NDSU Defensive Tackle Justin Frick Named to CSN Fabulous 50 FCS All-Star Team
12/22/2006 6:00:00 AM | Football
CHICAGO, ILL. --Two-time national champion Appalachian State dominated the selection of the College Sporting News Fabulous FCS Fifty All-American All-Star team with three major award winners and seven selections altogether, an all-star team that included North Dakota State defensive tackle Justin Frick. Frick is the first NDSU player to earn CSN postseason honors.
Unlike other All-American teams, the CSN honor's squad is designed to be like a real team, capable of taking the field and competing in a game. It includes everything from quarterbacks, who can run or pass and often-overlooked fullbacks, to long snappers and other special teams performers. The Fabulous Fifty also emphasizes players who have exhibited character and other team-oriented traits, not just lofty statistics, or talent.
Frick, a 6-3, 295-pound senior from Yankton, S.D., was an All-GWFC first team and The Sports Network I-AA/FCS All-America third team performer in 2006. He recorded 39 tackles including 18 solo stops, six tackles for loss and five sacks from his defensive line position. Frick was credited with one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups.
NDSU's defense started with the push upfront and Frick sparked an effort that saw the Bison hold nine of 11 opponents to 100 yards or less rushing during the season. NDSU was fourth in rushing defense (67.2 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (13.4 ppg), ninth in total defense (253.64 ypg). The Bison defense was also tied for 22nd in sacks (2.45 spg).
North Dakota State completed the season with a 10-1 record under the direction of head coach Craig Bohl, including an 8-0 record against FCS/I-AA schools and the 29-24 win over Mid-American Conference member Ball State. The Bison went 4-0 to win the Great West Football Conference championship -- the program's first league title since 1994 when NDSU was a member of the Division II North Central Conference. North Dakota State was ranked No. 5 in The Sports Network and CSN Coaches final Top 25 polls. The Bison lost 10-9 to bowl-bound Minnesota of the Big Ten at the Metrodome.
Jerry Moore, who led Appalachian State to its second straight NCAA Division I Football Championship, was named as the coach of the year. Now in his 18th year at ASU, Moore has built the Mountaineers into a powerhouse that is in
position to become the first FCS team to win three consecutive national titles next year.
Moore is 154-68 at ASU (181-116-2 overall in 25 years), including a 14-1 record this season. His teams have won 23 consecutive games against FCS opponents since an Oct. 7, 2005 loss to Furman and have captured 27 straight home games since a first-round playoff loss to Maine on Nov. 30, 2002.
Moore has built an outstanding staff that includes respected defensive coordinator John Wiley and recruiting coordinator Mark Speir and has developed a strong recruiting network in the southeast.
Despite being the defending national champion, the Mountaineers developed several freshman into contributors during this year's championship run, including CSN's freshman of the year, quarterback Armanti Edwards. Edwards became just the sixth Division I player to throw for 2,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in the same season and joined former Missouri quarterback Brad Smith as the only other freshman to reach that lofty height.
Edwards finished 16th nationally in total offense, with 2,251 yards passing and 1,153 yards rushing for an average of 227 yards per game. He had 15 rushing TDs and 15 TD passes and was 21st in passing efficiency.
ASU junior running back Kevin Richardson was named the most valuable player of the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. Richardson piled up 691 all-purpose yards and scored 11 touchdowns in four playoff games, including 179 yards rushing and four TDs in the 28-17 title game win against Massachusetts.
Richardson had 193 all-purpose yards in the championship game and rushed for 100 yards or more in all four of the Mountaineers' playoff victories. He had 102 carries for 611 yards (6.0) and caught six passes for 80 yards. On
the year, Richardson scored 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,661 yards, a single-season record at Appalachian State.
Other Mountaineers to make the team included junior tackle Kerry Brown, senior defensive end Marques Murrell, senior safety Jeremy Wiggins and junior safety Corey Lynch.
Top offensive honors went to Southern Illinois senior running back Arkee Whitlock. Whitlock was fourth nationally in rushing with 141 yards per game and 25 touchdowns.
In his final five games, Whitlock gained 855 yards on the ground and scored 14 TDs. He finished with 1,828 rushing yards and 2,267 all-purpose yards.
Akeem Jordan, a senior linebacker from James Madison, was named as the defensive player of the year. Jordan was third nationally with an average of 11.7 tackles per game and had 140 for the season. He had 16.5 tackles for
loss.
Offensive lineman of the year recognition was awarded to Massachusetts senior center Alex Miller. Miller anchored a Minutemen line that allowed only 17 sacks, which ranked 14th nationally and fueled UMass' impressive rushing attack. UMass was ranked 12th nationally in total offense.
In all, 29 teams and 13 conferences are represented on the team. Appalachian State landed six players on the squad, while nine other teams also had multiple selections ? Cal Poly (four), UMass (four), New Hampshire (three), Portland State (three), Southern Illinois (three), Georgia Southern (two), James Madison (two), McNeese State (two) and Youngstown State (two).
Nine players were repeat selections on the team, including David Ball and Ricky Santos of New Hampshire, who were chosen for the third year in a row.
Other repeat selections were Furman fullback Jerome Felton, Lynch, Murrell, Cal Poly linebacker Kyle Shotwell, Illinois State linebacker Cameron Siskowic, Georgia Southern linebacker John Mohring and Whitlock.
Harvard running back Clifton Dawson won honors for the second time, after first making the team in 2004. A total of 40 players earned their first selection to the team.
College Sporting News FABULOUS FCS FIFTY
NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-Star Team
Coach of the Year: Jerry Moore, Appalachian State
Offensive Player of the Year: Arkee Whitlock, Southern Illinois
Defensive Player of the Year: Akeem Jordan, James Madison
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Alex Miller, Massachusetts
Playoff Most Valuable Player: Kevin Richardson, Appalachian State
Freshman of the Year: Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State
OFFENSE
WR David Ball, New Hampshire
WR Alex Watson, Northern Arizona
WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina
WR Maurice Price, Charleston Southern
WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly
TE Ben Patrick, Delaware
TE Braden Jones, Southern Illinois
T Mike Saint Germaine, Lafayette
T Jacob Bender, Nicholls State
G Kerry Brown, Appalachian State
G Brennan Carvalho, Portland State
C Ryan Jewell, Youngstown State
OL Tucker Peterson, New Hampshire
QB Ricky Santos, New Hampshire
QB Josh Johnson, San Diego
RB Steve Baylark, Massachusetts
RB Marcus Mason, Youngstown State
AB Clifton Dawson, Harvard
FB Jerome Felton, Furman
DEFENSE
DE Marques Murrell, Appalachian State
DE Bryan Smith, McNeese State
DT Chris White, Cal Poly
DT Justin Frick, North Dakota State
DL Kevin Winston, James Madison University
DL Matt King, Maine
DL Tory Collins, Northwestern State
DL Mike Murphy, Montana
CB Dre Dokes, Northern Iowa
CB Dominique Dixon, Portland State
S Jeremy Wiggins, Appalachian State
S Corey Lynch, Appalachian State
DB Tristen Burge, Eastern Illinois
DB Ken Chicoine, Cal Poly
DB James Ihedigbo, Massachusetts
DB Stacey Thomas, Texas Southern
LB Kyle Shotwell, Cal Poly
LB Cameron Siskowic, Illinois State
LB Adam Hayward, Portland State
LB Justin Durant, Hampton
LB John Mohring, Georgia Southern
LB/LS Zak DeOssie, Brown
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Craig Coffin, Southern Illinois
P Christian Koegel, Massachusetts
KR Steven Whitehead, McNeese State
PR Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern
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