© 2024 WMKY
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Football Awards Postseason Honors to 2018 Standouts

MSU Athletics

The Morehead State football program has selected its 2018 postseason award winners, with seven individuals earning the top honors for the season.

Awards presented included the Phil Simms Offensive MVP (Lawson Page), Dave Haverdick Defensive MVP (Sayyid Kanu), John Christopher Special Teams MVP (Nathan Sames), Appel Academic Award (Kyle Gilbert), Mike Gottfried C3 Award (Beau Griego), Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year (Matt Guilfoil) and Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (Demetrius Dillard).

Page, one of only two quarterbacks in the FCS to throw for at least 200 yards and rush for at least 100 in the same game multiple times this year, led the team with 780 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The senior also passed for 2,240 yards and 16 scores.

Kanu finished as the team's leader in tackles with 62. The senior safety also collected two interceptions, including a game-clinching 66-yard return in the win over Valparaiso. That effort earned him PFL Defensive Player of the Week accolades. He led the defensive unit with six passes defended and four pass break ups, including one with two seconds left at the two-yard line at Davidson to preserve a road victory.

Sames, also a valuable receiver, recorded 11 tackles in special teams coverage duty and forced a fumble on a kick as well. A senior, he had 30 career tackles.

Gilbert, a redshirt sophomore who serves as the holder on field goals and PATs, has compiled a 3.9 cumulative grade-point average in accounting.

Griego, a junior transfer, ranked fourth on the team with 54 total tackles. He got into the backfield for five tackles for losses and also had a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.

Guilfoil saw action in four games in addition to being a valuable scout team member. Dillard was a true redshirt but immensely helped the defense prepare for its next foes.

The Offensive MVP is named for former MSU quarterback and Super Bowl XXI MVP Phil Simms. Simms, who played at MSU from 1975-78, tallied 5,545 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as a senior before being taken seventh overall by the New York Giants in the 1979 NFL Draft. He played his entire 14-year career with the Giants organization and is now the lead analyst for CBS Sports' coverage of the NFL.

The Defensive MVP is named for former consensus All-American Dave Haverdick. The defensive lineman was named All-American in 1969 and was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection (1967, 1968, 1969).

The Special Teams MVP is named for two-time consensus All-American punter John Christopher. He was tabbed All-American and All-OVC in 1981 and 1982 and averaged more than 40 yards three different seasons. He still holds the MSU career record for punting average (42.4).

The Academic Award is named for former offensive linemen brothers James and Mike Appel. James was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (1990, 1991) and earned OVC Scholar-Athlete accolades those years as well. Mike was named Academic All-American in 1996.

The "C3" Award, which encompasses "character, community and championship effort," is named for former quarterback Mike Gottfried. He threw for more than 3,500 yards during his career from 1962-65. Gottfried later served as a head coach at Murray State, Cincinnati, Kansas and Pittsburgh and was a top college football analyst for ESPN's family of networks. In 2000, Gottfried founded Team Focus, which helps fatherless boys ages 10-18. Team Focus currently has more than 1,000 boys involved. It helps build character and creates an environment that fosters self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence.

Related Content