HBCU Football
SIAC announces 2009 football honors
By SIAC Media Relations
Nov 25, 2009

TUCKER, Ga. -- The 2009 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) All-Conference teams have been selected led by Albany State and Fort Valley State, who both had eight total selections each.

Tuskegee had seven players selected followed by Morehouse and Clark Atlanta with six total. Clark Atlanta had the most second team selections with five.    

Albany State was led by quarterback A.J. McKenna and running back Demetrice Johnson, who were both first team selections. McKenna and Johnson helped lead Albany State to an 8-3 overall record and a Division II playoff berth.

Lineman Joseph Ephrem and defensive back Mario Fuller make up the rest of Albany State’s first team selections. Fort Valley State has five first team selections led by wide receiver/return specialist An’thon Harris.

Harris, a junior, was voted to the first team at both wide receiver and punt returner after catching seven touchdowns, which tied for the conference lead with the other first team selection at wide receiver Antoine Mitchell of Tuskegee.

Harris, who was among the league leaders in punt return average, is joined on the first team by three of his teammates including tight end Rodriguez Render, lineman Colin Cordell, and punter Marquette King.       

McKenna was also named this year’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. The senior signal-caller accumulated 2355 yards of total offense including 2,027 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, all which led the conference.

Seniors Justin Hannah of Tuskegee and Zimier McCloud of Clark Atlanta were named co-Defensive Players of the year. Hannah, a defensive back from Birmingham, Alabama, is a three-time first team all-conference selection.

He had three interceptions this season, as teams tended to throw away from him, including two returned for touchdowns. McCloud, a Philadelphia, PA native, led the conference in tackles per game averaging 10.2 per contest (92 total tackles).

Coach Willie Slater, of Tuskegee University, was named Coach of the Year for the second straight year after leading Tuskegee to a fourth consecutive conference title.

Defensive back Dejuan Williams of Fort Valley State earned Freshman of the Year honors. He led the conference in interceptions with six including three in their win over Albany State.

Other notable first team players include SIAC leading rusher Quinn Porter of Stillman and two-time first team all-conference selection Ramone Harewood of Morehouse.