Troy University Athletics
Ware Leads 11 Trojans Onto All-Conference Team
11/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. - Troy University senior defensive end Demarcus Ware was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.
Ware was also one of four Trojans named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Conference Football team for 2004. He was joined by seniors Junior Louissaint (OL), DeWhitt Betterson (RB) and Derrick Ansley (DB).
The Sun Belt All-Conference teams were chosen in voting by the league's nine head coaches as well as select members of the news media.
Ware, a native of Auburn, Ala., is a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award for defensive end of the year, he leads the Sun Belt in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (17.5). He recorded 27 quarterback hurries on the year and is tied for seventh in Division I-A in sacks and 12th in tackles for loss. He finished the regular season with 47 tackles and four forced fumbles.
Ansley, a native of Tallassee, Ala., ranks third among all active players in Division I-A with 19 career interceptions, including five this season, which is tied for second in the Sun Belt with teammate Johnny Faulk. He is fifth on the team with 61 total tackles and is second with seven passes broken up. He has 301 career tackles.
Betterson, a Starke, Fla., native, is Troy's all-time leading rusher with 3,291 yards. He rushed for more than 100 yards in a game seven times this season, including a season-high 184 yards against Idaho. He finished the regular season second in the Sun Belt with a 103.3 yards per game average and he ranks 22nd in Division I-A in rushing yards per game. He rushed for 1,644 yards in 14 career games against Sun Belt Conference teams.
Louissaint, a native of Miami, Fla., made a national splash during Troy's Thursday night, nationally televised, victory over Missouri when he caught a fumble in the air and rumbled 63 yards for a touchdown, giving the Trojans a lead they would never relinquish. He earned the ESPN SportsCenter Top Play of the Day and Top Play of the Week for that play and earned a $5,000 donation to the Troy University general scholarship fund as the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the week, earning more than 45 percent of the national vote on ESPN.com. For the season he was on the field for the Trojans for 668 snaps and allowed just two sacks, and recorded 15 knockdown blocks. His grade for the season was an impressive 83.1 percent.
In addition to the first team selections, the Trojans also had seven players named to the second team. That group included senior Henry Tellis (OL), senior Eric Thomas (DT), junior Bernard Davis (LB), senior Robby Farmer (LB), junior Johnny Faulk (DB), freshman Leodis McKelvin (return specialist) and junior Thomas Olmsted (P).
With 11 total selections, the Trojans trailed only league champion North Texas in total players named to the two teams. The Mean Green had 14 total selections, including seven first team picks. North Texas also took all of the other specialty awards, with freshman running back Jamario Thomas taking Freshman of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year honors. Offensive lineman Dylan Lineberry was named Newcomer of the Year and North Texas Coach Darrell Dickey took Coach of the Year honors for the fourth straight year.
Behind Troy, New Mexico State placed third with seven total selections, including four on the first team. Louisiana-Monroe had five total selections and also had four first-team picks. Arkansas State placed four players overall, two on the first team, while Utah State, Idaho and Middle Tennessee had three players each. Idaho had two first team picks while USU and MTSU had one each. Louisiana-Lafayette had two players selected, including one first team pick.
The complete 2004 All-Sun Belt Conference Football first and second teams follow.
2004 All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team
| First Team Offense | First Team Defense |
| OL Andy Brewster, Sr, North Texas | DL Adrian Awasom, Sr., North Texas |
| OL Steven Gibbs, Sr., Arkansas State | DL Aubrey Dorisme, Sr., New Mexico State |
| OL Bruce Hampton, Sr., UL-Monroe | DL Brandon Guillory, Sr., UL-Monroe |
| OL Junior Louissaint, Sr., Troy | DL Demarcus Ware, Sr., Troy |
| OL Steve Subia, Sr., New Mexico State | LB Jimmy Cottrell, Jr., New Mexico State |
| TE Andy Blount, Sr., North Texas | LB Cole Snyder, Jr., Idaho |
| WR Bobby Bernal-Wood, Sr., Idaho | LB Josh Williams, Fr., Arkansas State |
| WR Kerry Wright, Sr., Middle Tenn. | DB Derrick Ansley, Sr., Troy |
| QB Buck Pierce, Sr., New Mexico State | DB C.C. Brown, Sr., UL-Lafayette |
| RB DeWhitt Betterson, Sr., Troy | DB Jonas Buckles, Sr., North Texas |
| RB Jamario Thomas, Fr., North Texas | DB Chris Harris, Sr., UL-Monroe |
| RS Kevin Robinson, Fr., Utah State | K Nick Bazaldua, Jr., North Texas |
| AP Johnny Quinn, So., North Texas | P Joel Stelly, Jr., UL-Monroe |
| Second Team Offense | Second Team Defense |
| OL Lonnie Chambers, Sr., North Texas | DL Evan Cardwell, Sr., North Texas |
| OL Nick Cole, Jr., New Mexico State | DL Michael Pruitt, Sr., North Texas |
| OL Dylan Lineberry, So., North Texas | DL Eric Thomas, Sr., Troy |
| OL Quinton Stanton, Jr., Middle Tenn. | DL Ronald Tupea, Sr., Utah State |
| OL Henry Tellis, Sr., Troy | LB Bernard Davis, Jr., Troy |
| TE Andrew Mooney, Fr., New Mexico State | LB Robby Farmer, Sr., Troy |
| WR Johnny Quinn, So., North Texas | LB John Winchester, Sr., UL-Monroe |
| WR Bill Sampy, Sr., UL-Lafayette | DB Johnny Faulk, Jr., Troy |
| QB Scott Hall, Sr., North Texas | DB Matt Griebel, Jr., New Mexico State |
| RB Jayson Bird, Fr., Idaho | DB Tyrell Johnson, Fr., Arkansas State |
| RB Antonio Warren, Sr., Arkansas State | DB Markeith Knowlton, Sr., North Texas |
| RS Leodis McKelvin, Fr., Troy | K Colby Smith, So., Middle Tennessee |
| AP Kevin Robinson, Fr., Utah State | P Thomas Olmsted, Jr., Troy |
Player of the Year: | RB Jamario Thomas, Fr., North Texas |
| Offensive Player of the Year: | RB Jamario Thomas, Fr., North Texas |
| Defensive Player of the Year: | DL Demarcus Ware, Sr., Troy |
| Newcomer of the Year: | OL Dylan Lineberry, So., North Texas |
| Freshman of the Year: | RB Jamario Thomas, Fr., North Texas |
| Coach of the Year: | Darrell Dickey, North Texas |
