University of Massachusets Athletics
Arnold, Jennings, Robinson Named ECAC All-Stars
January 11, 2009 | Football
Jan. 11, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - Three Minutemen football players have been named ECAC All-Stars as the postseason honors keeping pouring in. Junior linebacker Josh Jennings and senior defensive back/kick returner Courtney Robinson were named to the defensive team while senior Brett Arnold was selected as the punter. The accolades come only days after four players (including Robinson and Arnold) were named All-Americans by the Sports Network.
Jennings was a first-team All-CAA performer after tying for the team lead with three interceptions while racking up 90 tackles, second most. Jennings also won CAA Defensive Player of the Week three times, including after his career-high two interceptions on Nov. 3 at Rhode Island.
Robinson has already picked up a number of postseason awards, highlighted by being named a TSN honorable mention All-American and being selected to CSN's Fabulous 50 FCS All-American Team. He finished the season with 35 tackles and a sack while returning 18 kicks for 404 yards, a 22.4 average.
The awards keep coming for Arnold, who has been named Associated Press FCS First-Team Punter, a Sports Network All-American, First-Team All-Conference, and a New England Football Writers FCS All-Star selectee. Arnold finished the season with a 45.2 yard punt average, second highest in all of FCS.
Here is the complete ECAC release:
CAPE COD, Mass. -- Rodney Landers, senior quarterback at James Madison University, has been chosen as the 2008 ECAC Football Championship Subdivision Player of the Year. Out of the spread offense, Landers passed for 1,534 yards and 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions. On the ground, Landers rushed for 1,770 yards and 16 touchdowns . The Walter Payton Award runner-up ranked eighth nationally in rushing yards per game (126.4) and led the Dukes into the NCAA Semifinals and a 12-2 record.
William & Mary freshman running back Jonathan Grimes has been chosen as the 2008 ECAC Football Championship Subdivision Rookie of the Year. Grimes finished the season with 929 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, while also returning 22 kickoffs for 539 yards and a touchdown. Grimes received Rookie of the Year honors from the Colonial Athletic Association.
Jovan Belcher of Maine and Andy Romans of Lafayette are the only returning All-Stars to make the 2008 list. The 2006 ECAC Rookie of the Year, David Sinsi of Monmouth also made the All-Star team.
James Madison placed four players on the All-ECAC team to lead all FCS institutions. Massachusetts and Albany each had three players.
The ECAC will honor the players and rookies of the year in each division and region on February 24, 2009 at the annual Eastern College Football Awards Banquet presented by FieldTurf Tarkett, an event held in the Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J.
