FERRIS STATE PLACES THREE ON D2FOOTBALL.COM REGION TEAMS

Three Bulldogs Achieve Northeast Region Accolades By Gridiron Online News Service

Ferris State University football team members junior outside linebacker Kevin Myers (Midland), junior defensive tackle Whitney Bell (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) and senior tailback Derek Fudge (Gibonston, Fla./East Bay) have all been named to the 2003 D2Football.com All-Northeast Region Teams as announced recently by D2Football.com, the only national media source devoted entirely to promoting and covering Division II football.

Myers, a 2003 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II All-America pick, was among 12 individuals named to D2Football.com’s first-team defensive unit. Bell was a second-team selection while Fudge attained honorable mention accolades. All three Bulldogs were Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First-Team honorees this season. The GLIAC featured 41 representatives from conference-member institutions who were named to either the first (12), second (seven) or honorable mention (22) teams. Grand Valley State senior safety Scott Mackey was selected the Northeast Region’s Defensive Player of the Year while Brian Kelly was recognized as the Coach of the Year.

Kevin Myers

The Bulldogs’ leading tackler for the second consecutive season, Myers registered a career-high and conference-leading 141 stops (87 solo) in 11 contests this campaign. His season tackles total this fall represented the most by a FSU player since 1996 and that figure marks the 13th highest total among the school’s single-season all-time bests. In 2003 NCAA-II statistical leaders to date, Myers is second in solo tackles (7.9 avg.) and fourth in both total tackles (12.8 avg.) and forced fumbles (0.45 avg.). He recorded eight double-figure tackle game performances this campaign, which included a career-best 23 tackles (15 solos) against Findlay (11/1) and 16 stops (12 solo) at nationally top-ranked Saginaw Valley State (10/25). The 5-11, 210-pound linebacker also registered his first career touchdown on a 40-yard fumble recovery return versus Northwood (10/4). Myers, FSU’s Most Valuable Defensive Skill Player this season, averaged 16.5 tackles (66 total) in his last four outings with double-digit tackles in each contest.

Whitney Bell

A defensive inside force, Bell posted a career-high 99 tackles (64 solo) in 10 games to tie for third place on the squad and led all conference linemen in tackles with an 11th-place overall 9.9 average. The 6-2, 265-pounder finished second on the team in both tackles for loss (16.4 for -47 yards) and quarterback sacks (seven for -33 yards). Bell, who was FSU’s Most Valuable Defensive Lineman this season, is currently listed sixth nationally in solo tackles (6.4 avg.), 24th in tackles for loss (1.7 avg.), 30th in forced fumbles (0.3 avg.) and 35th in sacks (0.7 avg.). He turned in five double-digit tackle game efforts this fall, which included a career-best 18 stops (14 solo) against Findlay (11/1) and also notched his first career TD on a 13-yard pass interception return versus Northwood (10/4).

Fudge also turned in his most productive campaign in 2003 with a career-best 1,232 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns on 260 carries in 11 outings. His season-yard total this year was the sixth highest single-season rush output in Ferris history and ranked second among the GLIAC’s rushing leaders. The 2003 FSU Most Valuable Offensive Skill Player Award recipient tallied a career-high 90 points this campaign which tied for the seventh-best total in FSU all-time annals. The 2000 GLIAC Freshman of the Year and two-time (2000 and 2002) second-team all-league back concluded his career with 4,024 career rushing yards on 885 attempts and was 166 yards shy of becoming Ferris’ all-time leading rusher. The 5-9, 191-pound Fudge, who surpassed the 1,000-yard season rushing mark three times in his career, currently ranks 22nd nationally in rushing (112.0 avg.) and 33rd in scoring (8.2 avg.). He was named the GLIAC’s Offensive Player of the Week (9/8) after running for a career-high 276 yards and two TD’s in the season opener at Hillsdale (9/6).

Ferris State finished the 2003 season with a 6-5 overall record, which included a fourth-place tying 5-5 GLIAC mark.