Eight Honored By College Sporting News
RICHMOND, Va. (January 11, 2012) -- Towson's Terrance West led the way as CAA Football garnered a total of eight honors as part of the College Sporting News' Fabulous Fifty All-America squad. West, the publication's Top Freshman, was joined on the first team by William and Mary senior running back Jonathan Grimes, Delaware senior offensive lineman Gino Gradkowski and New Hampshire junior linebacker Matt Evans.
West, most recently honored as the Jerry Rice Award winner -- the top freshman in the country by The Sports Network, led NCAA FCS with 29 touchdowns. He was named as a Walter Camp All-American and earned first team All-American honors from The Sports Network. The second-leading rusher in the CAA, West ran for 1,294 yards in 11 games. He is 11th in NCAA FCS with 117.6 rushing yards per game. He averaged an impressive 6.7 yards per carry. He ran for more than 100 yards in six different games and had a career high 261 yards on 23 carries in the Tigers’ 56-42 win over New Hampshire on Nov. 12.
West scored at least two touchdowns in the final eight games of the year. He scored four touchdowns in three different games. He also shattered the Towson University single season record for touchdowns scored with his 29 TD’s. He also broke the NCAA FCS record for freshmen with 29 touchdowns. In fact, his 29 touchdowns represent the third-highest single season total in FCS history, a mark that has been topped by Omar Cuff of Delaware (35, 2007) and Kevin Richardson of Appalachian State (30, 2006). West matched the 29 touchdowns scored by Jamaal Branch of Colgate in 2003.
Grimes will leave William and Mary as the most decorated athlete in CAA Football league history having won 11 conference individual honors in his four-year career. Grimes finished his career among the league's best-ever in terms of all-purpose average and career all-purpose yardage. The Palmyra, N.J., native finished 2011 averaging better than 228 all-purpose yards per game which places him fifth among the single-season leaders all-time. His career total of 7,955 all-purpose yards make him third among CAA Football's career all-purpose leaders behind only Brian Westbrook and Jerry Azumah.
Gradkowski helped lead Delaware to a 7-4 record this past fall as the Hens barely missed out on a berth in the NCAA Tournament. A three-year starter after transfering from West Virginia, Gradkowski led a senior-laden offensive line unit that also included All-CAA picks Shea Allard and Rob McDowell. The group opened big holes for 1,000-yard rusher Andrew Pierce while helping the UD offense rank fifth in the CAA in both rushing offense (165.5 yards per game) and scoring offense (25.8 points per game). Gradkowski, who started all 11 games this season, including eight at guard and three at center, earned first team All-CAA honors back in November, becoming the first UD player to earn back-to-back first team honors since defensive back Charles Graves in 2009 and 2010 and the first UD offensive lineman to accomplish the feat since Conway Hayman in 1968-69.
Evans, most recently named the Buck Buchanan National Defensive Player of the Year by The Sports Network, adds to his already impressive list of season accolades, which includes: Phil Steele’s All-America First Team; The Sports Network/Fathead.com All-America; College Sports Madness All-American; A.P. All-America Second Team; Gold Helmet Award as New England’s player of the year; All-CAA First Team and All-New England Team.
Evans led the nation with 7.67 solo tackles/game and registered 165 total tackles, the second-most in the country and the second-highest, single-season total in school history. He tallied double-digit tackles in 10 of 12 games this season and in 21 of his last 25 games, including a career-high 24 tackles at then-No. 14 Lehigh on Sept. 10 and a 13-tackle, two-forced fumble performance in the Colonial Clash victory against then-No. 22 Massachusetts on Oct. 22. Evans notched three interceptions, including a 31-yard pick-six at then-No. 5 Richmond on Sept. 24 and a 58-yard pick-six in the Wildcats’ NCAA Division I FCS second-round playoff loss at seventh-ranked Montana State on Dec. 3. Evans forced three fumbles, recovered a fumble and notched two sacks.
Richmond senior wide receiver Tre Gray, Old Dominion senior defensive lineman Ronnie Cameron, Maine senior defensive back Jerron McMillian and Towson head coach Rob Ambrose were also honored as part of the College Sporting News Fabulous Fifty.
For the College Sporting News' complete Fabulous Fifty FCS All-America team click here.
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