UT Martin trio tabbed 1st-team All-OVC

Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 12:00 pm

Wide receiver Quentin Sims, defensive lineman Montori Hughes and linebacker Ben Johnson represent UT Martin on the 2012 All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team football squad.
Quarterback Derek Carr, defensive lineman DJ Roberts, defensive back Thad Williams, punter James Satterfield and punt returner Jason McNair were all named to the All-OVC second team. Wide receiver Jeremy Butler was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
The All-OVC teams and the All-Newcomer team were voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors.
“I am proud of the individual recognition all of the players earned,” UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson said. “I certainly think Derek Carr was worthy of first-team and Player of the Year recognition.”
Sims has 86 catches for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 16 touchdowns in one season is a new OVC record.
Hughes, one of four defensive linemen on the team, finished the regular season with 42 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, four sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.
Johnson, who led the OVC in tackles with 131, also had five tackles for a loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Carr, the only player in either the Football Championship Subdivision or Football Bowl Subdivision to throw seven TD passes in a game twice, completed 264 of 415 passes for 3,276 yards, 31 touchdown passes and one rushing TD.
Roberts led the league with 11.5 TFLs. He had 53 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 QB hurries and 1 forced fumble.
Williams had 44 tackles, 1 TFL, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Satterfield averaged 42.5 yards a punt and had nine punts inside the 20-yard line. He had a long punt of 73 yards.
McNair, who was named an OVC All-Newcomer in 2009, averaged 17.6 yards per punt return. He had a 75 yard punt return and one touchdown. He also averaged 14.8 yards per kickoff return.
Butler was the lone Skyhawk on the newcomer team. He made 51 catches for 750 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“Three of the four defensive players, as well as Butler and Satterfield, will be back next season,” Simpson said. “We have a good nucleus of players coming back.”
Eastern Illinois redshirt wide receiver Erik Lora was named Offensive Player of the Year while his head coach, Dino Babers, was named the OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year. In the other major awards, Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Blake Peiffer was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year while Southeast Missouri State redshirt quarterback Scott Lathrop earned the Freshman of the Year award.

Published in The Weakley County Press