GREENSBORO – Three Aggies earned BOXTOROW Black College All-American honors on Wednesday. Running Back Tarik Cohen (5-6, 172, SO, Bunn, N.C.) and left guard William Ray Robinson III (6-3, 307, R-SR, Clinton, Md.) earned the recognition on the offensive end.
Linebacker D'Vonte Grant (5-10, 205, R-SR, Charlotte, N.C.) and cornerback Donald Mattocks (5-8, 180, R-SR, Burlington, N.C.) were the defensive representatives for A&T. Aggies placekicker Cody Jones (5-11, 136, SO, Gastonia, N.C.) earned honorable mention All-American honors from the organization.
Cohen, the MEAC co-offensive player of the year, rushed for 1,340 yards and 15 touchdowns on 197 carries. It was the second-highest single-season rushing performance in Aggies history. Cohen also caught 25 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown. He had seven 100-yard games and two 200-yard games during the course of the season. Cohen led the conference in rushing , scoring (8.7 ppg), touchdowns scored and is second in all-purpose yards (143.4 ypg). Nationally, Cohen is third in the nation in yards per carry (6.8), 15th in rushing yards per game (121.8) and rushing TDs. He is 17th in all-purpose yards.
Robinson earned his second first-team All-MEAC honor after winning his first in 2012. In 2013, he was a second-team selection. This season he earned first-team honors for the first time as a left guard after playing his previous three seasons as the Aggies left tackle. Robinson played 42 games with 41 starts during his career.
Grant, a four-year starter under head coach Rod Broadway, has been key to that reputation. Grant led the Aggies in tackles the first three years of his career and was one tackle shy of leading the team in tackles in 2014. He was 11 tackles shy of becoming the Aggies all-time leader in tackles. Grant ended his career with 45 straight starts, 362 tackles, nine interceptions and he has four career defensive touchdowns. This is Grant's first, first-team selection after being selected for the second team twice.
Mattocks is third in the nation in interceptions and leads the conference with seven total and 0.6 per game. Mattocks recorded a single-game school record three interceptions in one half during the Aggies 59-0 win over Chowan on Sept. 20. Mattocks earned defensive player of the week honors for his efforts and was third in the conference in passes defended.
The Aggies finished the season 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC to win a share of the league title. It was the Aggies first MEAC title in 11 years. The Aggies also reached No. 1 in all three black college polls for four straight weeks and they earned a nationally ranking on Nov. 17.
BOXTOROW has administered the All-America team since 2007 and the voters are comprised of media members from around the nation that cover HBCU football. From Press Box To Press Row is a nationally-syndicated radio show hosted by Donal Ware that is dedicated to HBCU sports.
2014 BOXTOROW All-America Team
OFFENSE
QB: John Gibbs, Jr., Alcorn State, Jr., Houston, Texas
RB: Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T, Soph., Bunn, N.C.
RB: Malcolm Cyrus, Alabama State, Sr., Autaugaville, Ala.
OL: Devin Flowers, South Carolina St., Sr., Charlotte, N.C.*
OL: Dewayne Houston, Southern, r-Sr., Lafayette, La.*
OL: Darren Pinnock, Morgan State, Sr., Miami, Fla.
OL: Matthew Reese, Tuskegee, Sr., Birmingham, Ala.
OL: William Ray Robinson, III, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Clinton, Md.
OL: Isaac Sampson, Alcorn State, Jr., Mobile, Ala.
TE: Jordan Payne, Alcorn State, Jr., Racine, Wis.
WR: Willie Quinn, Southern, Jr., Miami, Fla.
WR: Julian Stafford, Miss. Valley State, r-Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
DEFENSE
DL: Anthony Bass, Tennessee State, Sr., Clarksville, Tenn.*$
DL: Javon Hargrave, South Carolina St., Jr., Salisbury, N.C.
DL: Anthony McDaniel, Bowie State, Sr., Ft. Washington, Md.*
DL: LeBrandon Richardson, Bethune-Cookman, Sr., Miami, Fla.
DL: Deion Roberson, Alcorn State, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
LB: Kourtney Berry, Alabama State, Soph., Merrillville, Ind.
LB: D'Vonte Grant, North Carolina A&T, Grad., Charlotte, N.C.
LB: Lynden Trail, Norfolk State, r-Sr., Miami, Fla.
DB: Devin Francois, Alcorn State, Sr., New Orleans, La.
DB: Donald Mattocks, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Burlington, N.C.
DB: Curtis Pumphrey, Bowie State, r-Jr., Laurel, Md.
DB: De'Ante “Pop” Saunders, Tennessee State, Sr., DeLand, Fla.
SPECIALIST
PK: Cory Carter, Texas Southern, Jr., Raymond, Miss.
P: Chris Barrick, Prairie View A&M, r-Sr., Copperas Cove, Texas
RS: Michael Jones, North Carolina Central, Soph., Baltimore, Md.
*Indicates tie
$2013 BOXTOROW All-American
Honorable Mention
QB: Greg McGhee, Howard
RB: Jarvis Small, Albany State; Herb Walker, Jr. Morgan State
OL: Damian Love, Alabama State; Victor Moli, Albany State; Ronnie Ransome,
Virginia State; Michael Sabb, Winston-Salem State
TE: Tahj Dent, Tuskegee
WR: Jalen Hendricks, Livingstone; Javion Smallwood, Virginia State; Adrian
Wilkins, North Carolina Central
DL: Demarcus Berry, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Duvontae Covington, Winston-Salem
State
LB: LeRon Furr, Fort Valley State; Jerome Howard, Prairie View A&M; Nick
Thrasher, Tennessee State; Tavarius Washington, Albany State; Bre'Nard
Williams, Clark-Atlanta; Ralph Williams, Bethune-Cookman
DB: Najee Bright, Alabama State; Charles Davis, Virginia Union; Warren
Gatewood, Alcorn State; Michael Jones, North Carolina Central; Tony McRae,
North Carolina A&T; Travis Lee, Miles
PK: Cody Jones, N.C. A&T; Alejandro Suarez, Winston-Salem State
P: Christian Kinney, Hampton
RS: Johnta' Hebert, Prairie View A&M; Morris Henderson, Lincoln (Mo.);
Hoderick Lowe, Tuskegee
Offensive Players of the Year
2014 John Gibbs, Jr., Alcorn State
2013 Dray Joseph, Southern
2012 Kameron Smith, Winston-Salem State
2011 Casey Therriault, Jackson State
2010 Frank Warren, Grambling State
2009 Will Ford, South Carolina State
2008 Will Ford, South Carolina State
2007 Jacary Atkinson, Tuskegee
Defensive Players of the Year
2014 Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State
2013 Darnell Evans, Shaw
2012 Brandon Thurmond, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2011 Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M
2010 Kenrick Ellis, Hampton
2009 Christian Anthony, Grambling
2008 Marcellus Speaks, Jackson State
2007 Zach East, Prairie View A&M
Coaches of the Year
2014 Jay Hopson, Alcorn State
2013 Rod Reed, Tennessee State
2012 Connell Maynor, Winston-Salem State
2011 Connell Maynor, Winston-Salem State
2010 Brian Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman
2009 Henry Frazier, Prairie View A&M
2008 Rod Broadway, Grambling State
2007 Al Lavan, Delaware State
