March 17, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University football team celebrated its national championship season with the team's annual postseason banquet at Garrett Conference Center Sunday, announcing the Hilltoppers' 2002 award winners at the event.
In a vote of team members, QB Jason Michael was selected Most Valuable Player, RB Jon Frazier was chosen the Offensive MVP and OLB Sherrod Coates was named Defensive MVP.
Michael ended the year ranked second on the season record list with a 157.1 pass efficiency rating and third with 2,303 yards of total offense after completing 100-of-165 pass attempts for 1,661 yards and nine touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior from Louisa, Ky., was selected honorable mention all-Gateway Football Conference.
Coates helped lead a defense that concluded the regular season leading the league in rush, pass, pass efficiency, total and scoring defense with career highs of 93 tackles, 31 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 13 sacks. A 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from Boynton Beach, Fla., Coates was selected first-team All-America by five organizations and was chosen first-team all-conference.
A 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior, Frazier rushed for 1,537 yards and 12 touchdowns, tying the school season record with nine 100-yard contests. The Central City, Ky., resident ranked in the top five in the Gateway Conference and top 30 nationally in both rushing and all-purpose yards en route to earning second-team all-league accolades.
The Offensive Hustle Award was given by the coaching staff to All-America OL Chris Price, while OLB Jon Drummond earned the Defensive Hustle Award. Price, a 6-foot, 290-pound Indianapolis, Ind., native, concluded his four-year career with a third consecutive first-team all-conference selection after ending the regular season with an overall grade of 89 percent, 107 pancake blocks and 26 decleaters. A 5-foot-11, 230-pound senior from Miami, Fla., Drummond posted 84 tackles, including 10 for loss and seven sacks, as well as seven passes defensed. He was an honorable mention all-Gateway pick.
The Al Almond Memorial Award, given to the player who displays the same devotion to character, loyalty, ability and love of fellow man exhibited by Almond, the longtime coach at Western's University High School, was given to DL Patrick Reynolds. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Bowling Green, Ky., resident was named first-team all-league for the second consecutive season after leading the Hilltoppers' line with 71 total tackles, 13 stops behind the line of scrimmage including five sacks, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
DB Teco Dickerson was selected for the Community College Distinguished Citizenship Award, and SS Brian Lowder won the Academic Award. Dickerson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore who hails from Russellville, Ky., had three stops, including one for loss, in six appearances. Lowder was voted first-team Verizon Academic All-America and named to the Division I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star Team. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Bowling Green, Ky., resident also accounted for a career-best 96 total tackles in his first season as a starter.
Western's captains last season - Coates, Peter Martinez, Michael and Price - were recognized as well.
The Hilltoppers claimed their first NCAA I-AA national title in December with a 34-14 victory over McNeese State, concluding the year 12-3. WKU won a share of its first Gateway Conference title with a 6-1 record while also recording its seventh consecutive winning season.
- WKU -
