• Complete 2013 Sports Network FCS All-American Teams (PDF)
Twelve Ohio Valley Conference football players have been named to the 2013 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-American Team as announced on Wednesday.
The 12 selections mark the most OVC players named to the Sports Network Team since the honors were first handed out in 1987. The previous high had been 10 following the 2012 season.
The selections included four players on each the first-team, second-team and third-team. Five different OVC teams had a player selected with OVC Champion Eastern Illinois leading the way with five selections; Tennessee State had three selections, Jacksonville State had two and Tennessee Tech and UT Martin had one apiece.
The first-team selections were Eastern Illinois senior quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois senior wide receiver
Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois junior offensive lineman
Collin Seibert and Tennessee Tech senior punter
Chad Zinchini.
The second-team selections were Jacksonville State junior running back
DaMarcus James, UT Martin senior wide receiver
Jeremy Butler, Jacksonville State senior kicker
Griffin Thomas and Tennessee State junior defensive back
Daniel Fitzpatrick.
The third-team selections were Eastern Illinois junior wide receiver
Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois junior tight end
Jeff LePak, Tennessee State senior offensive lineman
Kadeem Edwards and Tennessee State junior defensive end
Anthony Bass.
Garoppolo, the 2013 Walter Payton Award winner and FCS ADA National Quarterback of the Year, put together the finest season by an OVC quarterback in smashing virtually every OVC season and career record while leading his team to a 12-2 overall record, second-straight OVC Championship and berth in the FCS Playoff quarterfinals. In 14 games he completed 375-of-568 passes (66.0%) for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns (against only nine interceptions) while also rushing for four touchdowns and catching a touchdown pass. His 53 touchdowns are currently the third-most in FCS history (three behind the record) while his 5,050 yards is second all-time, just 26 behind the record set a year ago; he is one of just two players in FCS history to eclipse 5,000 passing yards in a season. No Division I player (FBS or FCS) currently has more passing yards or touchdowns than Garoppolo does this season. Garoppolo also ranks first nationally this season in passing yards/game (360.7), second in points responsible for/game (25.3), third in total offense (365.1 yards/game), fourth in passing efficiency (168.3) and fifth in completions/game (26.79). He directed Eastern Illinois to the No. 1 ranked offense nationally in terms of both total offense (589.5 yards/game) and scoring offense (48.2 points/game). Garoppolo, who was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Year, was named FCS National Player of the Week three times during the season and OVC Player of the Week a record-tying seven times (bringing his career total to nine, which also tied the OVC all-time mark).
Lora, who was previously named the FCS ADA National Wide Receiver of the Year, followed up his record breaking 2012 season (where he was named OVC Player of the Year) by catching 123 passes for 1,554 yards and 19 touchdowns in 14 games. The 123 catches were the second-most in NCAA FCS history, trailing only the record-setting 136 catches he had in 2012. The 1,544 yards were the second-most in OVC history (behind only his record of 1,664 set last year) and 15th in FCS history. His 19 receiving touchdowns were the most in OVC history as were his 35 career receiving touchdowns. Lora finished his career with 332 catches, second-most in FCS history while his 4,006 career receiving yards were the 11th-most in FCS history. Lora had eight games with double-digit catches in 2013, including a season-best 18 in the team's finale, a FCS quarterfinal matchup with Towson. He had 14 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in a game against FBS opponent Northern Illinois and added 10 catches for 186 yards and three scores in a win over rival Illinois State. In total he caught three touchdown passes in four different games.
Seibert was the top offensive lineman for the OVC Champion Panthers. He blocked for an offense that ranked first nationally in total offense (589.5 yards/game) and scoring offense (48.2 points/game). He also blocked for a 5,000-yard passer (Jimmy Garoppolo) and 1,000-yard rusher (Shepard Little), the first time in FCS history that has occurred. His protection of Garoppolo helped the senior win the Walter Payton Award as the FCS's Top Player. On the season Seibert graded out at 92% and was part of an offensive line that allowed a sack only every 33 pass attempts.
Zinchini ranked second nationally in punting (45.7 yards/punt) during the season setting a new TTU single-season record. The senior had a long punt of 70 yards (at Wisconsin) and 28 total punts longer than 50 yards. He also had 20 punts downed inside opponent’s 20-yard line and did not have a punt blocked.
James rushed for 1,477 yards on 292 carries to set the JSU single-season rushing record. The junior also set the OVC record with 29 rushing touchdowns to finish second in the nation; he scored a rushing touchdown in each of the final 12 games of the season to extend his school record. His 11.6 points/game averaged ranked second nationally while his 1,477 rushing yards was eighth in the FCS. His played helped Jacksonville State to the FCS Quarterfinals after victories over nationally-ranked Samford and McNeese State.
Butler caught 90 passes during the 2013 season, a mark that ranked fifth in OVC single-season history. The senior also finished with 1,203 yards which was the best single-season total in UTM history. Butler had 90 or more receiving yards in 9 of 12 Skyhawk games and his 100.3 yards/game and 7.5 receptions/game each ranked seventh among all FCS players. Butler also became the second player in UTM history to post back-to-back seasons of double-digit touchdown receptions (10 in both 2012 and 2013). All in all, he had six multi-touchdown performances in 22 career games at UT Martin.
Thomas set the OVC record for field goals made (24), attempted (32) and points scored by kicking (134) during the senior and also connected on 62-of-63 point after attempts. His 1.6 made field goals/game ranks second nationally while his 8.9 points/game ranked 17th. He connected on two field goals longer than 51 yards during the season (and was one of three players nationally to kick two field goals of that length during the season) in helping Jacksonville State to an 11-4 record and quarterfinal berth in the FCS Playoffs.
Fitzpatrick, the FCS ADA National Defensive Back of the Year, picked off six passes during the regular season and added two more in the team's first round FCS Playoff victory over Butler. The eight total interceptions currently leads all Division I players (FBS or FCS). Of those eight interceptions the junior returned three for touchdowns, scoring a 50-yarder against Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, returning what proved to be the game-winner 20 yards at UT Martin and a 26-yarder at Butler. He added a season-high nine tackles twice during the season, in a victory at nationally-ranked Jacksonville State and against nationally-ranked Eastern Illinois in the playoffs. During the middle of OVC play he had a stretch of three-straight and four of five games with at least one interception. His play was helped the Tennessee State secondary rank third nationally in passes intercepted (21) and ninth overall in turnovers gained (31). Overall the Tigers defense ranked sixth nationally in total defense (296.9 yards/game) and seventh in scoring defense (18.1 points/game) which helped the team win 10 games, finish second in the OVC, earn its first playoff berth since 1999 and its first playoff victory since 1986.
Drake caught 85 passes for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns in helping Eastern Illinois to a 12-2 overall record, OVC Championship and No. 2 national ranking for most of the season. The 85 catches were the ninth-most in OVC single-season history while the 1,305 receiving yards were the fifth-most in league history. His 13 touchdowns ranked him tied for sixth all-time.
In his first season with the Panthers LePak caught 51 catches for 723 yards and eight touchdowns in earning All-OVC first-team honors as a tight end. In the regular season finale against UT Martin he caught seven passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns (all of which came in the first 10 minutes of the game). He also caught a pair of touchdowns earlier in the season in a road win over nationally-ranked Tennessee State.
Edwards, who has already been invited to the Senior Bowl, was the top offensive lineman for the Tigers who finished the season 10-4 overall, 6-2 and second place in the OVC and earned an at-large berth to the FCS Playoffs (where they topped Butler in the first round). Edwards helped block for Tim Broughton who rushed for 1,146 yards (25th-most nationally) and six touchdowns and for a quarterback duo that combined for 26 passes touchdowns and also four interceptions in 14 games.
Bass, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year, helped anchor a defense that ranked sixth nationally in total defense (296.9 yards/game) and seventh in scoring defense (18.1 points/game) and earned an at-large berth into playoffs (advancing to the second round). Bass ranked 29th nationally in sacks/game (0.7) and overall on the season had 34 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and recoveries, six quarterback hurries, four pass breakups, a blocked kick and a safety.
2013 Sports Network All-American Selections From the OVC
QB - Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois (1st Team)
WR - Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois (1st Team)
OL - Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois (1st Team)
P - Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech (1st Team)
RB - DaMarcus James, Jacksonville State (2nd Team)
WR - Jeremy Butler, UT Martin (2nd Team)
K - Griffin Thomas, Jacksonville State (2nd Team)
DB - Daniel Fitzpatrick, Tennessee State (2nd Team)
WR - Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois (3rd Team)
TE - Jeff LePak, Eastern Illinois (3rd Team)
OL - Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State (3rd Team)
DL - Anthony Bass, Tennessee State (3rd Team)