One of the most prolific scorers in Gateway Conference history highlights the 2001 All-Conference Team as P.J. Mays of Youngstown State has captured the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
League champion Northern Iowa earned the league’s other top two awards as LB Adam Vogt - a finalist for the Buck Buchanan national defensive player of the year award; and Mark Farley - a finalist for Eddie Robinson national coach of the year honors, took Defensive and Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year honors, respectively, for the Panthers.
Mays led the league with 1,446 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns -- including 21 on the ground -- and 1,610 all-purpose yards. His 1,446 yards were a school regular-season yardage record, while that figure ranks No. 9 all-time in the Gateway for a single season. His 21 rushing TDs are second-best all-time in the Gateway.
Vogt is the first Panther to win Defensive Player of the Year honors since 1994, when Andre Allen won his second-straight Gateway honor. He is the fourth UNI linebacker to win the league’s top honor, joining Allen (1993-94), William Freeney (1991-92) and current head coach Mark Farley (1985). Vogt led the Gateway with 80 solo stops and ranked No. 3 in the conference with 130 total tackles.
Mark Farley took the Panthers to their first Gateway crown and I-AA playoff appearance since 1996, despite being picked fifth in the preseason league poll. UNI is the second-straight Gateway team (Western Illinois last year) to win the conference crown after being picked fifth in the preseason poll. Farley is the first Gateway rookie coach to win nine games and the first to win the conference title.
FIRST TEAM
QB -- Sam Clemons, Western Illinois
RB -- Tom Koutsos, Southern Illinois
RB -- P.J. Mays, Youngstown State
TE -- J.R. Niklos, Western Illinois
WR -- Frisman Jackson, Western Illinois
WR -- Jake Soliday, Northern Iowa
OL -- Pat Crummey, Youngstown State
OL -- Jake Harriger, SMS
OL -- Andy King, Illinois State
OL -- Chris Price, Western Kentucky
OL -- Chad Setterstrom, Northern Iowa
PK -- MacKenzie Hoambrecker, Northern Iowa
DL -- Bryan Archibald, Southern Illinois
DL -- Richard Harris, Indiana State
DL -- Patrick Reynolds, Western Kentucky
DL -- Enoch Smith, SMS
LB -- Sherrod Coates, Western Kentucky
LB -- Erik Dandy, Western Kentucky
LB -- Bart Scott, Southern Illinois
LB -- Adam Vogt, Northern Iowa
DB -- LeVar Greene, Youngstown State
DB -- Bruce Hightower, Youngstown State
DB -- Joseph Jefferson, Western Kentucky
DB -- Mel Mitchell, Western Kentucky
P -- Mike Scifres, Western Illinois
RS -- Jerald Burley, Youngstown State
SECOND TEAM
QB -- Jeff Ryan, Youngstown State
RB -- Adam Benge, Northern Iowa
RB -- Willie Watts, Illinois State
TE -- Ryan Hannam, Northern Iowa
WR -- Vito Golson, Illinois State
WR -- Mark Marcos, SMS
OL -- Buster Ashley, Western Kentucky
OL -- Gabe Dunkmann, Western Illinois
OL -- Eric Owens, SMS
OL -- David Tesniarz, Youngstown State
OL -- Daniel Withrow, Western Kentucky
OL -- Teddy Wulf, Illinois State
PK -- Peter Martinez, Western Kentucky
DL -- David Bull, Illinois State
DL -- Robert Hamre, Northern Iowa
DL -- Terrell Morgan, Northern Iowa
DL -- Mike O’Brien, Western Illinois
LB -- P.J. Jones, SMS
LB -- Lee Russell, Western Illinois
LB -- Russell Stuvaints, Youngstown State
DB -- Brent Browner, Northern Iowa
DB -- Daryon Brutley, Northern Iowa
DB -- Terrance Miles, Indiana State
DB -- Kyle Moffatt, Western Kentucky
P -- Brian Claybourn, Western Kentucky
RS -- Jake Soliday, Northern Iowa
Honorable Mention
Illinois State: LB Boomer Grigsby, DL Jonathan Friend, TE Mark Schaeve
Indiana State: WR Kevin Dean, OLB Chris Sapp, OL Sid Swartzendruber
Northern Iowa: OL Ben Dieke, LB Carlos Dallis, DB Chris Stimmel
Southern Illinois: OT Chad Graefen, OC Mike Fritzler, S Jon Pendergrass
Southwest Missouri State: QB Austin Moherman, OL Jeff Bristol, P Eddie Pena
Western Illinois: DL Chad Daun, LB Jason McWilliams, DB Damon Williams
Western Kentucky: QB Donte Pimpleton, RB DeWayne Gallishaw, LB Jon Drummond, RS Joseph Jefferson
Youngstown State: CB Antulio Aroche, LB Bob Sivik, PK Jake Stewart
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB P.J. Mays
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Adam Vogt
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Farley, UNI