ST. LOUIS — RB Jewel Hampton of Southern Illinois has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year, and QB Austin Sumner of South Dakota State is the league's Freshman of the Year. The duo heads a list of 24 student-athletes named to the 2011 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team. League coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team.

 Hampton led the MVFC with 17 rushing touchdowns and was fifth in the nation in scoring, while amassing 1,121 yards on 230 carries. The transfer from Iowa added 163 yards receiving and ranked fourth in the conference in all-purpose yards. He's the first Saluki to win the league's top newcomer award since Brandon Jacobs (2004).

 Sumner set an MVFC freshman record with 2,382 passing yards, leading the league with an average of 238.2 yards per game. He tallied 300-plus yards in five games and threw 16 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, while completing 59.7 percent (182-of-305) of his passes for a 136.68 pass efficiency rating. He is candidate for the Jerry Rice Award as top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision.

OFFENSE

WR Christian Bryan, Youngstown State	5-10	180	Fr.	Irwin (Pa.) Norwin High
RB Jewel Hampton, Southern Illinois	5-9	210	Jr.	Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central High / Univ. of Iowa
RB David Johnson, Northern Iowa		6-3	214	Fr.	Clinton (Iowa) High
WR Dale Moss, South Dakota State	6-4	210	Sr.	Brandon (S.D.) Brandon Valley High
WR Lechein Neblett, Illinois State	6-0	175	Fr.	Madison (Wis.) James Madison Memorial High School  
TE James O’Shaughnessy, Illinois State	6-4	210	Fr.	Naperville (Ill.) North High School 
C Mark Pratt, Youngstown State		6-3	320	Jr.	Tooele (Utah) High /Snow Junior College
TE MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois	6-3	240	Fr.	St. Louis (Mo.) Kirkwood High
WR Donald Spencer, Indiana State	6-2	205	So.	Ypsilanti (Mich.) High / Michigan State University
QB Austin Sumner, South Dakota State	6-5	230	Fr.	Brandon (S.D.) Brandon Valley High
RB Nikko Watson, Western Illinois	6-0	240	Fr.	Rock Island (Ill.) High
RB/RS Zach Zenner, South Dakota St.	6-0	215	Fr.	Eagan (Minn.) High

DEFENSE

DB Mike Banks, Illinois State		5-7	165	Fr.	University Park (Ill.) Mount Carmel High School 
ILB Andrew Beisel, Missouri State	6-2	228	Fr.	Fenton (Mo.) Rockwood Summit High
DE Kenneth Boatright, Southern Illinois	6-4	245	Jr.	Bolingbrook (Ill.) High / Midland University
S Mike Crutcher, Missouri State		6-2	198	Fr.	Wentzville (Mo.) Timberland High
LB Theon Dixon, Western Illinois	6-1	215	Jr.	Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville High / Ball State University
CB Christian Dudzik, North Dakota State	5-10	180	Fr.	Omaha (Neb.) Skutt Catholic High
LB Evan Frierson, Illinois State	6-2	230	Jr.	Washington (D.C.) H.D. Woodson High School / Univ. of Illinois
P Lucas Hileman, Indiana State		6-1	195	Jr.	Anna (Ill.) Anna-Jonesboro High School / Baylor University
DE Nate Palmer, Illinois State		6-3	220	Jr.	Chicago (Ill.) Simeon High School / Univ. of Illinois 
P Jason Schlautman, South Dakota St.	6-2	195	Sr.	Columbus (Neb.) High / Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha
LB Teven Williams, Youngstown State	6-0	220	Fr. 	Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne High
LB Travis Williams, Youngstown State	6-3	215	Fr.	Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor [Miami, Fla.] High