| 2008
All-KCAC Football Honors
Cox,
Paulson named College Fanz Sports Network NAIA All-Americans
McPherson College senior
Gary Cox and junior Jeff Paulson
were recently named to the 2008 College Fanz Sports Network NAIA
Coaches' All-American honorable mention team as a wide receiver
and linebacker, respectively.
“We are excited about Gary
(Cox) and Jeff (Paulson) being recognizing for the seasons they
had this past fall,” said McPherson College head coach Brian Ward.
“ Gary is an awesome story.
He has really done a lot to deserve this honor. His numbers
and ability will be hard to duplicate, and he will be missed.
His toughness and attitude both on and off the field served as an
example for everyone involved in our program.”
“Jeff is a great example
of how persistence and consistency, both on the field and off, can
lead to a great honor like this. Jeff was just relentless
in his effort on the field. For a guy that was playing linebacker
for the very first time this year, this honor exceeds everyone's
expectations. He is very deserving of this honor”.
 Gary
Cox , a 2001 graduate of Genesis Academy and transfer from
Glendale ( Ariz. ) Junior College, finished the season ranked #1
in the NAIA in all-purpose yards, averaging 175.1 yards per game.
Named the KCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, Cox totaled 1,751
yards, combining his receiving yards (902), punt returns (164 yards),
kickoff returns (680 yards), and rushing (5 yards). His 680 yards
in kickoff returns was a new McPherson single season record. Cox
ranked #11 among all NAIA athletes during the 2008 season in punt
return yards per game, #13 in pass receiving yards per game, and
#14 in kickoff returns yards per game.
He was a first team All-KCAC
selection at wide receiver after leading the conference in four
pass receiving categories with averages of 90.2 yards and 6.2 receptions
per game and totals of 902 yards on 62 catches, all KCAC highs.
Cox was also named the KCAC second team punt and kickoff returner
after ranking second in the conference in both categories with averages
of 11.7 yards per punt and 24.3 yards per kickoff return.
Highlights of Cox's 2008
season included his return the game's opening kickoff against Ottawa
University a school record 100 yards for a touchdown along with
his 10 receptions against Southwestern and 168 yards receiving against
Kansas Wesleyan, both of which were Bulldog season highs.
In 2007, Cox led McPherson
with 21 pass receptions, good for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
He gained 24 yards in six rushing attempts, and returned 10 punts
for 50 yards and was named to the All-KCAC first team as a kickoff
returner.
Cox ended his McPherson playing
career with 1,186 yards and six touchdowns on 83 pass receptions,
1,149 yards and two touchdowns on 45 kickoff returns, 214 yards
on 24 punt returns and 29 yards rushing on eight attempts.
“I truly believe Gary was
one of the top athletes in our conference,” said McPherson College
head coach Brian Ward. “Any time he touched the ball, something
big happened.”
 Jeff
Paulson led the KCAC and ranked seventh in the NAIA with
119 total tackles, 60 of which were solo. On the season, he was
credited with 11 tackles accounting for 44 yards of lost yardage,
four sacks for -17 yards, four pass interceptions with returns totaling
74 yards, five passes broken up, and two fumbles recovered.
Named to All-KCAC post-season
honors list for a third straight season, Paulson was twice named
the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week. First, in the Bulldogs' season
opening win over Bethany he totaled 16 tackles, nine unassisted,
one tackle for lost yardage and one pass broken up. In the Bulldogs'
season finale win over Bethel , he was credited with nine tackles,
four unassisted, 3 ½ tackles for 11 yards in lost yardage,
1 ½ sacks, and one pass broken up.
A 2005 graduate of Limon
( Colo. ) High School, transferred to McPherson after one year at
the University of Northern Colorado .
Paulson moved to defensive
back from the offensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs' midway
through the 2007 season and was later named to the All-KCAC honorable
mention squad as a defensive back. He was selected as the KCAC Defensive
Player of the Week following McPherson's win over Haskell Indian
Nations University when he was credited with 10 tackles, six unassisted,
two tackles for lost yardage, and one pass broken up. Paulson finished
the season with 47 total tackles, 26 of which were unassisted. He
was credited with five tackles for 25 yards of lost yardage, and
broke up four passes. Although limited to just 40 carries because
of his switch to defense, Paulson ranked third among the Bulldogs
in rushing, gaining 234 yards with one touchdown. He completed the
one pass he attempted, throwing for 31 yards. Jeff caught seven
passes for 70 yards.
Paulson was named to the
2006 All-KCAC second team as a running back after rushing for 498
yards and three touchdowns on 115 carries.
The selections were made
by ten NAIA football coaches along with NAIA expert Jason Dannelly,
founder of Victory Sports Network – which is now part of College
Fanz
Dannelly said upon the release
of the All-American squads, “The honor teams for this past season
are another representation of how great football is at the NAIA
level.”
*****
Bulldogs
receive football Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors
Two members of the McPherson
College Bulldog football team were recently named Daktronics-NAIA
Scholar-Athletes for the 2008 season.
Senior Jacob Simon
and junior John Brown were named to the Daktronics NAIA elite
squad.
“We are pleased to have each
of these young men named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes,” said
McPherson College Head football coach Brian Ward. “Their contributions,
both on the field and in classroom, are indicative of our students
fulfilling the mission of the college ‘to develop whole persons
through scholarship, participation, and service'. Our congratulations
go out to each of them.”
 Jacob
Simon is making his first appearance on the Daktronics-NAIA
Scholar-Athlete squad in 2008. After being the Bulldogs' starting
quarterback a year ago, Simon made his first start of the 2008 season
on Senior Day and responded with a career high 344 yards and three
touchdowns passing on 23 of 45 attempts. For his performance, Simon
was named KCAC “Co-Offensive Player of the Week”. His three touchdown
passes against Bethel College tied his career best performance,
set initially against the University of Saint Mary in 2007. Simon's
344 yards passing was the most by a Bulldog quarterback since 2001
and his 358 yards of total offense moved him into the #5 spot on
the Bulldogs' all-time single game list. Jeff finished the 2008
season completing 36 of 72 passes for 512 yards and three touchdowns
along with three interceptions.
Simon transferred to McPherson
from Independence Community College in the fall of 2006. Jeff wrapped
up his collegiate eligibility and his three years as a Bulldog with
1,857 yards and nine touchdowns passing as his completed 157 of
363 passes attempted. He also rushed for 182 yards and five touchdowns
on 111 carries during his three year career. A 2004 graduate of
Flinthills High School , Rosalia , Kan. , Simon is a biochemistry/pre-med
major.
 John
Brown is making his first appearance on the Daktronics-NAIA
Scholar-Athlete squad. A three-year letter winner, Brown caught
two passes for 19 yards his junior season. He also contributed five
tackles as a special teams regular for the Bulldogs. A 2006 graduate
of Baldwin High School , Baldwin City , Kan. , Brown is majoring
in business management/finance.
Recipients of the Daktronics-NAIA
Scholar-Athlete award must have a minimum grade point average of
3.50 on a 4.00 scale, be a junior or above in academic standings,
and been in attendance at the nominating institution a minimum of
one full school year.
*****
Cox,
Paulson lead McPherson's All-KCAC football selections
McPherson College senior
Gary Cox and junior Jeff Paulson
were named to the 2008 All-KCAC (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
football first team as wide receiver and linebacker, respectively,
in a recent vote by the conference's coaches. Cox was also named
the KCAC Special Teams Players of the Year.
Receiving second team all-conference
honors were junior Casey Hayes (offensive line),
sophomores Austin Brown (defensive back) and Scott
Jones (defensive line) along with Cox
as second team punt returner and kickoff returner. Honorable mention
recognition went to senior Dwight Hale (wide receiver),
junior Stephen Harrison (wide receiver), and sophomores
Keith Davis (offensive line) and Shelton
Thigpen (defensive back).
“We are excited about the
conference recognizing the talent we have been able to assemble
in our brief two seasons,” said McPherson College head coach Brian
Ward. “Last year, we only had one player make second team All-KCAC
on both offense and defense. It shows the improvement in the
type of student-athletes that we are bringing to McPherson College
, and it is gratifying that it is being recognized by the rest of
the conference.”
“The past two years we have
had the runner-up for ‘Special Teams Player of the Year' last year,
and now to have the ‘Special Teams Player of the Year' this year
shows that our team philosophy is starting to take hold in winning
with special teams and turnovers.”
“We will miss our two senior
all-conference players (Cox and Hale); they will be difficult to
replace. However, it is incredibly exciting for the future
to return seven all-conference selections for next year, four of
them are only sophomores. It shows that this program is moving
in the right direction and it creates high expectations for next
season.”
Gary
Cox, a 2001 graduate of Genesis Academy and transfer from
Glendale (Ariz.) Junior College, was a first team selection as wide
receiver after leading the KCAC in four pass receiving categories
with averages of 90.2 yards and 6.2 receptions per game and totals
of 902 yards on 62 catches, all KCAC highs. Named the KCAC Special
Teams Player of the Year, Cox led the NAIA during the regular season
in all-purpose yards, averaging 175.1 yards per game. He totaled
1,751 yards, combining his receiving yards (902), punt returns (164
yards), kickoff returns (680 yards), and rushing (5 yards). His
680 yards in kickoff returns was a new McPherson single season record.
Cox was also named the KCAC second team punt and kickoff returner
after ranking second in the conference in both categories with averages
of 11.7 yards per punt and 24.3 yards per kickoff return. Cox returned
the game's opening kickoff against Ottawa University a school record
100 yards for a touchdown. His 10 receptions against Southwestern
and 168 yards receiving against Kansas Wesleyan were Bulldog season
highs.
Last season Cox led McPherson
with 21 pass receptions, good for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
He gained 24 yards in six rushing attempts, and returned 10 punts
for 50 yards and was named to the All-KCAC first team as a kickoff
returner.
Cox ended his McPherson playing
career with 1,186 yards and six touchdowns on 83 pass receptions,
1,149 yards and two touchdowns on 45 kickoff returns, 214 yards
on 24 punt returns and 29 yards rushing on eight attempts.
“I truly believe Gary was
one of the top athletes in our conference,” said McPherson College
head coach Brian Ward. “Any time he touched the ball, something
big happened.”
Jeff
Paulson is making his third appearance on the All-KCAC
post-season honors list in three seasons. Paulson led the KCAC and
ranked seventh in the NAIA with 119 total tackles, 60 of which were
solo. On the season, he was credited with 11 tackles accounting
for 44 yards of lost yardage, four sacks for -17 yards, four pass
interceptions with returns totaling 74 yards, five passes broken
up, and two fumbles recovered. Jeff was twice named the KCAC Defensive
Player of the Week. First, in the Bulldogs' season opening win over
Bethany he totaled 16 tackles, nine unassisted, one tackle for lost
yardage and one pass broken up. In the Bulldogs' season finale win
over Bethel , he was credited with nine tackles, four unassisted,
3 ½ tackles for 11 yards in lost yardage, 1 ½ sacks,
and one pass broken up.
A 2005 graduate of Limon
(Colo.) High School, transferred to McPherson after one year at
the University of Northern Colorado . Paulson moved to defensive
back from the offensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs' midway
through the 2007 season and was later named to the honorable mention
All-KCAC squad as a defensive back. He was selected as the KCAC
Defensive Player of the Week following McPherson's win over Haskell
Indian Nations University when he was credited with 10 tackles,
six unassisted, two tackles for lost yardage, and one pass broken
up. Paulson finished the season with 47 total tackles, 26 of which
were unassisted. He was credited with five tackles for 25 yards
of lost yardage, and broke up four passes. Although limited to just
40 carries because of his switch to defense, Paulson ranked third
among the Bulldogs in rushing, gaining 234 yards with one touchdown.
He completed the one pass he attempted, throwing for 31 yards. Jeff
caught seven passes for 70 yards.
Paulson was named to the
2006 All-KCAC second team as a running back after rushing for 498
yards and three touchdowns on 115 carries.
 Casey
Hayes, a 2006 graduate of Las Lomas High School in Walnut
Creek, Calif., and transfer from Diablo Valley College, was an anchor
at tackle on the Bulldogs' offensive line that threw for 2,567 yards,
third amount KCAC schools, and averaged giving up just over one
sack per game in McPherson's ever revolving quarterback situation.
 Austin
Brown, a 2007 graduate of Lawton (Okla.) High School, was
credited with 26 tackles, 19 unassisted, broke up six passes and
tied for the McPherson lead with four interceptions in 2008.
As a freshman, Brown blocked
seven field goals and/or point after touchdown kicks. He forced
two fumbles and intercepted two passes, returning the interceptions
for a total of 29 yards. Austin was selected as the KCAC and NAIA
National Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking two kicks,
a PAT and field goal attempt, as the Bulldogs turned back Ottawa
University , 17-14, on the Braves home field. For the 2007 season,
Brown was credited with 18 total tackles, 12 unassisted, two tackles
for a total of three yards of lost yardage, four passes broken up,
and one sack for seven yards. He was later named to the 2007 All-KCAC
honorable mention squad as a utility player.
 Scott
Jones, a 2006 graduate of Lebo High School, made an immediate
impact on the McPherson program after transferring from Northwest
Missouri State University this fall. Jones finished the season with
67 tackles, 36 unassisted, to rank second among all Bulldog defenders.
He forced one fumble, recovered two loose balls, and broke up two
passes. He was credited with a team high 5 ½ sacks for 41
yards of lost yardage. Jones led McPherson and tied for third in
the KCAC with 14 tackles for loss accounting for 63 yards of lost
yardage.
 Dwight
Hale, a 2003 graduate of Mitchell High School in Colorado
Springs, Colo., received his All-KCAC honors as a wide receiver.
Hale caught 30 passes for 498 yards and a team high average of 16.6
yards per catch for receivers with more than 10 receptions. He was
the Bulldogs' second leading rusher with 189 yards and two touchdowns
on just 19 carries for an average of 9.9 yards per attempt. Dwight's
highlight day came against Haskell Indian Nations when he rushed
for 102 yards and one touchdown in just three attempts and caught
seven passes for another 153 yards.
Hale ended his Bulldog playing
career with 83 receptions for 1,158 yards and six touchdowns in
addition to 19 rushes for 189 yards and two more touchdowns.
 Stephen
Harrison, a 2004 graduate of Columbus (Miss.) High School
and transfer from East Mississippi CC, led the Bulldogs in scoring
with 54 points. He was McPherson's second ranked wide receiver with
47 pass receptions, good for 656 yards and nine touchdowns. Stephen
ranked fourth among KCAC receivers in receptions and receiving yardage
per game, averaging 4.7 catches and 65.6 yards per game. He ranked
seventh in the conference in all-purpose yards with 877. Harrison
posted two 100-yard receiving days as he opened the season with
a six-reception, three-touchdown, 167-yard performance in the Bulldogs'
win over Bethany, then ended the season with a five-catch, two-touchdown,
123-yard afternoon as McPherson closed out its year with a win over
Bethel.
 Keith
Davis, a 2006 graduate of Houston, Tex., Jack Yates High
School and transfer from Central Christian College of Kansas, anchored
the other side of the Bulldogs' offensive line opposite All-KCAC
performer Casey Hayes as the McPherson offense passed for 2,567
yards and rushed for 1,135 yards while permitting only 13 sacks
on the revolving Bulldog quarterback corps.
 Shelton
Thigpen, a 2007 graduate of Wylie (Tex.) High School, was
credited with 34 tackles, 23 solo, one forced and one recovered
fumble, one tackle for five yards of lost yardage, and four passes
broken up from his defensive back spot. This is Thigpen's second
appearance on the All-KCAC honorable mention squad.
As a freshman, Thigpen received
honorable mention All-KCAC honors when he tied for the McPherson
team lead with three pass interceptions on the season and ranked
eighth in the KCAC in pass interception average. He was credited
with five passes broken up and one blocked field goal attempt. Thigpen
ranked fifth among the Bulldogs with 50 total tackles, 32 unassisted,
and was credited with 3 ½ tackles for 11 yards of loss yardage.
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