MACOMB, Ill. - Head coach Mark Hendrickson handed out the 2010 Western Illinois
University Football awards at a team banquet Sunday afternoon (Feb. 13). More
than 250 people attended the awards banquet, held inside the Lamoine Room at
the University Union.
In
his first official year as the Leathernecks' head coach, Hendrickson recorded
the best turnaround in program history, going from 1-10 in 2009 to 8-5 this
year and advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs, losing to
top-seed Appalachian State. Not only was the plus-7 win turnaround best in
Western history, it also set a new standard for the Missouri Valley Football
Conference.
Western
Illinois capped off the season finishing 17th in the final Sports Network/Fathead.com
'Top 25' poll. The Leathernecks won a postseason game for the first time in
seven years and turned in the first undefeated season at Hanson Field (6-0)
since 1998.
Additionally,
Western Illinois had a finalist for the three major national awards: Eddie
Robinson Award for National Coach of the Year (Hendrickson), Walter Payton
Award for National Offensive Player of the Year (quarterback Matt Barr), and
Buck Buchanan Award for National Defensive Player of the Year (linebacker Kyle
Glazier). Since 1996 Western is the only FCS
program to have a top two finish in each of the three awards.
"Last
fall we worked very hard and we had lots of fun," Hendrickson said. "I believe
every player and coach feels the same as I do - that it was an honor to be a
part of the 2010 team. What we accomplished will be remembered for years to
come and the 2011 team will give all they've got to build on it."
Senior
quarterback Matt Barr and senior linebacker
Kyle Glazier were named the team's Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable
Player, respectively.
Barr completed
229-of-393 passes for 3,410 yards and 27 touchdowns to 10 interceptions with a
148.74 passing efficiency. He also rushed for 449 yards and seven TDs,
averaging 4.3 yards per carry. The four-year starter ranked eighth nationally
in passing efficiency, sixth in total offense, 12th in passing yards and ninth
in points accounted for.
Barr
broke 17 Western Illinois game, season and career records during his four-year
career - shattering the season yards, season touchdowns and season total
offense (3,859) marks. Barr became the only Leatherneck quarterback to throw
for 400 yards in a game twice in their career, doing so in consecutive weeks.
"Western Illinois has provided me everything I could have
asked for over the last five years," Barr said. "Coach Hendrickson was my
position coach for four years and he really helped me developed as a
quarterback. Coach Doug Ruse brought my game to a new level this past season and
we built a great relationship working together."
"I might not always express it in words but my teammates
mean more to me than they will ever know," Barr added. "All the individual
awards I have received are nice but the relationships I made over the last five
years will stay with me forever."
Glazier ranked
second nationally in tackles per game, averaging 12.85 per game (167 overall)
and posted the most tackles in a FCS game, 25 at Missouri State (third-most in
a Western Illinois game). Two weeks earlier he recorded 21 stops at South
Dakota State, becoming the only Leatherneck to record two 21-plus tackle games
in their career, let alone in the same month.
Glazier
registered 10 or more tackles in 10 of the 13 games played. He also led the
team with 13 tackles for a loss and made four sacks on the year. In addition,
Glazier recorded two interceptions, forced two fumbles and broke up two passes.
The 167 total tackles are sixth-most in a WIU season (11th in the Missouri
Valley Football Conference). A three-year starter, his 392 career tackles (378
over the past three seasons) rank him fourth among the Western all-time
leaders.
"I never thought this day would come," Glazier said. "I want
to thank Coach Hendrickson and the entire football staff. I am a much better
person now than I was back in 2006 because of those men. I love my teammates
more than anything in the world. All the individual awards are nice but this is
a team sport. I was not out there making tackles by myself. It
takes an entire team effort to win football games and these awards are a
tribute to the entire 2010 defensive unit."
"I would trade every individual award I have ever received over
my career if it meant having a chance to play one more game at this school,"
Glazier added. "I love going out there with my teammates on Saturdays and I
will miss those moments more than anything."
Also honored at the banquet were
the 17 seniors off the 2010 squad, including: Steve
Adams, Terry Barney, Matt Barr, Anthony D'Astice, Chris Fuchs, Kyle Glazier,
Justin Hamilton, Drew Helt, Matt Hulbert, Charlie Jouett, Brandon Kreczmer,
Mike Lamphear, Lito Senatus, Todd Speight, Mike Stieren, Gary Sumlin and Victor Visoky.
Six Leathernecks were named to the MVFC
All-Academic Team, including: Kyle Glazier
(First-Team), Matt Barr (First-Team), Myers
Hendrickson (Second-Team), Victor Visoky (Honorable Mention), Drew Helt (Honorable Mention) and Josh Gabelmann (Honorable Mention). Additionally,
Barr and Glazier were both selected as two of only 52 players nationwide to
the FCS Academic All-Star Team, while Glazier
was
selected
to ESPN's First-Team Academic All-America unit.
The following is a list of the
2010 Western Illinois Leatherneck Football Award winners:
2010 Team Captains - Mike Stieren (Sr/DE), Lito Senatus (Sr/WR), 2x
captain Kyle Glazier (Sr/LB) and 3x captain Matt Barr (Sr/QB)
Dr. Frank Sorenson Award for Academic Achievement (Highest Team GPA -
4.0) - Jimmy Holtschlag (RFr/OL)
Robert Blaha, Sr. Scholarship Award (Combination of Academics,
Team Leadership and overall contribution) -
Jordan Valle (Jr/OL)
Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year - Larry Patterson
(Fr/RB), Jeff Lindsey
, Carter Ridenour (RFr/QB)
Scout Team Defensive Players of the Year - Dominick Corsiglia (Soph/DL), Jolli Odele (RFr/DL), Jamel Wilmore
Coaches Appreciation Award -
Kevin Palermo (Jr/LB), Justin Hamilton (Sr/DB), Victor Visoky (Sr/DL), Todd Speight (Sr/WR), Matt Hulbert (Sr/OL)
Hustle Awards -
Drew Helt (Sr/TE), Gary Sumlin
(Sr/OL), Mike Stieren (Sr/DL), Anthony D'Astice (Sr/LB)
Special Teams Player of the Year - Chris Fuchs (Sr/P-K)
Green Beret Awards -
Steve Adams (Sr/TE), Terry Barney (Sr/DB), Myers Hendrickson (Jr/WR)
Wes Stevens Offensive Lineman of the Year - Mike Lamphear (Sr/OL)
Red Miller Award (Role Model of Passion, Energy and Spirit) - Brandon Kreczmer (Sr/LB)
, Lito Senatus (Sr/WR)
Most Valuable Players - Kyle Glazier
(Sr/LB), Matt Barr (Sr/QB)
