Troy University Athletics
Troy Lands Twelve on All-Sun Belt Football Team
12/2/2021 10:00:00 AM | Football
TROY, Ala. – Led by first team selections Carlton Martial and Javon Solomon, 12 Troy student-athletes were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team, the league office announced Thursday. Martial becomes just the third player in program history to earn first team honors three consecutive years.
Offensive linemen Austin Stidham and Dylan Bradshaw and defensive tackle Will Choloh were named to the second team, while wide receiver Tez Johnson, bandit Richard Jibunor and safety TJ Harris earned third team honors. Long snapper Cameron Kaye, linebacker KJ Robertson, cornerback Reddy Steward and running back Kimani Vidal were honorable mention selections.
Carlton Martial
One of the top defensive players in the country and Sun Belt Conference history, Carlton Martial finished the season with 24 more tackles than anyone else in the league and is the only player averaging double-digit tackles per game. He joins Jerrel Jernigan (2008-10) and Boris Lee (2007-09) as the only Trojans to earn All-Sun Belt First Team honors three times.
The native of Mobile, Ala., ranks sixth nationally with 127 tackles and 10.5 tackles per game and ended the season just 17 tackles shy of the all-time Sun Belt record.
Since 2000, Martial is one of just two players at the FBS level to record more than 425 tackles, 45 tackles for loss and five interceptions in their career – he has 442 tackles, 47 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He is the nation's leading tackler since the start of the 2018 season, with 442 tackles: 66 more than the next closest player. A finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, Martial had six games with double-digit tackles, including games with 18 and 19 tackles.
Javon Solomon
One of the top pass rushers in the country, Javon Solomon led the Sun Belt in tackles for loss and finished second in sacks. He ranks eighth nationally in tackles for loss and ninth in sacks. The Tallahassee, Fla., native became one of just 31 players since 2000 to record 17 tackles for loss and 11 sacks through the first 10 games of a season; he is one of just nine from a Group of Five school to do so and the only Sun Belt player.
Solomon became just the third FBS player since at least 2000 to record 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and one interception in the first six games of the season -- Carl Nassib (Penn State, 2015), Elvis Dumervil (Louisville, 2005).
Austin Stidham, a junior, earned his third All-Sun Belt honor after finishing second in the league among tackles (min 400 pass blocking snaps) with a 78.2 pass blocking grade per Pro Football Focus and was not called for a penalty in a pass blocking situation all season. Dylan Bradshaw earned his third All-Sun Belt nod after he ranked second in the league among centers per Pro Football Focus in pass blocking and fourth overall. The senior ends his career with 35 starts at center for Troy. Will Choloh, who earned his third All-Sun Belt honor, is the Sun Belt's top-rated run stopper per Pro Football Focus and became just the third Troy player since 2000 to record at least 2.5 sacks, eight tackles and four tackles for loss in a single game. Just a junior, Choloh ranks in the top 10 among interior defensive linemen in the league in pressures and hurries
Freshman Tez Johnson finished second in the league with 67 catches on the year and led all Sun Belt receivers (min. 70 targets) with a 72.0 reception percentage as he caught 67-of-93 targets. Sophomore Richard Jibunor is the only player in the country with at least eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He became just the fourth player in Sun Belt history to reach eight sacks in the first seven games of the season. TJ Harris, a junior, was Troy's leading tackler from the secondary with 58 on the year and added 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His tackle for loss total was the most by a secondary player in the league, while his sacks were the most by a defensive back in the conference.
Cameron Kaye becomes just the third long snapper in league history to earn All-Sun Belt honors, Kimani Vidal and KJ Robertson make their second straight appearances on the All-Sun Belt list, while Reddy Steward makes his debut after he led the country, holding opponents to a 25.9 completion percentage.
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