Tackle Brian Schaetz, North Dakota State
Linebacker Zak Browning, Southern Utah
Linebacker Alex Donnelly, Illinois State
Linebacker T.J. Lally, South Dakota State
Linebacker J.J. Raffelson, Western Illinois
Linebacker Luke Rhodes, William & Mary
Linebacker Elandon Roberts, Morgan State
Linebacker Jeff Williams, Delaware
Cornerback James Bradberry, Samford
Cornerback Marcelis Branch, Robert Morris
Cornerback Anthony Gaffney, Princeton
Cornerback Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State
Cornerback Aaron Matthews, Hampton
Cornerback Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central
Safety Terrick Colston, Delaware State
Safety Taison Manu, Idaho State
Safety Mark Sewall, Indiana State
Safety Jordan Tonani, Eastern Washington
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kick Returner Shaquille Hill, Eastern Washington
Kick Returner Khalif Raymond, Holy Cross
Punt Returner Jamel Smith, Lafayette
Return Specialist Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech
Kicker Chris Lider, Montana
Punter Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State
Punter Stephen Shaw, Montana
Long Snapper Jake Olson, Montana State
Conference Breakdown
Big Sky (10): Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington; Zak Browning, Southern Utah; James Cowser, Southern Utah; Shaquille Hill, Eastern Washington; Jameer Jackson, North Dakota; Chris Lider, Montana; Taison Manu, Idaho State; Jake Olson, Montana State; Stephen Shaw, Montana; Jordan Tonani, Eastern Washington.
Big South (2): Larry Jones III, Charleston Southern; Josh Woodrum, Liberty.
Colonial Athletic Association (8): Ben Curtis, Delaware; Emmanuel Holder, Towson; Michael Kozlakowski, Maine; Alex Mosley, James Madison; Luke Rhodes, William & Mary; John Robertson, Villanova; Jeff Williams, Delaware; Sedale Young, Richmond.
Ivy League (3): Anthony Gaffney, Princeton; Luke Hagy, Cornell; Zach Wilk, Cornell.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (6): Terrick Colston, Delaware State; Damon Gresham-Chisholm, Howard; Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State; Aaron Matthews, Hampton; Elandon Roberts, Morgan State; Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central.
Missouri Valley Football Conference (13): Derek Chancellor, South Dakota; Josh Colville, North Dakota State; Alex Donnelly, Illinois State; Ryan Heaston, Missouri State; Sawyer Kollmorgen, Northern Iowa; T.J. Lally, South Dakota State; Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State; J.J. Raffelson, Western Illinois; Sam Rohr, Northern Iowa; Brian Schaetz, North Dakota State; Mark Sewall, Indiana State; Connor Underwood, Indiana State; Ethan Wirth, Southern Illinois.
Northeast Conference (3): Daevonte Barnett, Wagner; Marcelis Branch, Robert Morris; Adam Pasnik, Albany.
Ohio Valley Conference (3): Joe Bowens, Tennessee State; Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State; Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech.
Patriot League (2): Khalif Raymond, Holy Cross; Jamel Smith, Lafayette.
Pioneer Football League (1): Jake Hutson, Valparaiso.
Southern Conference (8): James Bradberry, Samford; Shaq Counts, Appalachian State; Davante Harris, Appalachian State; Malachi Jones, Appalachian State; Sean Price, Appalachian State; Darius Ramsey, Western Carolina; Mark Thomas, The Citadel; Eric Thoni, Furman.
Southland Conference (3): Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State; D.J. Ward, Stephen F. Austin; Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas.
Southwestern Athletic Conference (1): Johna’ Hebert, Prairie View A&M.
