Ferris State's Vander Laan Named 2014 Daktronics Football Offensive Player of the Year, Eight #GLIACFB Players Recognized
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Ferris State junior quarterback Jason Vander Laan and Colorado State-Pueblo senior defensive end Darius Allen headline the 2014 Daktronics All America squad as Ron Lenz Players of the Year as released Wednesday morning by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America. A total of eight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football players were named to the All-America teams.
Vander Laan, one of two Harlon Hill finalists on the first team, quarterbacked the Bulldogs to their first 11-0 season in the 106-year history of Ferris State football to earn top offensive honors.
The 6-2, 241-pounder from Frankfort, Ill. rushed for 1,466 yards with 20 touchdowns while completing 183-of-275 passes for 2,381 yards and 30 more scores. He ranked as the nation's top rushing quarterback at all levels and was tops in the country in passing efficiency (177.8) along with points responsible for this year (300) entering the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Vander Laan is joined on the first team by fellow Harlon Hill finalist Anthony Bilal of Lake Erie (Ohio). The 5-7, 170-pound junior from Painesville, Ohio was one of only two running backs to rush for more than 2,000 yards this season as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Back of the Year ran for 2,091 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Wayne State (Mich.)'s senior linebacker Nores Fradi leads the linebacker corps finishing with 100 tackles with a national best 28.5 tackles for loss with 8.5 sacks as Fradi landed on the Daktronics Defensive All-America First Team. Rounding out the GLIAC representatives were junior defensive lineman Justin Zimmer of Ferris State and senior safety Deonte Hurst from the Grand Valley State Lakers.
A pair of Ferris State Bulldogs accompanied Vander Laan on the First Team as senior offensive linemen Jacob VanderKlok and Justin Glover were a vital part of Vander Laan's explosive offensive unit. Ohio Dominican's senior offensive lineman Perrin Cunningham made it three offensive linemen to receive Daktronics First Team All-America recognition as the Panthers made it all the way to the NCAA Division II Football Quarterfinals before bowing out to CSU-Pueblo.
The Ron Lenz National Player of the Year award was named for long time South Dakota State sports information director Ron Lenz in 2008. Lenz was instrumental in the foundation of the Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America program.
The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable displays systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the NCAA Division II members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA).
Ron Lenz Players of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Jason Vander Laan, QB, Ferris State
Defensive Player of the Year
Darius Allen, DE, Colorado State-Pueblo
Offense
First Team
Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
TE Cole Spurgeon Colorado Mines Jr. 6-3 235 Gretna, Neb.
OL Josh Meeker Minnesota State-Mankato Sr. 6-2 290 Omaha, Neb.
OL Jacob VanderKlok Ferris State (Mich.) Sr. 6-6 306 Caledonia, Mich.
OL Justin Glover Ferris State (Mich.) Sr. 6-0 316 Grand Rapids, Mich.
OL Scotland Coyle Colorado State-Pueblo Sr. 6-3 265 Longmont, Colo.
OL Joe Ray Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) Jr. 6-1 270 Atlanta, Ga.
WR Darius Davis Henderson State (Ark.) Sr. 5-11 212 Frisco, Texas
WR Tyler Slavin New Mexico Highlands Sr. 6-2 215 Corona, Calif.
QB Jason Vander Laan Ferris State (Mich.) Jr. 6-4 241 Frankfort, Ill.
RB Terrell Watson Azusa Pacific (Calif.) Sr. 6-2 240 Oxnard, Calif.
RB Anthony Bilal Lake Erie (Ohio) Jr. 5-7 170 Painesville, Ohio
RS Etauj Allen Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Sr. 5-9 185 San Antonio, Texas
PK Tom Obarski Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) Sr. 5-11 185 Burnsville, Minn.
Second Team
Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
TE Tim Brown West Chester (Pa.) Jr. 6-3 235 Clifton Heights, Pa.
OL Tyler Smith Pittsburg State (Kan.) Sr. 6-4 287 Sand Springs, Okla.
OL Andrew Muer Minnesota Duluth Sr. 6-3 275 Perham, Minn.
OL Jim Bayer Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) Sr. 6-1 275 Lawrenceville, Ga.
OL Perrin Cunningham Ohio Dominican Sr. 6-2 275 Cincinnati, Ohio
OL Tory Day Harding (Ark.) Sr. 6-1 255 Memphis, Tenn.
WR Marquise Cushon Pittsburg State (Kan.) Jr. 5-10 162 Kansas City, Mo.
WR Xavier Milton Florida Tech Sr. 6-0 190 Alameda, Calif.
QB Anthony Abenoja Pittsburg State (Kan.) Sr. 6-3 217 Overland Park, Kan.
RB LaVance Taylor Central Missouri Sr. 5-11 195 Raytown, Mo.
RB Andy Hibbett Carson-Newman (Tenn.) Sr. 6-0 200 Corryton, Tenn.
RS Danarius Appling West Georgia Sr. 5-7 155 Griffin, Ga.
PK Conner Hollabaugh West Texas A&M So. 5-10 181 Amarillo, Texas
Defense
First Team
Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Joshua Gordon Minnesota State-Mankato Jr. 6-2 250 Milwaukee, Wisc.
DL Darius Allen Colorado State-Pueblo Sr. 6-4 251 Pueblo, Colo.
DL Matt Longacre Northwest Missouri State Sr. 6-3 270 Omaha, Neb.
LB Nores Fradi Wayne State (Mich.) Sr. 6-1 216 Deerborn Heights, Mich.
LB Kole Kadavy Colorado Mines Sr. 5-11 205 Greeley, Colo.
LB Tanner Botts Lenoir Rhyne (N.C.) Sr. 6-2 215 Lawrenceville, Ga.
LB Tayler Henderson Minnesota State-Mankato Jr. 6-3 235 Mankato, Minn.
S Zack Mitchell Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Sr. 6-0 185 Vilonia, Ark.
S Colin Kimball Mercyhurst (Pa.) Sr. 5-11 180 Erie, Pa.
CB Stephan Dickens Colorado State-Pueblo Sr. 5-9 172 Aurora, Colo.
CB Solomon St. Pierre Sioux Falls (S.D.) Jr. 5-11 171 Wagner, S.D.
P Patrick Carney New Mexico Highlands Sr. 6-0 215 Chico, Calif.
Second Team
Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Marcus Martin Slippery Rock (Pa.) Fr-RS 6-3 235 West Mifflin, Pa.
DL Justin Zimmer Ferris State (Mich.) Jr. 6-3 258 Greenville, Mich.
DL Devin Benton Southwestern Oklahoma State Sr. 5-11 270 Arlington, Texas
LB Jared Koster New Mexico Highlands Sr. 6-1 210 Corona, Calif.
LB Justin Shirk Bloomsburg (Pa.) Sr. 6-0 240 Harrisburg, Pa.
LB Rush Seaver Angelo State (Texas) Sr. 6-3 250 Lampasas, Texas
LB Connor Harris Lindenwood (Mo.) So. 6-0 235 Lee's Summit, Mo.
S Deonte Hurst Grand Valley State (Mich.) Sr. 5-11 185 Kentwood, Mich.
S Charles Moore Tarleton State (Texas) Sr. 5-10 200 Carrollton, Texas
CB C.J. Roberts Colorado State-Pueblo Sr. 6-0 180 Boynton Beach, Fla.
CB De'Vante Bausby Pittsburg State (Kan.) Sr. 6-2 179 Kansas City, Mo.
P Jake Medlock Valdosta State (Ga.) Sr. 6-3 226 Jacksonville, Fla.
The team, which is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems, is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).