All-MAC Honorees

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2017 POST SEASON AWARDS;

TOLEDO’S LOGAN WOODSIDE NAMED MAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR & VERN SMITH LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER

For Immediate Release—Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

Cleveland, Ohio – A total of 34 repeat selections from last year’s All-MAC teams highlight this year’s postseason football awards in the Mid-American Conference as the West Division with Toledo, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan swept the postseason awards.

Toledo senior quarterback Logan Woodside was tabbed as the winner of the 36^th Vern Smith Leadership Award and was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Rockets Head Coach Jason Candle was selected as the MAC Head Coach of the Year. Northern Illinois sophomore defensive end Sutton Smith was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, while Huskies freshman quarterback Marcus Childers was selected as the MAC Freshman of the Year. Western Michigan senior kick returner Darius Phillips was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

2017 MAC Specialty Award Winners

Coach of the Year: Jason Candle, Toledo

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Logan Woodside, Toledo

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois

Special Teams Player of the Year: KR Darius Phillips, Western Michigan

Freshman of the Year: QB Marcus Childers, Northern Illinois

Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Logan Woodside, Toledo

A native of Frankfort, Ky, Woodside has started all 12 games this season in leading the Rockets to a 10-2 overall record and was 225-345 passing for 3,451 yards and 24 touchdowns. Woodside’s 3,451 passing yards leads the MAC and ranks 13^th nationally, while his 24 touchdown passes also leads the MAC and ranks tied for 24^th in the country. During his Rockets career, Woodside is the first player in program history to throw for over 10,000 yards as he set the Toledo career passing record with 10,083 career yards and 89 career touchdown passes. His 10,083 career passing yards ranks 14^th in MAC history, while his 89 career passing touchdowns ranks tied for seventh in league history. In addition, Woodside’s career completion percentage (720-1,110 passing) of 65.5% ranks third in MAC history.

Candle in his second season in leading the Toledo program has the Rockets in the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game for the first time since 2004 and the program’s first outright West Division title since 1998. Candle has continued the legacy of the Toledo football program with another 10-win season, the ninth time in program history that a Rocket team has won at least 10 games in a season, while Toledo has also won at least nine games in six of the last seven seasons. Candle has been with the Toledo program since 2009, first as an assistant coach, and then assumed the head coaching duties last season and led the Rockets to a 9-4 overall record in 2016 and a berth to the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.

Smith, a native of St. Charles, Mo., leads the nation in both sacks and tackles for loss as the sophomore has exploded on the college football scene this 2017 season. Smith has started all 12 games at defensive end and has posted 14 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss, and ranks fourth on the Huskies’ with 56 tackles, and has added three forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles. The sophomore set a new Huskie record for quarterback sacks in a single season, breaking the mark previously held by Larry English (12, 2007) and the school record for tackles for loss in a single season, breaking the previous mark held by Scott Kellar (20, 1984). Smith was part of a NIU defense that led the Huskies to a 8-4 overall record and bowl eligible for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Childers, a native of Adairsville, Ga., began the season third on the depth chart and took over the NIU offense in late September and ended up appearing in 11 games and was 137-of-239 passing for 1,440 yards and 15 passing touchdowns. Childers came in and settled the offense and added 454 yards rushing on 132 attempts and five rushing touchdowns.

Phillips, a native of Detroit, Mich., has been an electrifying playmaker throughout his collegiate career. During the 2017 season, Phillips has two kickoff returns for touchdowns with 26 total returns for 683 yards (26.3 avg.), with a long return of 100 yards for a score. He added 13 punt returns for 104 yards (8.0 avg.), and a long of 49 yards. During his collegiate career, Phillips has set the FBS record with 12 returns during his career, including five career kickoff returns, five interceptions returned for touchdowns, one punt return and one fumble return.

Toledo led the way in 2017 with seven First-Team selections, followed by Western Michigan with five First-Team selections and Northern Illinois with four First-Team honorees. Overall, Ohio and Western Michigan set the pace with 12 All-MAC honorees each, followed by Northern Illinois with 10 All-MAC selections and Toledo and Central Michigan with nine All-MAC honorees.

Bowling Green senior punter Joseph Davidson was the only three-time First Team All-MAC honoree in this year’s honors. There were a total of eight students named to their second consecutive First-Team selection: quarterback Logan Woodside (Toledo), offensive linemen Max Scharping (Northern Illinois), Chukwuma Okorafor (Western Michigan), linebackers Ulysees Gilbert (Akron), Quentin Poling (Ohio), defensive backs Amari Coleman (Central Michigan), Darius Phillips (Western Michigan) and Davidson.

2017 MAC Specialty Award Winners

Coach of the Year: Jason Candle, Toledo

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Logan Woodside, Toledo

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois

Special Teams Player of the Year: KR Darius Phillips, Western Michigan

Freshman of the Year: QB Marcus Childers, Northern Illinois

Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Logan Woodside, Toledo

2017 FIRST TEAM ALL-MAC

2017 All-MAC First Team Offense

Position – Name – School

Quarterback – Logan Woodside, Toledo @

Offensive Linemen – Max Scharping, Northern Illinois @

Offensive Linemen – Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan @

Offensive Lineman – Elijah Nkansah, Toledo

Offensive Linemen – Brant Weiss, Toledo

Offensive Linemen – John Keenoy, Western Michigan #

Tight End – Shane Wimann, Northern Illinois

Wide Receiver – Diontae Johnson, Toledo

Wide Receiver – Anthony Johnson, Buffalo

Wide Receiver – James Gardner, Miami ^

Wide Receiver – Sergio Bailey II, Eastern Michigan ^

Running Back – Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan #&

Running Back – Terry Swanson, Toledo *

Placekicker – Jameson Vest, Toledo

2017 All-MAC First Team Defense

Position – Name – School

Outside Linebacker – Ulysees Gilbert, Akron @

Outside Linebacker – Jim Jones, Kent State

Inside Linebacker – Khalil Hodge, Buffalo #

Inside Linebacker – Quentin Poling, Ohio @!

Down Lineman – Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois

Down Lineman – Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan

Down Lineman – Joe Ostman, Central Michigan #%

Down Lineman – Anthony Winbush, Ball State ^

Defensive Back – Amari Coleman, Central Michigan @

Defensive Back – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan @*

Defensive Back – Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan

Defensive Back – Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois #=

Punter – Joe Davidson, Bowling Green @=

2017 All-MAC First Team Specialists

Position – Name – School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan #%

Punt Return Specialist – Diontae Johnson, Toledo

2017 SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC

2017 All-MAC Second Team Offense

Position – Name – School

Quarterback – Nathan Rourke, Ohio

Offensive Lineman – Jake Pruehs, Ohio ^

Offensive Lineman – Jimmy Leatiota, Eastern Michigan

Offensive Lineman – Joe Lowery, Ohio

Offensive Lineman – Luke Juriga, Western Michigan

Offensive Lineman – Joe Anderson, Ohio

Tight End – Donnie Ernsberger, Western Michigan ^

Wide Receiver – Corey Willis, Central Michigan #

Wide Receiver – Justin Hall, Ball State

Wide Receiver – Papi White, Ohio

Wide Receiver – Teo Redding, Bowling Green

Running Back – A.J. Ouellette, Ohio

Running Back – Jonathan Ward, Central Michigan

Placekicker – Jake Suder, Bowling Green

2017 All-MAC Second Team Defense

Position – Name – School

Outside Linebacker – Bobby Jones IV, Northern Illinois

Outside Linebacker – Chad Moore, Ohio

Inside Linebacker – Robert Spillane, Western Michigan #

Inside Linebacker – Malik Fountain, Central Michigan @

Down Lineman – Jeremiah Harris, Eastern Michigan ^

Down Lineman – Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, Toledo

Down Lineman – Demone Harris, Buffalo

Down Lineman – Jon Cunningham, Kent State ^

Defensive Back – Alvin Davis, Akron

Defensive Back – Josh Cox, Central Michigan ^

Defensive Back – Sam Beal, Western Michigan

Defensive Back – Javon Hagan, Ohio #

Punter – Derek Adams, Kent State

2017 All-MAC Second Team Specialists

Position – Name – School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Diontae Johnson, Toledo

Punt Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan #

2017 THIRD TEAM ALL-MAC

2017 All-MAC Third Team Offense

Position – Name – School

Quarterback – Brogan Roback, Eastern Michigan

Offensive Lineman – JP Quinn, Central Michigan

Offensive Lineman – Jordan Steckler, Northern Illinois

Offensive Lineman – James O’Hagan, Buffalo ^

Offensive Lineman – Vinnie Palazeti, Ball State

Offensive Lineman – Jordan Rigg, Miami

Tight End – Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan

Wide Receiver – Mark Chapman, Central Michigan

Wide Receiver – Scott Miller, Bowling Green @

Wide Receiver – Tra’Von Chapman, Akron

Wide Receiver – Spencer Tears, Northern Illinois

Running Back – Jordan Huff, Northern Illinois

Running Back – Andrew Clair, Bowling Green

Placekicker – Louie Zervos, Ohio @

2017 All-MAC Third Team Defense

Position – Name – School

Outside Linebacker – Jawuan Johnson, Northern Illinois

Outside Linebacker – Asantay Brown, Western Michigan #!

Inside Linebacker – Jason Beck, Eastern Michigan

Inside Linebacker – Nate Locke, Bowling Green

Down Lineman – Chuck Harris, Buffalo

Down Lineman – Josh Corcoran, Northern Illinois

Down Lineman – Jamal Davis, Akron

Down Lineman – Ikeem Allen, Miami

Defensive Back – Heath Harding, Miami @

Defensive Back – Demetrius Monday, Kent State =

Defensive Back – Bradd Ellis, Ohio

Defensive Back – Vince Calhoun, Eastern Michigan

Punter – Derrick Mitchell, Western Michigan

2017 All-MAC Third Team Specialists

Position – Name – School

Kickoff Return Specialist – Malik Dunner, Ball State

Punt Return Specialist – Papi White, Ohio