Nov. 26, 2007

Football: Four Penguins Earn First-Team All-Gateway Accolades; 13 Earn Honors

    St. Louis, Mo. – Senior linebacker James Terry's (Stafford, Va.) third straight first-team All-Gateway Conference selection, headlined a group of four first-team picks and 13 overall players who were named all-conference, the Gateway announced on Tuesday.

    Terry becomes just the second player in school history to be tabbed a three-time first-team all-conference performer. Penguin free safety Dwyte Smiley was a three-time selection from 1997 through 1999.

    Joining Terry on the Gateway's first team were junior wide receiver Ferlando Williams (Warner Robins, Ga.), junior offensive tackle Brad Samsa (Warren, Ohio) and junior defensive tackle Mychal Savage (Hartsdale, N.Y.).

    Savage was a first-team All-Gateway selection as a sophomore in 2006 while Samsa was a second-team All-Gateway selection in 2006, also as a sophomore.

    Terry finished the season with 65 total tackles, including a team-high 11 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks. Williams scored a total of 11 touchdowns, catching 42 passes for 499 yards and rushing for 464 yards on 76 attempts.

    Williams is the first wide receiver in school history to earn first or second-team honors since joining the conference in 1997. YSU has had five wide outs earn honorable-mention All-Gateway honors.

    Savage finished the year with 43 total tackles, including 26 solo stops and 4.5 sacks. Samsa started the first three games at guard before starting the final eight at tackle. He has started the last 26 games for the Penguins on the line.

    On the second team were, junior tight end Derrick Bush (Circleville, Ohio), junior placekicker Brian Palmer (Youngstown, Ohio), senior offensive guard Josh Tanner (Orlando, Fla.), senior quarterback Tom Zetts (Boardman, Ohio), senior defensive end Myles Banford (Anaheim, Calif.) and senior strong safety Vince Gliatta (Canton, Ohio).

    Of that group, Bush was a second-team pick in 2006 while Zetts had previously been selected Honorable-Mention All-Gateway in 2006.

    Three Penguins earned Honorable Mention accolades. Senior linebacker Jeremiah Wright (Orlando, Fla.), redshirt freshman defensive tackle Torrance Nicholson (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore punter Ben Nowicki (Gilbert, Ariz.) all earned Honorable-Mention honors.

    For Wright it was his second career all-conference award after being named second-team All-Gateway in 2004.   

First-Team Selections

LB | #56 James Terry, 6-2, 235, Sr., Stafford, Va.

Started all 11 games at linebacker…finished with 65 total tackles, including team-best 42 solo stops…had team-high 11 tackles for 42 yards in losses…team-high 5.5 sacks for 36 yards in losses…had 11 quarterback hurries, one interception, one forced fumble and a pass breakup…had at least four tackles in every game…season-high 10 vs. Southern Utah…had eight solos, including two sacks vs. Illinois State…first-team All-Gateway selection in 2005 and 2006…team-high 678 snaps…283 career tackles, 15.5 career sacks.

DT | #96 Mychal Savage, 6-2, 300, Jr., Hartsdale, N.Y.

Started all 11 games at defensive tackle…finished with 43 total tackles, including 26 solo stops…4.5 sacks for 31 yards in losses…had a career-high 12 tackles against Western Illinois…also had two sacks, two hurries and two fumble recoveries earning National Player-of-the-Week accolades…had nine tackles at Indiana State, including eight solos…played 579 snaps, defensive line high…29 of 43 tackles came in Gateway action.

WR | #1 Ferlando Williams, 6-0, 195, Jr.; Warner Robins, Ga.

Caught a team-high 42 passes for 499 yards and two touchdowns…averaged 11.9 yards per catch…also rushed for 464 yards on 74 carries and had nine touchdowns…played 675 snaps (497 at wide receiver and 178 at quarterback)…caught at least one pass in the final 10 games…season-high eight catches vs. UNI and Western Illinois…season-high 133 receiving yards vs. WIU…season-high 87 yards rushing at Southern Illinois.

OL | #67 Brad Samsa, 6-3, 280, Jr., Warren, Ohio

Started all 11 games on the offensive line…started first three games at right guard before moving to left tackle because of injuries…full-time two-year starter who has been in the lineup for 26 straight games…played an offensive-line high 688 snaps, allowing one sack…had five performances of 80 percent or better…graded out at 80 percent for the year…2006 second-team All-Gateway…2007 preseason All-Gateway.

Second-Team Selections

PK | #88 Brian Palmer, 5-11, 175, Jr., Youngstown, Ohio

OG | #50 Josh Tanner, 6-2, 305, Sr., Orlando, Fla.

Started all 11 games at right guard…started 32 games in his career, including last 24 contests…played 663 total snaps, third most on the offensive line…posted second-highest season-grade on the unit…had four performances of 80 percent or better…YSU Offensive Lineman of the Game vs. Ohio State and Indiana State.

QB | #24 Tom Zetts, 6-1, 210, Sr., Boardman, Ohio

Zetts completed 173-of-277 passes for 1,845 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior…his 62.5 percent completion percentage set a school record…he ended his career as the school career record holder in yards (7,643) completions (654) attempts (1,094) touchdowns (51), percentage (59.8), 200-yard games (13) and starts (47)…started every game his four-year career…led YSU to a 26-10 mark past three seasons…season-high 298 yards in win over Western Illinois…played 682 snaps.

TE | #87 Derrick Bush, 6-4, 260, Jr., Circleville, Ohio

Played and started 10 games at tight end…caught a career-high 30 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown…had nine career receptions entering year…season-long grab of 36 came against Western Illinois…season-high 59 yards at UNI, including 28-yard touchdown grab…caught a pass in every game…season-high five receptions at Southern Illinois…team Offensive Lineman of the game three times…2007 preseason All-Gateway.

DE | #39 Myles Banford, 6-2, 237, Sr., Anaheim, Calif.

Started and played 10 games at defensive end…finished with 23 total tackles, including 18 solos…had 10.5 tackles for 40 yards in losses…four sacks for 26 yards in losses…two quarterback hurries…three sacks came in Gateway action…had three tackles for losses against Missouri State…had an interception against Stony Brook…played 494 snaps, second most on the line.

SS | #18 Vince Gliatta, 6-1, 210, Sr., Canton, Ohio

Honorable-Mention Selections
P | #36 Ben Nowicki, Youngstown State, 5-10, 175, So.; Gilbert, Ariz.

DT | #94 Torrance Nicholson, 6-3, 285, RFr.; Columbus, Ohio

Played in all 11 games, starting nine…credited with 42 total tackles, including 28 solo stops…played 494 snaps…four tackles for losses and two sacks on the year…had a season-high eight tackles against Southern Utah…posted seven stops against Western Illinois…had six tackles at UNI…credited with five at Southern Illinois.

LB | #25 Jeremiah Wright, 5-10, 215, Sr.; Orlando, Fla.

Started 10 games at the middle linebacker spot...credited with a team-high 76 tackles, including 41 solo stops...was second on the team in solo tackles...had two tackles for losses, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry...season-high 11 tackles against Stony Brook...had 10 against Missouri State, including two solos...35 tackles in Gateway play...team captain.