FOOTBALL GAZETTE HONORS FERRIS STATE DEFENSIVE PAIR

Kevin Myers Earns First-Team Honors; Whitney Bell Named Second Team

A pair of Ferris State University football team members, junior outside linebacker Kevin Myers (Midland) and junior defensive tackle Whitney Bell (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) have been selected to the 2003 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Northeast Region Team.

Myers was among 13 individuals to receive first-team recognition on defense while Bell joined 12 others in picking up second-team accolades. The first and second-team selections will advance to a national ballot from which the 2003 NCAA Division II All-America team will be selected from within the next two weeks. The Football Gazette’s website is located at http://www.donhansen.com. The 2003 Football Gazette All-Region Teams and the Football Gazette All-America Teams also will be available at http://www.pittstate.edu/athletics/footballgazette.

This season represents the second year in which Football Gazette has selected NCAA-II All-Region Teams. The national publication has selected NCAA-II All-America teams since 1988. Myers and Bell were among a total of 87 student-athletes representing 35 teams in the Northeast Region to comprise the 2003 squad. A total of 19 different teams were represented on this year’s first team. Clarion (Pa.) defensive lineman Troy Bowers along with safety Scott Mackey and defensive tackle Keyonta Marshall, both of Grand Valley State, were repeat first-team selections.

Kevin Myers

For Myers, the postseason honors continue to be bestowed upon the 2003 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First-Team selection. The leading tackler the last two seasons at Ferris, Myers has already been named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II All-America team, The Associated Press’ (AP) Little All-America team and has been recognized as a first-team Northeast Region honoree by both D2Football.com and Daktronics, Inc. to date. This season, Myers registered a career-high and conference-leading 141 stops (87 solo) in 11 contests which represented the most by a FSU player since 1996 and marked the 13th highest total among the Bulldogs’ all-time single-season leaders. Nationally, he currently ranks second in solo tackles (7.9 avg.) and is listed fourth in both total tackles (12.8 avg.) and forced fumbles (0.45 avg.). He totaled eight double-figure tackle game performances this fall, including a career-best 23 tackles (15 solos) against Findlay (11/1). Myers was chosen FSU’s Most Valuable Defensive Skill Player this season.

Whitney Bell

A D2Football.com and Daktronics Northeast Region Second-Team pick in 2003, Bell anchored the FSU defensive line and recorded a career-high 99 tackles (64 solo) in 10 games this season to tie for third place among the Bulldogs’ leading tacklers. The 2003 conference first-team performer paced all GLIAC defensive linemen in tackles by averaging an 11th-place 9.9 stops per outing while finishing on the squad in both tackles for loss (16.4 for -47 yards) and quarterback sacks (seven for -33 yards). Bell, who was named 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 garnered five double-digit tackle game efforts this year, including a career-best 18 tackles (14 solo) against Findlay (11/1).

Ferris State was 6-5 overall with a fourth-place tying 5-5 GLIAC record in 2003.