Five Bobcats Earn All-MAC Football Honors as 2000 All-Mid American Conference Football Team Announced

Contact: Heather Czeczok, 740-593-1299 or sports.media@ohio.edu

Junior punter Dave Zastudil grabs third-straight first-team All-MAC honors ... Senior lineman Zach Holt, sophomore tailback Chad Brinker, junior outside linebacker Matt Weikert and senior nose guard Damion Washington all earn second-team honors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (November 27, 2000) -- The 2000 All-Mid American Conference football team was announced today and 17 honorees from last year's team were recognized again with those accolades. In addition, six players were selected All-MAC for the third consecutive year, with three of them awarded first-team status for the third time. Western Michigan wide receiver Steve Neal, Marshall defensive back Daninelle Derricott and Ohio punter Dave Zastudil garnered first-team honors for the third consecutive year. Northern Illinois offensive tackle Ryan Diem and Toledo defensive lineman DeJuan Goulde are first-team selections for the second year in a row, along with their second-team All-MAC honors in 1998. Toledo placekicker Todd France, an honorable mention selection in 1998 and a second team All-MAC honoree in 1999, is a first-team selection this year.

In addition to the previously mentioned players, also repeating first-team honors from last year are Marshall offensive lineman Jimmy Cabellos, Marshall wide receiver Nate Poole, Toledo running back Chester Taylor, Marshall defensive lineman Paul Toviessi and Marshall defensive back Maurice Hines. Akron defensive back Dwight Smith, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award honoring the nation's best defensive back, also was named first-team All-MAC after being named to the second team last year.

MAC West Division co-champion Western Michigan led the league with 14 all-conference selections with Toledo, also a West Division co-champion, gathering nine all-MAC honorees and Northern Illinois eight. MAC East co-champion Marshall picked up seven all-conference awards with fellow East co-champion Akron getting five honorees. The voting was conducted among the league's 13 head coaches.

First Team Offense

TE-Mobolaji Afariogun, Western Michigan (So., Detroit, Mich.)

C-McAllister Collins, Northern Illinois (Sr., Chicago, Ill.)

OL-Ryan Diem, Northern Illinois (Sr., Carol Stream, Ill.)**

OL-Jim Harding, Toledo (Sr., Maumee, Ohio)

OL-Paul Lambert, Western Michigan (Sr., Montreal, Quebec)

OL-Jimmy Cabellos, Marshall, (Sr., Alexandria, Va.)**

WR-Steve Neal, Western Michigan, (Sr., Benton Harbor, Mich.)**

WR-Justin McCareins, Northern Illinois (Sr., Naperville, Ill.)

WR-Nate Poole, Marshall (Sr., Danville, Va.)**

QB-Tavares Bolden, Toledo (Jr., Cleveland, Ohio)

RB-Chester Taylor, Toledo (Sr., River Rouge, Mich.)**

RB-Robert Sanford, Western Michigan (Sr., Miami, Fla.)++

RB-Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois (So., Fort Wayne, Ind.)

PK-Todd France, Toledo (Jr., Maumee, Ohio)++

First Team Defense

OLB-Larry Williams, Northern Illinois (So., Chicago, Ill.)

OLB-Ira Singleton, Toledo (Sr., Benton Harbor, Mich.)

ILB-Max Yates, Marshall (Jr., Newport News, Va.)++

ILB-Garrett Soldano, Western Michigan (Sr., Onsted, Mich.)

DL-Paul Toviessi, Marshall (Sr., Alexandria, Va.)**

DL-DeJuan Goulde, Toledo (Sr., Euclid, Ohio)**

DL-Jimmy Parker, Marshall (Sr., Glen Jean, W.Va.)++

DL- Anthony Allsbury, Western Michigan (So., Bronson, Mich.)

DB-Dwight Smith, Akron (Sr., Detroit, Mich.)++

DB-Daninelle Derricott, Marshall, (Sr., Ashland, Va.)**

DB-Maurice Hines, Marshall, (Sr., East Point, Ga.)**

DB-Jermaine Hampton, Northern Illinois (Sr., Riverdale, Ill.)++

P-Dave Zastudil, Ohio, (Jr., Bay Village, Ohio)**

Second Team Offense

TE-Brandon Shaugnessy, Buffalo (Sr., Stafford, N.Y.)

C-Colin Greczek, Western Michigan (Sr., River Forest, Ill.)

OL-Michael Schaefer, Toledo (Sr., Yorkville, Ill.)

OL-Alex Sulfsted, Miami (Sr., Loveland, Ohio)

OL-Zach Holt, Ohio (Sr., Steubenville, Ohio)

OL-Konrad Dean, Akron (Jr., Jackson, N.J.)

WR-Sly Johnson, Miami (Sr., Miramar, Fla.)

WR-Lavel Bailey, Akron (Sr., Cleveland, Ohio)

WR-Kenny Christian, Eastern Michigan (Jr., Arcadia, Fla.)

QB-Butchie Washington, Akron (Sr., Columbus, Ohio)

RB-Brandon Payne, Akron (So., Rankin, Pa.)

RB-Chad Brinker, Ohio (So., Martins Ferry, Ohio)

RB-Marcus Merriweather, Ball State (So., Fort Wayne, Ind.)

PK-Brad Selent, Western Michigan (Sr., Paw Paw, Mich.)&&

Second Team Defense

OLB-Matt Weikert, Ohio (Jr., Covington, Ohio)

OLB-Terrence Moore, Western Michigan (Sr., Wheaton, Ill.)

ILB-Mario Evans, Western Michigan (Sr., Southfield, Mich.)

ILB-Kevin Rollins, Toledo (Sr., Twinsburg, Ohio)++

DL-Brandon Hicks, Bowling Green (Sr., Fairborn, Ohio)

DL-Damion Washington, Ohio (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio)

DL-Sunungura Rusununguko, Ball State (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.)

DL-Chris Browning, Western Michigan (So., Batavia, Ill.)

DB-Ronald Rogers, Western Michigan (Jr., Miami, Fla.)##

DB-Buster Sampson, Northern Illinois (Sr., Fort Meade, Fla.)

DB-Brian Leigeb, Central Michigan (Sr., Midland, Mich.)

DB-Jermaine Lewis, Western Michigan (So., Waukegan, Ill.)

P-Nick Avondet, Eastern Michigan (Sr., Brook Park, Ohio)

Honorable Mention (six selected)

C-Nick Otterbacher, Toledo (Jr., Mansfield, Ohio)

OLB-Duane Williams, Buffalo (Jr., Detroit, Mich.)

P-Kent McCullough, Miami (Sr., Coraopolis, Pa.)

ILB-Darvin Lewis, Central Michigan (So., Detroit, Mich.)

PK-Steve Azar, Northern Illinois (Fr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

QB-Jeff Welsh, Western Michigan (Jr., Oak Forest, Ill.)

** (1999 first-team All-MAC); ++ (1999 second-team All-MAC); ## (1999 Honorable Mention All-MAC); && (1998 second-team All-MAC).