Nov. 22, 2000

DALLAS -- C.J. Carroll, who was a walk-on at Southwest Texas State University in 1997, has been named the Southland Football League Player of the Year after leading the Bobcats to their best finish in eight years.

Carroll, a senior, helped SWT (7-4) to its first winning season since 1991 by recording a Southland-leading 11 quarterback sacks. He placed eighth in the League with 98 tackles, including 15 which went for lost yardage, ranking him fourth in the Southland.

A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually by The Sports Network to the nation's top defensive player, Carroll eclipsed SWT's career record for quarterback sacks. A three-time Southland defensive player of the week in 2000, Carroll needed 6.5 sacks heading into the season to establish the career record.

Carroll spearheaded a SWT attack which finished the regular season ranked second in the Southland in total defense, at 288 yards per game, and scoring defense, at 16.1 points allowed a contest. Nationally, the Bobcats rank 15th against the run, 18th in scoring defense and 22nd in total defense.

A safety from Corpus Christi, Texas, who completed his undergraduate degree in three and one-half years and is working on a Master's of Business Administration, Carroll is a two-time first-team all-League selection.

Carroll (5-9, 182) edged out Northwestern State University's Tony Taylor, the Southland's Offensive Player of the Year, in overall player of the year voting. The League's postseason awards are voted on by the eight head coaches of the Southland.

Taylor (5-9, 190), a junior running back from Pineville, La., led the Southland in rushing and ranks 11th nationally with 136. 9 yards per game. In addition, he is 11th in the country in all-purpose yardage with 160.8 per game. Taylor makes his third appearance on the Southland's all-League first team after breaking his own single-season school record with 1,506 yards rushing.

The Southland's Defensive Player of the Year award goes to Keith Davis of Sam Houston State University. The junior safety from Italy, Texas, finished with 98 tackles on the season in leading the Bearkats to a 7-4 record, their best finish since going 8-3-1 in 1991. Davis (6-0, 195) had 13 tackles which went for lost yardage.

Southland champion Troy State University picked up two specialty awards as running back Demontray Carter was voted Newcomer of the Year and Larry Blakeney was tabbed Coach of the Year.

Carter (5-10, 192), a junior transfer from Auburn University, finished with 804 yards rushing during 10 games. He helped the Trojans (9-2) to their second straight Southland title by ranking third in the League in all-purpose yardage with 126.7 per game. In addition to his rushing yardage, Carter added 239 yards on kickoff returns and 224 yards receiving.

Blakeney, who guides his Trojans into the NCAA I-AA playoffs for the seventh time in eight years, has been named the top coach in the Southland for the second straight time. He guided TSU to its third title in the last five years.

The Freshman of the Year honor goes to Josh Son of Nicholls State University. A product of Baton Rouge, La., Son (6-2, 190) finished his freshman campaign having rushed for 595 yards in the Colonel option attack, taking over quarterback duties mid year.

Troy State leads all teams with 16 players selected to the first- and second-team All-League squads.

2000 All-Southland Football League Teams

First Team Offense
POS NAME UNIVERSITY  HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN
QB Brock Nutter Troy State  6-1 208 Jr. Hoover, Ala.
RB Tony Taylor Northwestern State 5-9 190 Jr. Pineville, La.
RB Derrick Blaylock Stephen F. Austin 5-10 190 Sr. Atlanta, Texas
FB/HB Thad Buttone Troy State  6-0 250 Sr. Atlanta, Ga.
WR Matt Dominguez Sam Houston State 6-3 224 Sr. Georgetown, Texas
WR Jonathan Carter Troy State  6-0 182 Sr. Lineville, Ala.
TE Keith Heinrich Sam Houston State 6-6 233 Jr. Tomball, Texas
OL Wes Hines McNeese State  6-3 302 Sr. Baytown, Texas
OL Rod Cantu McNeese State  6-2 296 Sr. Houston, Texas
OL Jeremy Sullivan Jacksonville State 6-3 290 Jr. Leroy, Ala.
OL Blake Carruthers Troy State  6-2 283 Sr. Norman Park, Ga.
OL Charles Thomas Troy State  6-4 292 Sr. Forest Park, Ga.
PK Lawrence Tynes Troy State  6-1 183 Sr. Milton, Fla.


First Team Defense
DL Tim Betts Troy State  6-2 231 Sr. Pensacola, Fla.
DL Jake Morrison McNeese State  6-3 219 Sr. Nassau Bay, Texas
DL Clenton Ballard Southwest Texas 6-2 310 Jr. San Antonio, Texas
DL Reginald Reddick Sam Houston State 6-2 275 Jr. Dallas, Texas
LB Nick Colbert Troy State  6-3 234 Sr. Enterprise, Ala.
LB Myron Coleman Southwest Texas 6-2 205 Jr. San Antonio, Texas
LB Kurt Rodgiguez Northwestern State 6-2 235 So. Violet, La.
CB Delvin Hughley Jacksonville State 5-11 200 Sr. Anniston, Ala.
CB Terrence McGee Northwestern State 5-10 186 So. Athens, Texas
S C.J. Carroll Southwest Texas 5-9 182 Sr. Corpus Christi, Texas
S Keith Davis Sam Houston State 6-0 195 Jr. Italy, Texas
P Jeremy Thompson Nicholls State  6-1 180 So. Ponchatoula, La.
RS Terrence McGee Northwestern State 5-10 186 So. Athens, Texas


Second Team Offense
QB Wes Pate Stephen F. Austin 6-4 225 Jr. Arp, Texas
RB Rondy Rogers Jacksonville State 5-10 217 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
RB Demontray Carter Troy State  5-10 191 Jr. Pensacola, Fla.
FB-HB Will Bowers Stephen F. Austin 6-1 235 So. Dayton, Texas
WR T.J. Sutherland Northwestern State 6-0 184 Sr. Vacherie, La.
WR Jermaine Martin McNeese State  5-6 145 Jr. Lafayette, La.
TE Adrian Moore Troy State  6-1 230 So. Oxford, Ala.
OL Todd Otte Southwest Texas 6-6 297 Sr. Austin, Texas
OL Albert Traylor Northwestern State 6-4 296 Sr. Dallas, Texas
OL Brent McAliley Troy State  6-3 308 Sr. Niceville, Fla.
OL Oscar Comeaux Northwestern State 6-4 275 Sr. Houston, Texas
OL Josh Arceneaux Stephen F. Austin 6-5 290 Sr. Conroe, Texas
PK Kyle Leisher Nicholls State  6-2 202 Sr. Orlando, Fla.


Second Team Defense
DL Michael Adams Stephen F. Austin 6-3 220 So. Beckville, Texas
DL Vernon Marable Troy State  6-2 260 Jr. Ashland, Ala.
DL Herchel Monroe Northwestern State 6-0 290 Jr. Bossier City, La.
DL Osi Umenyiora Troy State  6-4 270 So. Auburn, Ala.
LB Jimmy McClain Troy State  6-1 230 Jr. Enterprise, Ala.
LB Brad Archie McNeese State  6-1 219 Jr. Slidell, La.
LB Cornell Buford Jacksonville State 6-1 245 Sr. Warwick, Ga.
CB Bruce Bolden McNeese State  5-10 185 Sr. Reserve, La.
CB Jerod Jones McNeese State  5-11 173 Sr. Natchitoches, La.
S Antonio Thompson Troy State  5-9 185 Sr. Apopka, Fla.
S Natarsha James Jacksonville State 6-1 200 Sr. Sylvester, Ga.
P Matt Allen Troy State  6-4 246 Sr. Montgomery, Ala.
RS Sullivan Beard Nicholls State  5-11 165 Sr. Lockport, La.


Honorable Mention: QB--Slade Nagle, McN, Reggie Stancil, JSU. RB--Lee
Davis, SWT, Bronson Sanders, SWT. FB/H-B--Carlow James, JSU. WR--Jonathon
Cooper, SHSU, Bernard Green, NWLa., Lawrence Hamilton, SFA, Freddie
Lyons, SFA, Tyson Olivo, SWT. OL--Damon Cobb, SHSU, Jason Davis, McN,
Brent Harrison, TSU, Kyle Smith, NICH, Gene Tennison, NWLa., Billy
Williams, SHSU, Shannon Yates, SFA. PK--Clint Sanford, NWLa. DL--Harvey
Dierschke, SWT, Jerry Evans, McN, Joe Johnson, NWLa., B.J. McNutt, McN,
Taylor Mitchell, JSU, Trent Taylor, SHSU, Tony Washington, NWLa., Davern
Williams, TSU. LB--Dell Gaines, JSU, Gerg Pitts, SWT, Todd Rivera, NICH,
Tommy Tull, SHSU, Reggie Williams, SFA, Naazir Yamini, TSU, Joquail
Young, SHSU. CB--Markee Coleman, JSU, Kendall Jones, SWT, Kendrick
Llorens, NWLa., David Philyaw, TSU, Rayshaun Reed, TSU. S--David Crocker,
SFA, Joe Judge, McN, Eriles McCollough, JSU, Hadley Prince, McN, Lee
Rogers, NICH, Sterling Rogers, SWT. P--Rick Barrow, SWT, Mark Holmes,
NWLa. RS--Jonathan Carter, TSU.


PLAYER OF THE YEAR
S C.J. Carroll Southwest Texas 5-9 182 Sr. Corpus Christi, Texas

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RB Tony Taylor Northwestern State 5-9 190 Jr. Pineville, La.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
S Keith Davis Sam Houston State 6-0 195 Jr. Italy, Texas

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
RB Demontray Carter Troy State  5-10 191 Jr. Pensacola, Fla.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
QB Josh Son Nicholls State  6-2 190 Fr. Baton Rouge, La.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Larry Blakeney, Troy State