Custom Search ATLANTA--The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its Preseason All-Conference Football Team and Predicted Order of Finish Tuesday morning at the 2013 SIAC Kickoff luncheon held at the Holiday Inn Perimeter.
The SIAC Football Coaches Association unanimously voted Tuskegee University as the top team in the West Division, as well as favorite to win the 2013 SIAC Championship. The Golden Tigers received 5 out of 6 first place votes in front of 2011 SIAC Champion Miles College, selected to finish second, followed by third place Stillman College. Lane College was selected as the fourth place team, followed by Kentucky State University and SIAC newcomer Central State University.
Led by senior running back and 2012 SIAC Player of the Year Derrick Washington, Tuskegee went 10-2 last year, with the only blemishs resulting from a season opening 7-6 loss to Alabama A&M and a 28-13 loss to Elizabeth City State University in the Pioneer Bowl. The Golden Tigers return 16 starters, including 13 All-SIAC Preseason selections, from a team that finished 7-0 against conference opponents in route to claiming the program's 29th SIAC Championship.
In the East Division, Albany State was selected to finished as the top team, followed by last year's East Division Champion Fort Valley State University. The coaches picked Morehouse College to finish third, with Benedict and Clark Atlanta voted to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
Headlining the All-Conference team is Miles redshirt-senior quarterback David Thomas, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, to lead the program to its first Division II playoff appearance in school history. His teammate running back Floyd Graves, the SIAC's top returning rusher, and Kentucky State's Justin Williams were picked as the top running backs. Another Golden Bears player Antonio Pitts and Albany State's Jessie Atkins were selected at receiver, while Zach Thomas, a sophomore from Central State University, who put up big numbers as a freshman was named to the team at tight end. Tuskegee's Devonte Jones and Christopher Tolbert, paired with Morehouse's Drew Wilkins and Richard Washington are the first team offensive linemen.
On defense, SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American LeRon Furr from Fort Valley State highlights the group of first team linebackers. Joining Furr, is Tuskegee's top tackler Quavon Taylor and Clark Atlanta's Bernard Williams. Stillman's Peter Dele, Morehouse's Clarence Christian, Benedict's Devin Gainer, and Bernard Little, also from Fort Valley State were named as first team players. The Fort Valley State trio of Duron Furr, Thomas "Trey" Wolfe, and Tracey White, in addition to Albany State All-American, Dexter Moody headline the heralded group of defensive backs.
On special teams Benedict's Eduardo Hernandez and Morehouse punter Temitayo Agoro were the first team selections, while the always dangerous Thomas Williams of Morehouse and Stillman's Dondre Purnell were voted as first team return specialist. Overall, Tuskegee led the conference with 13 preseason selections, followed by Miles with nine players.
| 2013 SIAC Predicted Order of Finish | |
East Division 1. Albany State University (3) East Champion: Albany State | West Division 1. Tuskegee University (4) West Champion: Tuskegee |
Overall SIAC Champion: Tuskegee (7) Note: Number of first place votes in parenthesis | |
2013 SIAC Preseason All-Conference Team
First Team Offense
| Position | Name | Jersey No. | School | Class | HT. | WT. | Hometown |
| QB | David Thomas | 16 | Miles | Senior | 6-2 | 206 | Opelika, AL |
| RB | Floyd Graves | 7 | Miles | Senior | 5-8 | 180 | Newton, MS |
| RB | Justin Williams | 6 | Kentucky State | Senior | 5-11 | 185 | Pompano Beach, FL |
| OL | Devonte Jones | 73 | Tuskegee | Senior | 6-1 | 330 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
| OL | Christopher Tolbert | 74 | Tuskegee | Senior | 6-7 | 320 | Birmingham, AL |
| OL | Drew Wilkins | 78 | Morehouse | Junior | 6-4 | 315 | Elkins Park, PA |
| OL | Richard Washington | 74 | Morehouse | Junior | 6-9 | 345 | Washington, DC |
| OL | Terrance Owens | 73 | Miles | Soph | 6-1 | 292 | Greenville, AL |
| WR | Antonio Pitts | 12 | Miles | Junior | 5-10 | 174 | Montgomery, AL |
| WR | Jessie Atkins | 4 | Albany State | Junior | 5-10 | 180 | Camilla, GA |
| TE | Zach Thomas | 85 | Central State | Soph | 6-4 | 215 | Columbus, OH |
| K | Eduardo Hernandez | 11 | Benedict | Soph | 5-10 | 180 | Miami, FL |
| KR | Thomas Williams | 21 | Morehouse | R-Senior | 5-11 | 175 | Knightdale, NC |
First Team Defense
| Position | Name | Jersey No. | School | Class | HT. | WT. | Hometown |
| DL | Bernard Little | 90 | Fort Valley State | Junior | 6-4 | 290 | Eatonton, GA |
| DL | Clarence Christian | 97 | Morehouse | Senior | 6-3 | 255 | Atlanta, GA |
| DL | Devin Gainer | 92 | Benedict | Senior | 6-0 | 285 | St. Petersburg, FL |
| DL | Peter Dele | 45 | Stillman | Junior | 5-9 | 213 | Fresno, TX |
| LB | Bernard Williams | 49 | Clark Atlanta | Junior | 5-11 | 225 | Omega, GA |
| LB | LeRon Furr | 33 | Fort Valley State | Senior | 6-3 | 235 | Columbus, GA |
| LB | Quavon Taylor | 1 | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-1 | 210 | Miami, FL |
| DB | Carlos Wilson | 20 | Stillman | Senior | 5-10 | 175 | Mobile, AL |
| DB | Joe Beckham | 20 | Miles | R-Soph | 5-11 | 180 | Daleville, AL |
| DB | Dexter Moody | 3 | Albany State | Senior | 6-3 | 200 | Twin City, GA |
| DB | Jack Howard | 21 | Lane | Senior | 5-11 | 175 | Miami, FL |
| P | Temitayo Agoro | 44 | Morehouse | Soph. | 5-11 | 190 | Fort Worth, TX |
| PR | Dondre Purnell | 7 | Stillman | Junior | 5-10 | 175 | Smyrna, GA |
Second Team Offense
| Position | Name | Jersey No | School | Class | HT. | WT. | Hometown |
| QB | Justin Nared | 17 | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-1 | 200 | Evergreen, AL |
| RB | Devonta Parker-Johnson | 27 | Miles | Soph | 5-9 | 174 | Milry, AL |
| RB | Michael J. Thornton | 38 | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-2 | 230 | Thomasville, AL |
| OL | Michael D. Thornton | 72 | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-0 | 305 | Miami, FL |
| OL | Marquis Franklin | 52 | Fort Valley State | Senior | 6-8 | 330 | Tyler, TX |
| OL | Aderus Hood | 60 | Miles | Junior | 6-3 | 292 | Mt. Hebron, AL |
| OL | Derrick Miles | 63 | Stillman | Senior | 6-3 | 270 | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| OL | Matt Reese | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-3 | 310 | Birmingham, AL | |
| WR | Marquel Franklin | 25 | Tuskegee | Junior | 6-3 | 210 | Prichard, AL |
| WR | DJ Fife | 15 | Miles | Junior | 5-11 | 185 | Cherokee Co., AL |
| TE | Stephen Clements | 87 | Tuskegee | Senior | 6-0 | 225 | Birmingham, AL |
| K | Cade Berryman | 1 | Kentucky State | Soph. | 5-9 | 151 | Irvine, KY |
| KR | Dondre Purnell | 7 | Stillman | Junior | 5-10 | 175 | Smyrna, GA |
Second Team Defense
| Position | Name | Jersey No | School | Class | HT. | WT. | Hometown |
| DL | Jordan Paige | 7 | Central State | Junior | 6-5 | 225 | Osceola, FL |
| DL | Kevdrick Blue | 92 | Tuskegee | R-Soph | 6-0 | 225 | Millbrook, AL |
| DL | Reginald Woods | 55 | Tuskegee | Senior | 6-3 | 240 | Compton, CA |
| DL | Kenneth Townsend | 94 | Kentucky State | Senior | 6-3 | 263 | Louisville, KY |
| LB | El-Malik Chinn | 33 | Tuskegee | Junior | 5-11 | 215 | Northport, AL |
| LB | Marcavius Dudley | Albany State | Senior | 5-10 | 230 | Brunswick, GA | |
| LB | Reginald Virges | 58 | Miles | Senior | 5-10 | 220 | Alpine, AL |
| DB | Thomas "Trey" Wolfe | 9 | Fort Valley State | Senior | 6-1 | 185 | Marietta, GA |
| DB | Duron Furr | 17 | Fort Valley State | Senior | 6-3 | 205 | Columbus, GA |
| DB | Tracey White | 29 | Fort Valley State | Junior | 5-11 | 190 | Dunwoody, GA |
| DB | Joseph Blount | 15 | Central State | Junior | 5-10 | 185 | St. Louis, MO |
| P | Brian Currey | 35 | Benedict | Soph | 6-1 | 170 | Prattville, AL |
| PR | Desmond Reese | 83 | Tuskegee | Soph | 5-10 | 170 | Valley, AL |