2008 Missouri Valley Football All-Conference Team
The league's all-time leading rusher and the top defensive player on a league co-champion highlight this year's specialty awards as RB Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois and DL James Ruffin of UNI have earned this year's Missouri Valley Football Conference top player honors. Saluki head coach Dale Lennon, meanwhile, earns Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year award honors, becoming just the third coach in league history to win the award in his first year in the conference.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DL James Ruffin, UNI
‘BRUCE CRADDOCK’ VALLEY FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: Dale Lennon, S. Illinois
Donaldson led all of Division I in both rushing (162.2 ypg) and scoring (12.0 ppg) and holds the conference record for career rushing yards and career 100-yard games. His 1,784 rushing yards and 21 TDs are fifth in the league's single-season record book. Ruffin leads the Panthers with 15 TFLs and nine QB sacks. He is part of a Panther defense that ranks first in the league and No. 6 on the nation in scoring defense. A finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the nation's top FCS coach, Lennon is this year's Missouri Valley Football Coach of the Year. The Salukis, ranked No. 8 in the FCS, made the playoffs for the sixth-straight season in 2008.
2008 all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team
(selected by coaches, sports information directors and media panel)
| Pos. |
FIRST TEAM -- Offense |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown (High School) |
| QB |
Ryan Berry, South Dakota State |
6-3 |
190 |
Sr. |
Watertown (S.D.) High |
| RB |
Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois |
5-11 |
225 |
Sr. |
St. Louis (Mo.) CBC High |
| RB |
Larry Warner, Southern Illinois |
5-5 |
169 |
Sr. |
Vicksburg (Miss.) Warren Central / Mississippi Gulf Coast CC |
| FB |
Dre Gibbs, Western Illinois |
5-10 |
225 |
Jr. |
Lawrenceville (Ga.) Dacula High |
| WR |
JaRon Harris, South Dakota State |
6-1 |
200 |
Sr. |
Sioux Falls (S.D.) Washington High |
| WR |
Eyad Salem, Illinois State |
6-2 |
180 |
Jr. |
Elgin (Ill.) Larkin High / Minnesota State-Moorhead |
| TE |
Clay Harbor, Missouri State |
6-4 |
230 |
Jr. |
Dwight (Ill.) High |
| OL |
Zach Harrington, North Dakota State |
6-2 |
295 |
Sr |
Carrington (N.D.) High |
| OL |
Reshad Jones, Western Illinois |
6-4 |
230 |
Sr. |
Sheboygan (Wis.) South High |
| OL |
Aaron Lockwood, Southern Illinois |
6-3 |
305 |
Sr. |
Topeka (Kan.) Seaman High / Barton County Community College |
| OL |
Brad Samsa, Youngstown State |
6-3 |
280 |
Sr. |
Warren (Ohio) Howland High |
| OL |
Austin Steichen, UNI |
6-3 |
300 |
Jr. |
Remsen (Iowa) Saint Mary's High |
| PK |
Taylor Rowan, Western Illinois |
6-0 |
190 |
Sr. |
Melbourne (Fla.) High |
| |
FIRST TEAM -- Defense |
|
|
|
|
| DL |
Danny Batten, South Dakota State |
6-4 |
250 |
Jr. |
Gilbert (Ariz.) Mesquite High |
| DL |
Josh Galloway, Western Illinois |
6-3 |
250 |
Sr. |
Reno (Nev.) High / Glendale Community College |
| DL |
Everette Pedescleaux, UNI |
6-6 |
305 |
Sr. |
Plymouth (Minn.) Armstrong High / Univ. of Minnesota |
| DL |
James Ruffin, UNI |
6-4 |
265 |
Jr. |
Burnsville (Minn.) High |
| LB |
Ramon Humber, North Dakota State |
5-11 |
222 |
Sr. |
Brooklyn Park (Minn.) Champlin High |
| LB |
Brandin Jordan, Southern Illinois |
5-11 |
230 |
Jr. |
Kenner (La.) John Curtis Christian High |
| LB |
Josh Mahoney, UNI |
6-1 |
234 |
Jr. |
Sioux Falls (S.D.) O'Gorman High |
| LB |
Jason Williams, Western Illinois |
6-3 |
225 |
Sr. |
Chicago (Ill.) DuSable High |
| DB |
Korey Lindsey, Southern Illinois |
6-0 |
187 |
So. |
Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville Magnet High |
| DB |
Darrell Lloyd, UNI |
6-0 |
191 |
Sr. |
O'Fallon (Mo.) Fort Zumwalt High |
| DB |
Nick Schommer, North Dakota State |
6-0 |
197 |
Sr. |
Prescott (Wis.) High |
| DB |
Patrick Stoudamire, Western Illinois |
5-11 |
200 |
Jr. |
Portland (Ore.) Centennial High |
| P |
Scott Ravanesi, Southern Illinois |
6-0 |
196 |
Jr. |
Carol Stream (Ill.) Glenbard North High |
| RS |
Larry Warner, Southern Illinois |
5-5 |
169 |
Sr. |
Vicksburg (Miss.) Warren Central / Mississippi Gulf Coast CC |
| Pos. |
SECOND TEAM -- Offense |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown (High School) |
| QB |
Pat Grace, UNI |
6-2 |
230 |
Jr. |
Sioux City (Iowa) Bishop Heelan High |
| QB |
Cody Kirby, Missouri State |
5-11 |
200 |
So. |
Rogers (Ark.) High |
| RB |
Corey Lewis, UNI |
6-0 |
197 |
Sr. |
St. Paul (Neb.) High |
| RB |
Kyle Minett, South Dakota State |
5-10 |
210 |
So. |
Ruthton (Minn.) R-T-R High |
| FB |
Ryan Mahaffey, UNI |
6-4 |
255 |
So. |
Grinnell (Iowa) High |
| WR |
Glen Fox, South Dakota State |
6-2 |
205 |
Jr. |
Fairfax (Iowa) Prairie High |
| WR |
Kole Heckendorf, North Dakota State |
6-2 |
188 |
Sr. |
Mosinee (Wis.) High |
| TE |
Jerimiah Wurzbacher, North Dakota St. |
6-5 |
250 |
Sr. |
Fargo (N.D.) South High |
| OL |
David Arkin, Missouri State |
6-5 |
281 |
So. |
Wichita (Kan.) Kapaun High |
| OL |
Mike Farrell, Southern Illinois |
6-3 |
295 |
Sr. |
Lake Bluff (Ill.) Lake Forest High |
| OL |
Austin Howard, UNI |
6-7 |
301 |
Jr. |
Davenport (Iowa) Central High |
| OL |
Kevin Robling, South Dakota State |
6-3 |
275 |
Sr. |
Jordan (Minn.) High |
| OL |
Jonathan St-Pierre, Illinois State |
6-3 |
305 |
Sr. |
Longueuil (Quebec) Edouard-Montpetit / Univ. of Miami |
| PK |
Peter Reifenrath, South Dakota State |
5-11 |
185 |
So. |
Decorah (Iowa) High |
| |
SECOND TEAM -- Defense |
|
|
|
|
| DL |
Crispin Fernandez, Youngstown State |
5-10 |
270 |
Jr. |
Porterville (Calif.) Monache High |
| DL |
Joe Lardinois, North Dakota State |
6-4 |
260 |
Sr. |
New Franken (Wis.) Notre Dame Academy |
| DL |
Jeremy Robertson, UNI |
6-4 |
255 |
Sr. |
Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Washington High / North Iowa Area CC |
| DL |
Eric Schroeder, South Dakota State |
6-3 |
285 |
Sr. |
Stewartville (Minn.) High |
| LB |
James Cloud, Southern Illinois |
6-2 |
216 |
Sr. |
Hackensack (N.J.) High / Coffeyville Community College |
| LB |
De'Veon Harris, UNI |
6-1 |
215 |
Sr. |
Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely High / Toledo / North Iowa Area CC |
| LB |
Chauncey Mixon, Southern Illinois |
6-1 |
221 |
Jr. |
Mobile (Ala.) Davidson High |
| LB |
Jimmy Rogers, South Dakota State |
5-10 |
215 |
Jr. |
Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High |
| DB |
Mike McEachern, Western Illinois |
6-1 |
205 |
Sr. |
Calgary (Alberta) Western Canada |
| DB |
Terrell McMoore, UNI |
6-1 |
185 |
Sr. |
Minneapolis (Minn.) Washburn High |
| DB |
Marty Rodgers, Southern Illinois |
5-10 |
184 |
Jr. |
Webb City (Mo.) High |
| DB |
Roger Wright, Missouri State |
5-11 |
193 |
Sr. |
Grandview (Mo.) High |
| P |
Bobby Kelsey, Illinois State |
6-1 |
220 |
Sr. |
Channahon (Ill.) Providence Catholic |
| RS |
Tom Nelson, Illinois State |
6-0 |
200 |
Sr. |
Arlington Heights (Ill.) John Hersey High |
Honorable Mention
Illinois State: DL Adam Blankenship; DB Kelvyn Hemphill; OL Joe Niklasch • Indiana State: LB Jayden Everett; DB Donye McCleskey; DB Alex Sewall • Missouri State: DB Cedric Alvis; WR Chris Geisz; DB Skylar Smith • North Dakota State: OT Keith Buckman; LB Mike Maresh; RB Tyler Roehl • Northern Iowa: RS Jarred Herring; LB Jamar Thompson, RT/LG Bob Swift • South Dakota State: TE Colin Cochart; OL Nick Flesner; LB Chris Johnson • Southern Illinois: NT Chris Arthurs; WR Marc Cheatham; QB Chris Dieker; PK Kyle Dougherty; FB John Goode; TE Ryan Kernes • Western Illinois: LB Travis Cherry; LB Kyle Glazier; DE Victor Visoky • Youngstown State: P Ben Nowicki; DB Brandian Ross; QB Brandon Summers