THREE FERRIS STATE PLAYERS NAMED FOOTBALL GAZETTE ALL-AMERICANS

Myers and Bell Repeat As All-Americans; Brewster Also Receives Recognition

With the release of the 2004 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America Team, three members of the Ferris State University football team received additional post-season recognition for their season performances this last fall.

Senior outside linebacker Kevin Myers (Midland) was a second-team selection while senior defensive tackle Whitney Bell (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) earned third-team laurels. Junior flanker Carlton Brewster (Grand Rapids/Creston) earned honorable mention plaudits by Hansen’s Football Gazette, which is a recognized authority on small college football.

Kevin Myers

This marks the 17th year Hansen’s Football Gazette has selected a NCAA Division II All-America team. The national publication earlier chose All-Region teams with the first and second-team All-Region players from each of the four geographic regions (Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest) comprising the national ballot, which was voted upon by a 23-member national panel. A total of 142 individuals earned some form of Football Gazette All-America honors. Players from 69 of the 149 football-playing schools in Division II garnered Football Gazette All-America accolades. National runner-up Pittsburg (Kan.) State had four student-athletes post first-team All-America honors while national champion Valdosta (Ga.) State had three first-team honorees.

Whitney Bell

Myers, who attained 2004 Football Gazette All-Northwest Region First-Team plaudits, was a repeat second-team All-America selection after attaining the same honor by the Football Gazette a season ago. He was also a two-time (2003-04) Associated Press Little All-America First Teamer and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America pick. Myers, a D2Football.com All-America First-Team selection for 2004, registered 133 total tackles (83 solos) in 11 outings en route to being voted FSU’s Most Valuable Player. The two-time (2003-04) All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First-Team defender recorded over 100 tackles in each of his last three seasons and finished his career with 435 tackles (257 solos) in 42 games which marked the fifth-highest tackles total in Bulldog history.

Carlton Brewster

Like Myers, Bell was twice (2002-03) recognized as a first-team All-GLIAC performer and was named to the Football Gazette’s All-Northwest Region Second Team for the second straight year. Last year, Bell achieved Football Gazette All-America Second-Team kudos. A 2004 honorable mention All-America pick by D2Football.com, Bell led the Bulldogs with 14.5 tackles for minus 69 yards which included a team-best 7.5 pass sacks for a loss of 54 yards. He compiled a team fourth-place 60 total stops (35 solos) as an 11-game starter in 2004. Bell racked up 225 career total tackles (133 solos) in 42 appearances, which consisted of 41.5 tackles for minus 180 yards. The lineman also notched 16.0 sacks for 99 yards to rank 14th among Ferris State’s all-time sack leaders.

Brewster, the Bulldogs’ top receiver the last two seasons, was chosen to the Football Gazette All-Northwest Region First Team in 2004. Last fall, he was on the receiving end of a career-high 81 passes for 1,230 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 contests en route to earning All-GLIAC First-Team laurels. His season’s receiving yard total was third best on FSU’s single-season leaders chart. Brewster, who was tabbed a 2004 D2Football.com Honorable Mention All-American, has posted 174 career receptions for 2,263 yards and 18 touchdowns in 32 contests. His career receiving yard total currently is fifth best on Ferris’ all-time receiving yardage leaders chart.

Ferris State finished the 2004 gridiron campaign at 6-5 overall to go along with a fifth-place 6-4 GLIAC mark.

Additional information pertaining to the 2004 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division II All-America Team is available on the Football Gazette website at www.donhansen.com.