FERRIS STATE TRIO NAMED TO D2FOOTBALL.COM REGION TEAM

Three Bulldogs Gain All-Northwest Region Plaudits

Kevin Myers

Myers received first-team region honors for the second consecutive season while Bell did likewise as a second-team honoree. Brewster attained second-team kudos as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) had a total of 37 student-athletes represented among the Northwest Region’s three teams, including 11 first-team selections. Senior wide receiver Chris Samp of Winona (Minn.) State was named the Northwest Region’s Offensive Player of the Year while Central Washington senior defensive end Jacob Galloway picked up Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Senior punter Michael Koenen of Western Washington was chosen the Northwest Region Special Teams Player of the Year and Michigan Tech’s Bernie Anderson as the region’s Coach of the Year.

A 2003 All-America First-Team pick by the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Myers registered a team second-place 133 total tackles (83 solos) in 11 contests this campaign en route to being the team’s Most Valuable Player. The defensive co-captain, who presently ranks ninth nationally in solo tackles (6.5 avg.) and 15th in total stops (11.5 avg.), produced seven stops for minus 19 yards to go with two pass interceptions this fall. Along with receiving MVP honors, Myers was also presented with FSU’s Most Valuable Defensive Player Skill Award for the second consecutive season (2003-04). He recorded seven double-figure tackle game efforts in 2004 highlighted by a career-high 26 stops (15 solos) in the season opener (8/28) against two-time (2002-03) defending NCAA Division II National Champion Grand Valley State. The two-time (2003-04) first-team All-GLIAC performer averaged 14.6 stops per game (73 total) against five nationally-ranked opponents this year – 26 vs. Grand Valley State, 15 at North Dakota (10/9), eight vs. Michigan Tech (10/23), 12 at Northwood (10/30) and 12 vs. Saginaw Valley State (11/6). Myers, who posted over 100 tackles in each of his last three seasons to date, finished his career with 435 tackles (257 solos) in 42 contests which represented the fifth-highest output in Ferris State history and was one stop shy of tying for fourth place on the all-time charts. The 5-11, 210-pound defender also compiled 23 career double-digit single-game tackle efforts.

Whitney Bell

Bell, a two-time (2003-04) All-GLIAC First-Team selection and a 2003 second-team All-America pick by Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette, paced the Bulldogs this season with 14.5 tackles for a loss of 69 yards which included a team-leading 7.5 quarterback sacks for minus 54 yards. He accumulated a squad fourth-place 60 total tackles (35 solos) as an 11-game starter in 2004. The defensive co-captain was recognized as both the GLIAC and D2Football.com’s National Defensive Player of the Week as a result of his 10-tackle performance at Mercyhurst (9/25), which consisted of four quarterback sacks for 29 yards lost. The 6-2, 284-pound lineman made a season-best 11 stops at Northwood (10/30) and is presently 34th among the nation’s pass sacks leaders (0.7 avg.). Bell made 225 total tackles (133 solos) in 42 career appearances while compiling 41.5 tackles for loss (-180 yds.) and 16.0 pass sacks for minus 99 yards to rank 14th on Ferris’ all-time sack leaders list. He generated nine double-figure tackle contests, including a career-best 18 tackles against Findlay in 2003 (11/1).

Carlton Brewster

The Bulldogs’ top receiver for the second straight campaign, Brewster caught a career-high 81 passes for 1,230 yards and eight TD’s in 11 games. His receiving yard total this fall ranks third highest among the school’s all-time single-season leaders. Brewster, a first-team All-GLIAC and FSU’s Most Valuable Offensive Skill Player Award honoree in 2004, recorded seven 100-yard plus receiving yardage contests this campaign. He turned in a career-high 15 receptions for 195 yards and two TD’s at Ashland (9/4). The 5-11, 200-pound wideout is currently listed sixth nationally this season in receptions per game (7.4 avg.), eighth in receiving yards (111.8 ypg.) and 23rd in all-purpose yards (150.0 ypg.). In 32 career contests, Brewster has 174 catches for 2,263 receiving yards and 18 TD’s to rank fifth on FSU’s career receiving yards list.

Ferris State finished the 2004 season at 6-5 overall with a fifth-place 6-4 GLIAC mark. The Bulldogs posted their third winning campaign in the last four seasons.