From IUP Sports Information
IUP head football coach Paul Tortorella announced the team award winners for the 2017 season Wednesday afternoon.
Winners of these inaugural team awards implemented by the coaching staff include Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Lenny Williams, Jr.; Defensive Player of the Year, defensive lineman Jemal Averette; Special Teams Player of the Year, placekicker Dillon Sarka; Leadership Award, defensive back Max Redfield; and Most Inspirational Award, wide receiver Dom McNeil.
The Crimson Hawks put together one of the best seasons in program history in 2017. Under Tortorella, IUP finished with a 13-1 record, won a Western Division regular season title and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship, clinched the program’s 18th all-time NCAA Division II playoff appearance, and advanced to the national semifinals for the seventh time in school history. The Crimson Hawks finished third in the final AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 and the 13 victories tied the 1993 squad for the most in program history.
The playoff appearance was IUP’s third straight and fourth in the last six seasons. The Crimson Hawks earned the No. 1 seed in Super Region One, getting a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the bracket. They defeated West Chester 44-7 and Assumption 27-22, before falling to national runner-up West Florida 27-17 in the semifinals.
The Crimson Hawks are currently in the middle of spring practice, which finishes with their ‘Spring Game’ on Friday April 20.
Award-winner capsules (courtesy of the football coaching staff)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The offensive player of the year is given to the player that performed both on the field and as a leader of the offense. Lenny Williams, Jr. is the 2017 recipient of this award. The dual threat quarterback threw for 2,789 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2017, while also adding an additional 406 yards rushing in his junior campaign. Lenny led an IUP offensive attack that averaged 35.5 points per game and 455 yards per game. He was voted a team captain by his teammates, holds several IUP individual offensive records, and was voted a D2 All-American Honorable Mention.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The defensive player of the year is given to the player that gave offenses the most problems. Jemal Averette is the 2017 recipient of this award. Jemal ended his career playing in 43 games and recording 168 total tackles. He amassed 29.5 tackles for loss, while also adding 12.5 sacks to his resume. Jemal terrorized the PSAC offenses and was a dominate force on a defense that only gave up 89 yards a game rushing. He was voted a team captain by his teammates and earned 2nd Team All-American honors.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The special teams player of the year is given to the player that led our special teams unit for the year. The 2017 Special Teams Player of the Year is Dillon Sarka. Dillon, a field goal kicker from Ohio, was 15 for 19 in 2017 with a long of 46 yards. He had 57 point after conversions and ended the season scoring 102 points. Dillon kicked off the 2017 season by hitting the game winning 46 yard field goal against Ashland as time expired.
LEADERSHIP AWARD
The leadership award is given to a student-athlete that transfers into IUP. This player comes to IUP and excels in adapting to the culture, while leading as a member of the team and in the community. Max Redfield is the 2017 Leadership Award recipient. Max lead the IUP secondary with 78 total tackles, 13 passes defended, and 4 interceptions. He was key to an IUP defense that forced more than 30 turnovers in 2017. Max was also voted a D2 All-American Honorable Mention and is currently training for the NFL Draft.
MOST INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
The most inspirational award is an award given to a player that earns his way every day and leads by example. He inspires people around him to be better in anything they do. Dom McNeil is the 2017 Most Inspirational Award recipient. Dom, a former walk on, finished second on the team in receptions in 2017. He finished the season with 32 receptions for 632 yards and added 5 touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 19.8 yards per catch. Dom was also a vital member on all specials teams units. He had 19 kickoff returns for 358 yards, 4 total tackles, and a fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown. The big play threat, and talented special teams player, inspired his teammates and the IUP community.
