Four Ohio Valley Conference football players have been named to the College Sporting News 2014 Fabulous Fifty FCS All-America Team while three others earned honorable mention honors.
Unlike other All-American teams, the CSN honor's squad is designed to be like a real team, capable of taking the field and competing in a game. It includes everything from quarterbacks who can run or pass and often-overlooked fullbacks, to long snappers and other special teams performers. The Fabulous Fifty also emphasizes players who have exhibited character and other team-oriented traits, not just lofty statistics, or talent.
The four selections included Jacksonville State senior offensive lineman Max Holcombe, Eastern Illinois senior offensive linemanÂ
Collin Seibert, Tennessee State senior cornerback De'Ante Saunders and Murray State junior kick returner Pokey Harris. The honorable mention picks included Jacksonville State junior defensive lineman Devaunte Sigler, Eastern Kentucky senior fullback Channing Fugate and Eastern Kentucky junior running back Dy'Shawn Mobley.
Holcombe, who earned his fourth All-American honor of the year (Associated Press, Sports Network and Walter Camp being the others), set an OVC record by starting 49 consecutive games (every game of his career) at center for Jacksonville State. The senior has a leader of an offensive line that helped the Gamecocks ranks fourth nationally in total offense (510.8 yards/game), fourth in rushing offense (285.3 yards/game) and 20th in scoring offense (35.2 points/game) during the regular season. Holcombe's play helped the Gamecocks to a 10-2 overall record, OVC Championship (with a perfect 8-0 mark) and berth in the FCS Playoffs as the No. 3 overall seed. JSU climbed to as high as No. 2 in the national polls in 2014 after winning 10-straight games following a season-opening loss to FBS Michigan State.
Seibert earned his fifth All-American honor of the season (AFCA, Associated Press, Sports Network and Walter Camp being the others) after helping the Panthers offense rank in the Top 20 nationally this season in both total offense (15th, 480.1 yards/game) and rushing offense (12th, 236.3 yards/game). He anchored the offensive unit grading out at over 90 percent for the season in earning All-OVC first-team honors for the third-straight season. He also helped protect second-team All-OVC quarterback
Jalen Whitlow who passed for 2,075 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 792 yards and 12 additional scores in ranking 26th nationally in total offense.
Saunders, who has also been named an All-American by the Associated Press, AFCA and Sports Network, was a first-team All-OVC selection this season after netting an OVC-best five interceptions while also tallying 51 tackles and six pass breakups. He helped contribute to a defense that ranked fifth nationally in passing defense (153.3 yards/game), sixth in pass efficiency defense (101.85), 11th in total defense (303.3 yards/game) and 16th in passes intercepted (16). His five interceptions were the seventh-most in TSU single-season history. In a win over Jackson State he picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
Harris, the FCS ADA National Return Specialist of the Year, was the only FCS player to return three kickoffs for touchdowns this season (only two FCS players had more than one touchdown return), which was tied for the most in Division I (both FBS or FCS). He returned two of those kickoffs 100 yards for a touchdown, doing so in back-to-back weeks; his 100-yard returns were two of just 12 in OVC history and he is now one of just three OVC players all-time to have a pair of 100-yard kicks (and first to do it in back-to-back weeks). Overall he ranked seventh nationally in kickoff return average (28.8 yards/return) and was 23rd nationally in all-purpose yards (138.42/game). Harris was also previously named a Sports Network and Walter Camp All-American.
OVC Selections on 2014 College Sporting News Fabulous Fifty All-American TeamOL - Max Holcombe, Jacksonville State
OL - Collin Seibert, Eastern IllinoisCB - De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State
KR - Pokey Harris, Murray State
