NEW ORLEANS - After winning the Sun Belt Conference's Offensive Player of the Week award for a record six times this season Troy's Levi Brown earned yet another honor Wednesday as the senior quarterback was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Brown highlights the 2009 All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team which was also released on Wednesday.
Brown became the all-time single-season passing yardage leader in Sun Belt Conference history while leading the Trojans to their first 8-0 season in Sun Belt history and a second straight outright league crown. Brown won the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week award on back-to-back occasions three times this year. He also won the award for performances against UAB, Arkansas State, FIU, North Texas and Florida Atlantic.
Brown also garnered the Offensive Player of the Year honor for the Sun Belt Conference. Brown owns the Troy and Sun Belt Conference single-season records for passing yards (3,868) and total offense (3,887). The Troy season passing record had stood for 41 years, since Sim Byrd set the original mark of 3,569 in 1968.
Joining Brown on the list of individual award winners is Cardia Jackson (ULM, Sr., LB) and Chris McCoy (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL), who were named the league's Co-Defensive Players of the Year. Jackson became the Sun Belt's all time leading tackler while McCoy was the leader and disruptor of the Sun Belt's top-rated defense and led the league in tackles for loss.
Shawn Southward was named the league's Freshman of the Year. Southward exploded onto the scene for the Trojans at WKU when he rushed for 139 yards on 19 carries and had a school-record four touchdown carries. He closed the season with another banner performance, rushing for 152 yards on just 15 carries and scoring two touchdowns against Louisiana-Lafayette. He was the Trojans leading rusher with 574 yards on just 100 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per rush
Last year's Sun Belt Coach of the Year Larry Blakeney will share the award this year with Middle Tennessee's Rick Stockstill. Blakeney guided his team to an undefeated conference record, an outright Sun Belt Conference title and a berth in the GMAC bowl. Troy has captured at least a share of four straight league crowns. Stockstill led the Blue Raiders to a 9-3 mark and a 7-1 record in conference play. Stockstill will lead his team in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 20th versus Southern Mississippi.
Player of the Year
Levi Brown (Troy, Sr., QB)
Offensive Player of the Year
Levi Brown (Troy, Sr., QB)
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Cardia Jackson (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., LB)
Chris McCoy (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL)
Freshman of the Year
Shawn Southward (Troy, Fr., RB)
Co-Coaches of the Year
Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Larry Blakeney, Troy
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Levi Brown (Troy, Sr., QB)
Alfred Morris (Florida Atlantic, R-So., RB)
Lance Dunbar (North Texas, So., RB)
LaGregory Sapp (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., WR)
Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Jr., WR)
Jason Harmon (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., TE)
Brad Bustle (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., G)
Chris Fisher (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., OL)
Mark Thompson (Middle Tennessee, Sr., OL)
Danny Franks (Troy, Sr., OL)
Tyler Clark (Troy, Jr., OL)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Alex Carrington (Arkansas State, Sr. DL)
Aaron Morgan (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., DL)
Chris McCoy (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL)
Brandon Lang (Troy, Sr., DL)
Cardia Jackson (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., LB)
Boris Lee (Troy, Sr., LB)
Bear Woods (Troy, Sr., LB)
Greg James (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., DB)
Jeremy Kellem (Middle Tennessee, Jr., DB)
Alex Suber (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DB)
Marcus Udell (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DB)
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference Specialists
Alan Gendreau (Middle Tennessee, So., PK)
Spencer Ortego (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., P)
T.Y. Hilton (FIU, So., Return Specialist)
Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Jr., All Purpose)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Offense
Dwight Dasher (Middle Tennessee, Jr., QB)
Frank Goodin (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., RB)
Bobby Rainey (WKU, So., RB)
T.Y. Hilton (FIU, So., WR/KR)
Jamaal Jackson (North Texas, Jr. WR)
Ladarius Green (Louisiana-Lafayette, So., TE)
Derek Newton (Arkansas State, Jr., OL)
David Matlock (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., OL)
Brad Serirni (FIU, Jr., OL)
Esteban Santiago (North Texas, Jr., OL)
Mark Fisher (Middle Tennessee, Jr., OL)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Defense
Bryan Hall (Arkansas State, Jr., DL)
Jamari Lattimore (Middle Tennessee, Jr., DL)
Cameron Sheffield (Troy, Sr., DL)
Kevin Dixon (Troy, Sr., DL)
Antwyne Zanders (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., LB)
Danny Carmichael (Middle Tennessee, Sr., LB)
Cam Robinson (Middle Tennessee, Sr., LB)
Anthony Gaitor (FIU, Jr., DB)
James Truxillo (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., DB)
Courtland Fuller (Troy, Sr., DB)
Bryan Willis (Troy, Fr., DB)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference Specialists
Josh Arauco (Arkansas State, Sr., PK)
Carlos Munera (FIU, Sr., P)
Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Jr., Return Specialist)
Bobby Rainey (WKU, So., All Purpose)
Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt Conference
Corey Leonard (Arkansas State, Sr., QB); Daylan Walker (Arkansas State, Sr., DB); Kevin Cyrille (Florida Atlantic, R-So., DL); Marcus Bartels (Florida Atlantic, R-So., DB); Scott Bryant (FIU, Sr., LB); Jonathan Cyprien (FIU, Fr., DB); Dwight Bentley (Louisiana-Lafayette, So., DB); Grant Fleming (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., LB); Luther Ambrose (Louisiana-Monroe, So., All Purpose); Josh Thomas (Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., LB); Brandon Perry (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL); Desmond Gee (Middle Tennessee, Sr., RS); Kelvin Drake (North Texas, Jr., OL); Craig Robertson (North Texas, Jr., LB); Tebiarus Gill (Troy, Jr., WR); Will Goggans (Troy, So., P); Jake Gaebler (WKU, Sr., WR); Jeremy Moore (WKU, Sr., P)
