Presbyterian College's football standout Justin Bethel (Blythewood, S.C.) picked up another postseason honor, earning a spot on the College Sports Journal All-America team, it was announced today.
Aside from his other honors, Bethel will be playing in the 87th East-West Shrine game Saturday, Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on the NFL Network (DirecTV - Channel 212, Dish Network - Channel 154, Charter - Channels 322/822-HD).
Bethel has already racked up several post-season accolades. Recently he was named to the Phil Steele FCS All-America Team, as well as the Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS All-America Team. He was a first-team and second-team selection, respectively. He also earned the College Football Performance FCS Elite Punt Returner Award.
Bethel, who earned Phil Steele Pre-Season All-American honors this past summer, was also named to the College Sports Madness 2011 FCS All-American Team as well as CSN Big South All-Conference honors. He was also named to the Associate Press FCS All-American Second-Team earlier last month.
The Two-time Big South Special Teams and Defensive Player of the Week was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and a FCS College Football Performance Award DB, National DB and National Defensive Performance Award winner.
He became the all-time leader in blocked kicks this season as well as the all-time leader in career solo blocks. Bethel leads the team in tackles with 87, 3.5 of which were for a loss. He has a sack to his credit and has recorded four interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown against California, where he also had a blocked punt that he ran back for a score for the team's only points of the game.
Bethel was a Big South Pre-season All-Conference Selection and earned the third All-Conference nod of his career and his and PC's first Defensive Player-of-the-Year award for his performance on the field this past season. Bethel was just the second defensive back to be named Big South Defensive Player of the Year and the first since 2003.
Bethel was fourth in the league in tackles, third in passes defended and second in interceptions. He recorded double-digit tackles in four games, including a career-high 15 at Furman this season.
Bethel is the PC career leader in tackles, as well as interceptions.
College Sports Journal (www.college-sports-journal.com) selected 63 players, to signify the 63 scholarships awarded to teams playing at the FCS level, and an additional honorable mention team.
The All-America and All-Freshman teams were selected by a blue ribbon panel of FCS experts put together by College Sports Journal executive editor David Coulson and CSJ publisher and managing editor Chuck Burton.
Coulson has 35 years of experience covering college football, including 20 seasons of following FCS and has served as the executive editor and managing partner of College Sporting News and the executive director for The Sports Network, running its national awards program from 2007-2009.
He has had a hand in selecting honors teams at the FCS level since 2002 and is in the process of writing and compiling the first FCS encyclopedia.
Burton has been acclaimed for his Lehigh Football Nation blog and as a national columnist for College Sporting News in the past decade.
2011 College Sporting News All-America Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Lum, Senior, Quarterback, Lehigh
Defensive Player of the Year: Adrian Hamilton, Senior, Defensive End, Prairie View
Coach of the Year: Rob Ambrose, Towson
Lineman of the Year: Tom Compton, Senior, Tackle, South Dakota
Special Teams Player of the Year: Laron Scott, Senior, Georgia Southern
Freshman of the Year: Terrance West, Freshman, Running Back, Towson
FCS Playoff Most Valuable Player: Preston Evans, Senior, Linebacker, North Dakota State
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Nathan Dick, Senior, Central Arkansas
Quarterback: Chris Lum, Senior, Lehigh
Running Back: Shakir Bell, Sophomore, Indiana State
Running Back: Matt Denham, Junior, Eastern Kentucky
Running Back: Tim Flanders, Sophomore Sam Houston State
Running Back: Jonathan Grimes, Senior, William & Mary
Running Back: Miguel Maysonet, Junior, Stony Brook
Running Back: Terrance West, Freshman, Towson
Fullback: Eric Breitenstein, Junior, Wofford
Fullback: Tyler Wharton, Junior, Towson
All-Purpose Back: Jordan Brown, Junior, Bryant
All-Purpose Back: Brock Jakolski, Senior, Stony Brook
Wide Receiver: Elvis Akpla, Senior, Montana State
Wide Receiver: Nicholas Edwards, Junior, Eastern Washington
Wide Receiver: Aaron Mellette, Junior, Elon
Wide Receiver: Brian Quick, Senior, Appalachian State
Wide Receiver: Ryan Spadola, Junior, Lehigh
Wide Receiver: Chris Summers, Senior, Liberty
Tight End: Alex Gottlieb, Senior, William & Mary
Tight End: Matt Veldman, Senior, North Dakota State
Tackle: George Bias, Senior, Stephen F. Austin
Tackle: Tom Compton, Senior, South Dakota
Tackle: Paul Cornick, Senior, North Dakota State
Tackle: Brett Moore, Senior, Georgia Southern
Guard: Gino Gradkowski, Senior, Delaware
Guard: Scott Schweitzer, Senior, Tennessee Tech
Guard: J.C. Oram, Senior, Weber State
Guard: Nate Page, Senior, Wofford
Center: Bryan Boemer, Senior, Southern Illinois
Center: Travis Watson, Senior, Sam Houston State
DEFENSE
Defensive End: Ryan Davis, Senior, Bethune-Cookman
Defensive End: Adrian Hamilton, Senior, Prairie View
Defensive End: Zack Nash, Senior, Sacramento State
Defensive End: Ben Obaseki, Junior, Indiana State
Defensive End: Blake Oliaro, Sophomore, San Diego
Defensive End: Andrew Schaetzke, Senior, Georgetown
Defensive Tackle: Ben Boothby, Senior, Northern Iowa
Defensive Tackle: Ronnie Cameron, Senior, Old Dominion
Defensive Tackle: Josue Ortiz, Senior, Harvard
Defensive Tackle: Brent Russell, Junior, Georgia Southern
Linebacker: Kadarron Anderson, Senior, Furman
Linebacker: Matt Evans, Senior, New Hampshire
Linebacker: Preston Evans, Senior, North Dakota State
Linebacker: L.J. Fort, Senior, Northern Iowa
Linebacker: Jeremy Kimbrough, Junior, Appalachian State
Linebacker: Caleb McSurdy, Senior, Montana
Linebacker: Keith Pough, Junior, Howard
Cornerback: Asa Jackson, Senior, Cal Poly
Cornerback: Trumaine Johnson, Senior, Montana
Cornerback: Josh Norman, Senior, Coastal Carolina
Cornerback: Bryce Robertson, Senior, Bucknell
Cornerback: Ryan Steed, Senior, Furman
Cornerback: Marcus Williams, Sophomore, North Dakota State
Strong Safety: Jordan Dangerfield, Junior, Towson
Strong Safety: Darnell Taylor, Junior, Sam Houston State
Free Safety: Kejuan Riley, Junior, Alabama State
Free Safety: Justin Bethel, Senior, Presbyterian
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punt Returner: C.J. Estelle, Senior, Tennessee-Martin
Kickoff Returner: Laron Scott, Senior, Georgia Southern
Kicker: Adrian Mora, Senior, Georgia Southern
Punter: Jonathan Plisco, Junior, Old Dominion
Long-Snapper: Braedyn Eagle, Senior, Portland State
Selections By Conference:
Big Sky: (7) Elvis Akpla, Montana State; Braedyn Eagle, Portland State; Nicholas Edwards, Junior, Eastern Washington; Trumaine Johnson, Senior, Montana; Caleb McSorley, Montana; Zack Nash, Senior, Sacramento State; J.C. Oram, Weber State
Big South: (5) Justin Bethel, Presbyterian; Brock Jakolski, Stony Brook; Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook; Josh Norman, Senior, Coastal Carolina; Chris Summers, Liberty.
CAA: (9) Alex Gottlieb, William & Mary; Ronnie Cameron, Old Dominion; Jordan Dangerfield, Towson; Matt Evans, Senior, New Hampshire; Gino Gradkowski, Delaware; Jonathan Grimes, William & Mary; Jonathan Plisco, Junior, Old Dominion; Terrance West, Towson; Tyler Wharton, Junior, Towson
Great West: (2) Tom Compton, South Dakota; Asa Jackson, Cal Poly;
Ivy League: (1) Josue Ortiz, Harvard.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: (2) Ryan Davis, Bethune-Cookman; Keith Pough, Howard.
Missouri Valley Conference: (8) Shakir Bell, Sophomore, Indiana State; Ben Boothby, Northern Iowa; Paul Cornick, North Dakota State; Preston Evans, North Dakota State; L.J. Fort, Senior, Northern Iowa; Ben Obaseki, Indiana State; Matt Veldman, North Dakota State; Marcus Williams, North Dakota State.
Northeast Conference: (1) Jordan Brown, Bryant.
Ohio Valley Conference: (3) C.J. Estelle, Tennessee-Martin; Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky; Scott Schwietzer, Tennessee Tech
Patriot League: (4) Chris Lum, Senior, Lehigh; Bryce Robertson, Bucknell; Ryan Spadola, Junior, Lehigh; Andrew Schaetzke, Georgetown.
Pioneer Football League: (1) Blake Oliaro, San Diego.
Southern Conference: (11) Kadarron Anderson, Furman; Eric Breitenstein, Wofford; Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State; Aaron Mellette, Elon; Brett Moore, Georgia Southern; Adrian Mora, Georgia Southern; Nate Page, Wofford; Brian Quick, Appalachian State; Brent Russell, Junior, Georgia Southern; Laron Scott, Georgia Southern; Ryan Steed, Senior, Furman.
Southland Conference: (5) George Bias, Stephen F. Austin; Nathan Dick, Central Arkansas; Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State; Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State; Travis Watson, Senior, Sam Houston State
Southwestern Athletic Conference: (2) Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View; Kejuan Riley, Alabama State.
Honorable Mention By Position:
OFFENSE
Center
Chris Powers, Senior, Eastern Washington
Fullback
Emil Igwenagu, Senior, Massachusetts; Dominique Swope, Freshman, Georgia Southern.
Guard
William Maxwell, Senior, Georgia Southern.
Quarterback
Casey Brockman, Junior, Murray State; Mike Brown, Senior, Liberty; Kevin Decker, Senior, New Hampshire; Jeff Matthews, Sophomore, Cornell; Bo Levi Mitchell, Senior, Eastern Washington; Tirrell Rennie, Senior, Northern Iowa; Brad Sorenson, Southern Utah; Casey Therriault, Senior, Jackson State.
Running Back
Zach Bauman, Sophomore, Northern Arizona; Jamane Cook, Junior, Youngstown State; Chuck Dibilio, Freshman, Princeton; Kyle Harbridge, Junior, St. Francis; Andrew Pierce, Sophomore, Delaware; Nick Schwieger, Senior, Dartmouth.
Tackle
Aaron Adams, Junior, Eastern Kentucky; Jeff Adams, Senior, Columbia; Blake Matthews, Junior, Norfolk State; Kadeem Williams, Sophomore, Albany.
Tight End
Colin Anderson, Junior, Furman; Shadrae King, Senior, Robert Morris.
Wide Receiver
Xavier Boyce, Junior, Norfolk State; Jake Drwal, Senior, Lehigh; Lanny Funston, Junior, Davidson; Tre Gray, Senior, Richmond; Rodrick Rumble, Junior, Idaho State.
DEFENSE
Cornerback
Micah Pellerin, Senior, Hampton; James Pitts, Senior, Villanova.
Defensive End
Frank Beltre, Senior, Towson; Coulter Boyer, North Dakota State; Corey Hart, Alabama A&M; Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin; Joseph LeBeau, Junior, Jackson State; Brian McNally, Senior, New Hampshire; Tyler Osborne, Senior, Southern Utah; Donovan Robinson, Senior, Jackson State.
Defensive Tackle
Zach Minter, Montana State; Renard Williams, Eastern Washington.
Linebacker
Cliff Exama, Senior, Grambling; Mike Groome, Senior, Lehigh; Tyler Holmes, Senior, Massachusetts; Jody Owens, Junior, Montana State; Marty Patterson, Senior, Gardner-Webb; Erik Rask, Senior, Penn; Donovan Richard, Senior, South Carolina State; A.J. Storms, Senior, Idaho State; Chad Wilson, North Dakota State.
Safety
Trevor Coston, Senior, Maine; Daxton Swanson, Sam Houston State.
Kicker
Zach Brown, Portland State; Ryan Estep, Senior, Norfolk State.
Kickoff Returner
A.J. Cruz, Junior, Brown; Kevin Fogg, Junior, Liberty.
Punter
Charlie Edwards, Senior, Georgia Southern; Mark Hamilton, Junior, Villanova; David Harrington, Senior, Idaho State; Patrick Murray, Junior, Fordham; Matt Voigtlander, Senior, North Dakota State.
Punt Returner
Darius Cary, junior, McNeese State; Jabin Sambrano, Senior, Montana.
