Three Albany State Rams named to preseason All-SIAC teams

ATLANTA — Individual and preseason accolades were announced Tuesday at the 2017 SIAC Media Day held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

One thing that might jump out to fans of Albany State was the overall absence of Golden Rams on this year’s SIAC Preseason first and second team listings in comparison to previous years. Despite the representation on the all-conference lists, coaches and sports information directors in the conference in their preseason poll made the Rams the overall favorite to win the SIAC East.

Offensive lineman Tedrick Cofield was the lone Ram to be named to the All-Conference First Team on Tuesday. Defensive back and Nick Scott and linebacker Zavondric Shingleton, who attended the Media Day event with new head coach Gabe Giardina, were named to the All-Conference Second Team. All three are seniors this season.

The showing pales in comparison to 2016, when ASU saw running back Jarvis Small named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and eight players named to the first and second All-Conference teams. In 2015, the Rams locked up both the preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, and as seven other players were named to the first and second teams.

While he acknowledged the Rams are playing in a conference full of talent, Giardina noted that the lack of Ram representation on the preseason teams adds a little fuel to their fire.

“There’s no doubt in our minds it does,” he said. “I’m glad to be picked high, but I think we have a bunch of good players who are deserving of a little bit more recognition, but none of that really matters right now.

“It’s about us becoming a team and forming that brotherhood in that locker room.”

This is the third straight season the Rams were picked to finish in the SIAC East. Scott, who was named to the first team last year, said the coaching change did nothing to alter the team’s winning mentality.

“The expectation is to live up to that. We’re used to it,” he said. “We’re just gonna keep training and keep working out to win. “

Returning second team member Shingleton spoke about what it will take to not only improve as individuals, but help the team live up to the long standing expectation of making it to the SIAC title game.

“Everybody’s just gotta buy in,” he said. “Change is gonna come, but it’s about how we adapt to the change. Everything’s not gonna stay constant, but we’ve still got to practice and we’ve still got to play.”

The Rams’ first test will come against Valdosta State on Sept. 2.

SIAC

Preseason All-Conference

 First Team

Johnathon McCrary, QB, Clark Atlanta, redshirt-sr., Decatur

Ryan Edwards, TE, Morehouse, sr., Atlanta

Okechi Ntiasagwe, WR, Benedict, jr., Columbia, S.C.

Dre Martin, WR, Clark Atlanta, soph., LaGrange

Marcus Holliday, RB, Lane, jr., Memphis, Tenn.

Ger’Kerry Jackson, RB, Miles, jr., Montgomery, Ala.

Tedrick Cofield, OL, Albany State, sr., Atlanta

Leeward Brown, OL, Tuskegee, sr., Miami, Fla.

Marcus Campbell Jr., OL, Kentucky State, jr., Radcliff, Ky.

Justin Brown, OL, Benedict, jr., Marietta

Howard Bush, OL, Lane, sr., Mobile, Ala.

Charles Williams, DL, Benedict, sr., Barnwell, S.C.

Rodriguez Jones, DL, Kentucky State, sr., Newport News, Va.

Aaryn Guy, DL, Benedict, jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.

Kaelan Bonds, DL, Miles, sr., Florence, Ala.

David Smith, LB, Morehouse, sr., Newport News, Va.

Osband Thompson, LB, Tuskegee, sr., Miami, Fla.

Kendrick Frazier, LB, Benedict, sr., Charleston, S.C.

Edward Kirkland, DB, Benedict, sr., Columbia, S.C.

Jonah McCutcheon, DB, Tuskegee, sr., Mobile, Ala.

Travionte Brown, DB, Benedict, soph., Albany

Kenneth Morgan DB, Clark Atlanta, soph., Milledgeville

Nick Christiansen, K, Miles, sr., Clayton, N.C.

Juan Serna, P, Fort Valley State, sr., Douglasville

Ricci Nuckles, KR, Morehouse, soph., Suwanee

Deandre Jackson, PR, Clark Atlanta, sr., Atlanta

Second Team

Marcus Reynolds, QB, Lane, jr., Calhoun

Darius Nelson, TE, Benedict, jr., Milledgeville

Jules St. Ge, WR, Kentucky State, soph., Lakeland, Fla.

Javarrius Cheatham, WR, Tuskegee, jr., Greenville, Ala.

Jamari Clark, RB, Fort Valley State, jr., Stockbridge

Lavelle Cloyd, RB, Kentucky State, sr., Lexington, Ky.

Darius Thomas, OL, Central State, soph., Cincinnati, Ohio

Craig Hinson, OL, Benedict, jr., Hephzibah

Christopher Ruffin, OL, Miles, sr., Bessemer, Ala.

Darius Preyer, OL, Clark Atlanta, jr., Montgomery, Ala.

Lowell Richardson, OL, Tuskegee, jr., Miami, Fla.

Antonio Johnson, DL, Morehouse, jr., Birmingham, Ala.

Voris Bryant, DL, Morehouse, sr., Gray

Devonte West, DL, Fort Valley State, sr., Largo, Fla.

Mekiye Kingston, DL, Clark Atlanta, jr., Jonesboro

Zavondric Shingleton, LB, Albany State, sr., Millen

Anthony Hardy, LB, Miles, sr., Demopolis, Ala.

Keonte Reynolds, LB, Kentucky State, jr., Louisville, Ky.

Nick Scott, DB, Albany State, sr., Ellabell

Ryan Luckett, DB, Kentucky State, sr., Orlando, Fla.

Robert Cummings, DB, Benedict, soph., Macon

Kentron James, DB, Fort Valley State, jr., Tallahassee, Fla.

Carlos Saldana, K, Clark Atlanta, soph., Austell

Nick Christiansen, P, Miles, sr., Clayton, N.C.

Deandre Jackson, KR, Clark Atlanta, sr., Atlanta

Ladarrell Pettway, PR, Tuskegee, redshirt-soph., Spanish Fort, Ala.