In all, 11 Hilltoppers were honored — Deion Holts, Dennis Mitchell and Daniel Williams earned second-team all-conference accolades, while Justin Haddix, Charlie Phillips and Greg Ryan were honorable mention selections.
James, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore from Fayetteville, Ga., is ranked in the top 25 in the country after leading the Gateway in both field goals per game and scoring after making 15-of-17 field-goal attempts and each of his 42 extra-point tries. He posted a team-best 87 points to rank fifth on WKU’s all-time scoring list for placekickers.
Losey was named Gateway Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week twice this season, grading out at 95 percent overall, the best mark on the team. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Hixson, Tenn., native — who also received a 93 percent production grade — ranked second on the squad with 137 pancake blocks.
A 5-foot-10, 200-pound Columbus, Ohio, resident, Moore is one of two running backs in the league to average better than 100 yards per game rushing, ranking second with 103.7 yards per contest (which stands 22nd in the nation). He rushed for more than 100 yards in five of his 10 appearances this season, while also standing sixth in the Gateway with 10 touchdowns, ninth with 104.9 all-purpose yards per game and 10th in total offense (103.7 ypg).
Rumph posted a team-best 93 tackles to become the first defensive back to lead the squad in stops since the 1989 season, adding an interception and four passes broken up. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound native of Bradenton, Fla., led the team in tackles in five contests while posting 10 or more stops on four occasions.
Thomas — a 6-foot-2, 200 pound cornerback from Louisville, Ky. — recorded a career-best 84 tackles, ranking sixth in the conference with 8.4 per game. In addition, the two-time conference Defensive Player of the Week had 4.5 stops for loss, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception.
A 6-foot-2, 250-pound outside linebacker from Bowling Green, Ky., Holts had 37 total tackles in just seven games, which included a pair of sacks, and also broke up four passes overall. Mitchell, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound Indianapolis, Ind., native, was selected as a return specialist as he is currently ranked sixth in the nation with an average of 16.13 yards per punt return. Williams was honored after leading WKU with 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks — the 6-foot-2, 270-pound defensive lineman from Baxley, Ga., finished the year with a career-best 33 total stops.
Haddix, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound Jackson, Ky., resident, threw for a career-best 15 touchdowns, adding eight rushing scores, while recording 2,220 yards of total offense. Phillips totaled 29 tackles on the season, with 7.5 for loss including 4.5 sacks, as the 6-foot-3, 265-pound native of Kissimmee, Fla., ranked sixth in sacks in conference-only games. A 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive lineman from Murray, Ky., Ryan posted a 91 percent grade overall with a 90 percent production grade, and he led the team with 158 pancake blocks in his first season as a starter.
Illinois State’s Laurnt Robinson and Brent Hawkins were voted the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, while Jon Heacock of Youngstown State was named the Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year.
The Hilltoppers were one of three schools with five players on the first-team, joining ILS and YSU. Souther Illinois had a league-high seven first-team all-GFC selections.
Voting was conducted among the league’s eight head coaches, sports information directors and selected members of the media.
