University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore defensive end Davis Tull was named the 2012 Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches and media today. He led a group of eight Mocs who earned spots on the various all-conference teams.
Tull, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., set the UTC single season record for sacks and tackles-for-loss in 2012. He is the first sophomore to win SoCon Defensive Player of the Year honors since Appalachian State's Dexter Coakley in 1994. He finished with a SoCon-best 12.5 sacks and 19.0 TFLs, ranking No. 2 in the nation in sacks and No. 6 in TFLs. He was fourth in the SoCon with three forced fumbles and tied for team-high with six quarterback hurries.
Tull is the third Moc to earn SoCon Defensive Player of the Year honors and the second in the Russ Huesman era that began in 2009. He joins Troy Boeck (1990) and Josh Beard (2009) on the list of previous recipients. Tull is finishing a very productive year on the field and in the classroom. He was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team.
Joining Tull as a consensus All-SoCon First Team member is junior linebacker Wes Dothard (Carrollton, Ga.). This is a repeat performance for the 2011 All-American who led the Mocs with 94 tackles. Fellow junior D.J. Key (Centerville, Tenn.) made the media's first team and the coaches' second team. He was second on the team with 82 tackles while picking off two passes.
Junior's Kadeem Wise (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Derek Lott (Kennesaw, Ga.) grabbed second team honors from the media and coaches. They gave UTC five representatives on the defensive squad after Chattanooga led the SoCon and was No. 10 in the nation in total defense (307.9 yds/game).
Lott, a defensive lineman who transferred from Georgia prior to the start of the season, finished with 57 tackles, two sacks and a team-high six quarterback hurries. Wise is the first Moc to be named All-SoCon his first three seasons. He had two interceptions and recovered two fumbles while making 55 tackles.
A pair of offensive players were also honored, including senior offensive lineman Adam Miller (Cohutta, Ga.) and sophomore tight end Faysal Shafaat (Orlando, Fla.). Miller made the media's second team, while Shafaat was the second team pick by both the media and coaches.
Miller started 43 games at right tackle in his career. He is a two-time member of the Capital One Academic All-District team, a two-time Academic All-SoCon honoree and a member of the FCS ADA Academic All-Star team. Shafaat led all SoCon tight ends with 37 catches and five touchdowns.
Freshman Jacob Huesman (Chattanooga, Tenn.) was the last Moc honored, making the SoCon All-Freshman team. He set UTC freshmen records for completions (169) and passing yards (1,700) while tying the marks for passing touchdowns (13) and rushing touchdowns (7).
The Mocs finished the season with a 6-5 record and fourth in the SoCon at 5-3. It is the third winning season in the last four years for Chattanooga. UTC has not put together a run like that since 1984-87. Seven of the eight Mocs All-SoCon team members are underclassmen and set to return in 2013. UTC will only replace four starters and lose just 10 letter winners overall from the current two-deep.
2012 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team
Offensive Player of the Year - Eric Breitenstein, Sr., RB, Wofford
Co-Defensive Player of the Year - Jeremy Kimbrough, Sr., LB, Appalachian State
Co-Defensive Player of the Year - Davis Tull, So., DL, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year - Sean Price, WR, Appalachian State
Jacobs Blocking Award - Mike Sellers, Jr., OL, The Citadel
Co-Coach of the Year - Kevin Higgins, The Citadel
Co-Coach of the Year - Pat Sullivan, Samford
First Team Offense
QB Jamal Jackson, Jr., Appalachian State
RB Jerodis Williams, Sr., Furman
RB Eric Breitenstein, Sr., Wofford
OL Mike Sellers, Jr., The Citadel
OL Dakota Dozier, Jr., Furman
OL Dorian Byrd, Jr., Georgia Southern
OL Ryan Dudchock, Sr., Samford
OL Jared Singleton, Jr., Wofford
TE Colin Anderson, Sr., Furman
WR Sean Price, Fr., Appalachian State
WR Aaron Mellette, Sr., Elon
First Team Defense
DL Josh Lynn, Sr., Furman
DL Dion Dubose, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL Brent Russell, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL Davis Tull, So., Chattanooga
DL Nicholas Williams, Samford
LB Jeremy Kimbrough, Sr., Appalachian State
LB Wes Dothard, Sr., Chattanooga
LB Alvin Scioneaux, Jr., Wofford
DB Demetrius McCray, Sr., Appalachian State
DB JJ Wilcox, Sr., Georgia Southern
DB Jaquiski Tartt, So., Samford
DB Darius Eubanks, Sr., Georgia Southern
First Team Specialists
PK Cameron Yaw, Sr., Samford
P Sam Martin, Sr., Appalachian State
RS Jerodis Williams, Sr., Furman
Second Team Offense
QB Thomas Wilson, Sr., Elon
RB Steven Miller, Sr., Appalachian State
RB Fabian Truss, Jr., Samford
OL Justin Ward, Sr., Elon
OL Jacob Kirschenbaum, Sr., Samford
OL Calvin Cantrell, Sr., Wofford
OL Tymeco Gregory, Jr., Wofford
OL Jake Miles, So., Wofford
TE Faysal Shafaat, So., Chattanooga
WR Andrew Peacock, Jr., Appalachian State
WR Kelsey Pope, Jr., Samford
Second Team Defense
DL Ronald Blair, So., Appalachian State
DL Chris Billingslea, Sr., The Citadel
DL Derrick Lott, Jr., Chattanooga
DL Tarek Odom, So., Wofford
LB Brandon Grier, Sr., Appalachian State
LB Rock Williams, Sr., Western Carolina
LB Mike Niam, Sr., Wofford
DB Troy Sanders, Sr., Appalachian State
DB D.J. Key, Jr., Chattanooga
DB Kadeem Wise, Jr., Chattanooga
DB Blake Wylie, Sr., Wofford
Second Team Specialists
PK Sam Martin, Sr., Appalachian State
P Cass Couey, Sr., The Citadel
RS Tony Washington, Appalachian State
All-Freshman Offense
Shaq Counts, OL, Appalachian State
Malachi Jones, WR, Appalachian State
Sean Price, WR, Appalachian State
Tracey Coppedge, RB, Elon
Reese Hannon, QB, Furman
Jordan Snellings, WR, Furman
Joe Turner, OL, Furman
Tony Philpot, TE, Samford
Jacob Huesman, QB, Chattanooga
Darius Ramsey, RB, Western Carolina
Troy Mitchell, QB, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Defense
Stephen Burns, DL, Appalachian State
Davante Harris, DL, Appalachian State
Mitchell Jeter, DL, The Citadel
James Riley, LB, The Citadel
Mark Thomas, DE, The Citadel
Reggie Thomas, DB, Furman
Patrick Flowe, LB, Georgia Southern
James Bradberry, DB, Samford
Trey Wesley, DB, Samford
Sertonuse Harris, DB, Western Carolina
Jaleel Lorquet, DB, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Specialists
Alex Hanks, PK, Georgia Southern
Cam Flowers, RS, Wofford
Danny LaMontagne, LS, Furman
2012 Media All-Southern Conference Football Team
Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Offensive Player of the Year - Eric Breitenstein, Sr., RB, Wofford
Defensive Player of the Year - Davis Tull, So., DE, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year - Sean Price, WR, Appalachian State
Wallace Wade Coach of the Year - Kevin Higgins, The Citadel
First Team Offense
QB Jamal Jackson, Jr., Appalachian State
RB Steven Miller, Sr., Appalachian State
RB Eric Breitenstein, Jr., Wofford
OL Mike Sellers, Sr., The Citadel
OL Dakota Dozier, Jr., Furman
OL Dorian Byrd, Jr., Georgia Southern
OL Ryan Dudchock, Sr., Samford
OL Jake Miles, Sr., Wofford
TE Colin Anderson, Sr., Furman
WR Sean Price, Fr., Appalachian State
WR Aaron Mellette, Sr., Elon
First Team Defense
DL Ronald Blair, So., Appalachian State
DL Brent Russell, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL Nicholas Williams, Sr., Samford
DL Davis Tull, So, Chattanooga
LB Jeremy Kimbrough, Sr., Appalachian State
LB Wes Dothard, Jr., Chattanooga
LB Rock Williams, Sr., Western Carolina
DB Demetrius McCray, Sr., Appalachian State
DB Troy Sanders, Sr., Appalachian State
DB Jaquiski Tartt, So., Samford
DB D.J. Key, Jr., Chattanooga
First Team Specialists
PK Cameron Yaw, Sr., Samford
P Sam Martin, Sr., Appalachian State
RS Jerodis Williams, Sr., Furman
Second Team Offense
QB Thomas Wilson, Sr., Elon
RB Jerodis Williams, Sr., Furman
RB Fabian Truss, Jr., Samford
OL Logan Daves, So., Georgia Southern
OL Jacob Kirschenbaum, Sr., Samford
OL Adam Miller, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Calvin Cantrell, Sr., Wofford
OL Ty Gregory, Jr., Wofford
OL (tie) Jared Singleton, Jr., Wofford
TE Faysal Shafaat, So., Chattanooga
WR Andrew Peacock, Jr., Appalachian State
WR Kelsey Pope, Jr., Samford
Second Team Defense
DL Chris Billingslea, Sr., The Citadel
DL Javon Mention, Jr., Georgia Southern
DL Dion Dubose, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL Derrick Lott, Jr., Chattanooga
LB Brandon Grier, Sr., Appalachian State
LB Jonathan Spain, So., Elon
LB Alvin Scioneaux, Jr., Wofford
DB Brandon McCladdie, Jr., The Citadel
DB Darius Eubanks, Sr., Georgia Southern
DB JJ Wilcox, Sr., Georgia Southern
DB Kadeem Wise, Jr., Chattanooga
Second Team Specialists
PK Adam Shreiner, Sr., Elon
P Cass Couey, Sr., The Citadel
RS Fabian Truss, Jr., Samford
