RICHMOND, Va. - James Madison University showed the fruits of the football program's late surge to the playoffs by placing 11 players on the All-Colonial Athletic Association teams, announced by the league today. The awards, voted on by the 11 CAA Football head coaches, were handed out following a 2011 season which saw as many as nine league squads ranked among the Top 25.
Three Dukes earned first team honors, as redshirt-junior offensive lineman Earl Watford (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz), redshirt-senior defensive end D.J. Bryant (Baltimore, Md./Randallstown) and redshirt-sophomore linebacker Stephon Robertson (Alexandria, Va./Edison) all garnered the top-level accolade for the first time in their careers. Madison picked up six awards on the second team, as redshirt-sophomore Dae'Quan Scott (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) earned recognition at both running back and punt returner, with redshirt-senior offensive lineman Roane Babington (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee), redshirt-junior h-back/tight end Brian Barlow (Stephens City, Va./Sherando), redshirt-senior linebacker Pat Williams (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) and redshirt-junior punter David Skahn (Centerville, Va./Westfield) all joining Scott on the second team. Babington earned Second Team All-CAA for the second time in his career, while Scott was a third-team selection at punt returner last year, as was Robertson at linebacker.
Three more JMU players were honored with Third Team All-CAA awards, as redshirt-senior wide receiver Kerby Long (Arlington, Va./Yorktown (Fork Union)), redshirt-senior defensive lineman Lamar Middleton (Newark, N.J./Shabazz (Syracuse)) and redshirt-freshman safety Dean Marlowe (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) were named at their respective positions. Marlowe was one of just three defensive freshman in the league to earn All-CAA honors
Summaries of each player's season are below. No. 17 JMU will travel to Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championships. The game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 26, with the kickoff set for noon for the nationally-televised broadcast on ESPNU.
- Named First Team All-CAA as an offensive lineman
- Started all 11 games at guard for JMU
- Helped the Dukes average 233.2 yards per game rushing and 5.0 yards per carry
- Named First Team All-CAA as a defensive lineman
- Finished the regular season with 39 tackles, including lead the team with 11 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks, adding two pass breakups and a fumble recovery
- Had four unassisted tackles in the season-opening game at North Carolina
- Had season-high eight tackles, including 1.5 for a loss in home opener against Central Connecticut State
- Had five tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in win at William & Mary
- Had two tackles and a sack in win over William & Mary
- Contributed 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack in game at Old Dominion
- Picked up one sack and five tackles in game at New Hampshire
- Had a sack in season-finale at Massachusetts
- Named First Team All-CAA as a linebacker
- Led the team with 92 tackles, including 54 solo tackles, eight tackles for a loss and two sacks
- Added one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and eight passes defended
- Recorded eight tackles, 0.5 for a loss, in season-opener at North Carolina
- Picked up a season-high 14 tackles, including two for a loss, in home-opener against Central Connecticut State
- Named CAA Defensive Player of the Week after recording six tackles, one tackle for a loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in win at William & Mary
- Had three tackles, one tackle for a loss and two pass breakups against Richmond
- Made 12 tackles , including one for a loss in game against Maine
- Recorded eight tackles, a sack and a pass breakup against Villanova
- Contributed three tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass breakup in win over Rhode Island
- Had 11 solo tackles and a sack in win over Massachusetts
- Named Second Team All-CAA as a running back and punt returner
- Rushed for 1,166 yards and 12 touchdowns on 196 carries, adding 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown
- Averaged 9.7 yards per punt return, collecting 116 yards on 12 returns with a long of 23
- Ranks seventh in school history for single-season rushing yards with 1,166 and fourth for rushing touchdowns in a season with 12
- Is tied for ninth in school history for rushing attempts in a single season with 196
- Carried the ball 20 times for 138 yards and a touchdown against Central Connecticut State
- Rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and added three catches for 22 yards against Liberty and to earn CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors
- Made it three straight games with at least 100 yards rushing a touchdown, going for 112 yards and a score on 26 carries at Willam & Mary
- Rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against Maine
- Carried the ball 15 times for 109 yards and added a 12-yard touchdown reception in win over Villanova
- Ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and had two catches for 43 yards against Old Dominion
- Had 111 yards rushing on 13 carries at New Hampshire
- Scored two touchdowns and ran for 127 yards and added 83 yards on six punt returns against Rhode Island
- Recorded the second-highest rushing total in school history with 251 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 30 attempts
- Named Second Team All-CAA as a fullback/H-back
- Led the team with 28 catches for 272 yards and a touchdown
- Had five catches for 31 yards in season-opener against North Carolina
- Made three receptions for 35 yards against Maine
- Recorded a season-high eight reception for 79 yards, including a season-long reception of 30 yards at Old Dominion
- Made four grabs for 44 yards and a touchdown against New Hampshire
- Named Second Team All-CAA as an offensive lineman
- Started all 11 games at center for JMU
- Helped the Dukes average 233.2 yards per game rushing and 5.0 yards per carry
- Named Second Team All-CAA at linebacker
- Finished the year second on the team with 75 tackles, including 7.5 for a loss and added one sack, one fumble recovery, one interception and three pass breakups
- Recorded six tackles and two tackles for a loss against North Carolina
- Had 0.5 tackles for a loss, a pass breakup and eight total tackles in home-opener against Central Connecticut State
- Made seven tackles with going for a loss in win at Liberty
- Had eight total tackles and 0.5 tackles for a loss in win over Richmond to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors
- Picked up a season-high 10 tackles and one pass breakup against Maine
- Recorded eight tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and a fumble recovery at New Hampshire
- Made six tackle, including five solo takedowns and an interception in win over Rhode Island
- Named Second Team All-CAA as a punter
- Averaged 40.3 yards per punt on 58 attempts with a long of 56
- Had 20 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line, six punts of greater than 50 yards, and 25 punts fair caught
- Averaged 37.6 yards per kick on eight attempts, with one down inside the 20 against North Carolina
- Punted five times for an average of 47.6 yards, including two downed inside the 20 in win at William & Mary
- Down four punts inside the 20 on seven punts for an average of 44.3 yards in win over Richmond
- Punted seven times, averaging 40.6 yards per kick and down three inside the 20 against Rhode Island
- Named Third Team All-CAA as a wide receiver
- Led the team with 338 yards receiving and was second on the team with 26 catches, adding two touchdowns
- Also ran for 122 yards on 18 carries and had 13 kickoff returns for 279 yards
- Made one catch for 11 yards and added three rushes for 34 yards in home-opener against Central Connecticut State
- Made a season-high six catches for 61 yards receiving and rushed once for 10 yards in win at Liberty
- Had a 52-yard touchdown catch and four rushes for 19 yards in win at William & Mary
- Had a season-high 103 yards receiving, including an 80 yard touchdown catch and three carries for 40 yards in win over Villanova
- Had five catches for 50 yards at New Hampshire
- Named Third Team All-CAA as a defensive lineman
- Recorded 34 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, five sacks, three pass breakups and a blocked kick while playing in all 11 games at defensive tackle
- Had five tackles, one tackle for a loss and a pass breakup in home-opener against Central Connecticut State
- Had a season-high eight tackles, including two sacks, and a pass breakup in win at William & Mary
- Made five tackles, two for a loss and a sack against Richmond
- Had a sack in two tackles against Old Dominion
- Record two tackles for a loss and a sack, and blocked a kick against Rhode Island
- Named Third Team All-CAA as a safety, one of just three freshman to earn All-CAA honors on the defensive side of the ball
- Fourth on the team in tackles with 61, including 2.5 for a loss
- Led the team with four interceptions
- Had four tackles and an interception in his first career start against North Carolina
- Made five tackles, including 1.5 for a loss against Central Connecticut State
- Recorded four tackles and intercepted a pass against Villanova
- Had a season-high 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss and a pass breakup against New Hampshire
- Made eight tackles and had one interception against Rhode Island
- Had three tackles and an interception against Massachusetts
