MEAC announces Preseason All-Conference Football Team with N.C. A&T’s Kyin Howard(Eastern Guilford HS) named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year/A&T’s Jah-Maine Martin Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina A&T State University running back Jah-Maine Martin has been selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate and linebacker Kyin Howard(Eastern Guilford High School) has been selected as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

All awards, presented by TowneBank, were voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.

After earning First Team All-MEAC honors last season, Martin ended his second year with the Aggies ranked among the top running backs in the country. Martin finished 2019 ranked first in the nation in rushing yards per carry (7.73) and rushing touchdowns with 23. He also ranked second in total touchdowns (23), second in scoring (11.5), fourth in rushing yards per game (120.5) and fourth in total rushing yards (1,446). He had seven games where he rushed for over 100 yards last season, including a 299-yard performance against Charleston Southern on Sept. 14 (which included touchdown rushes of 84 and 76 yards).

The Conway, S.C. native was named to the 2019 Walter Payton Award Watch List after being named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week five times, and he was a finalist for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award.

Howard was the leader of the Aggies defense in 2019. He led the team in tackles with 79 (43 unassisted) and recorded 8.5 tackles for loss with two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and he recorded a safety at South Carolina State that proved to be the difference in the game. Howard earned Second Team All-MEAC honors in 2019 and led a defense that was fourth in the nation in rush defense and sixth in total defense. He had double-digit tackles three times during the season, including 15 (seven unassisted) at Norfolk State to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss.

The 2019 MEAC co-champion, North Carolina A&T State, leads the way with nine members of the Preseason First Team, while Norfolk State has six players, Florida A&M has four, North Carolina Central has three, 2019 MEAC co-champion South Carolina State has two First Team honorees and Delaware State had one.

Listed below are the 2020 Preseason All-MEAC teams:

2020 MEAC Football All-Conference Preseason Teams
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Jah-Maine Martin, North Carolina A&T State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kyin Howard(Eastern Guilford High School), North Carolina A&T State

First Team Offense
Pos.	Name	        Class	School	                                Hometown
QB	Juwan Carter	Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Richmond, Va.
RB	Jah-Maine Martin r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Conway, S.C.
RB	Isaiah Totten 	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	                Apex, N.C.
WR	Xavier Smith	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	                        Haines City, Fla.
WR	Zachary Leslie	Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Lawndale, N.C.
TE	Shawn McFarland	Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Selden, N.Y.
C	Dacquari Wilson	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Greensboro, N.C./Dudley High School
OL	Kenneth Kirby	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Newport News, Va.
OL	Keenan Forbes	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	                        Miami, Fla.
OL	Dontae Keys	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Fayetteville, N.C.
OL	Justin Redd	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	                        Hampton, Va.                                                                                                                                                               

First Team Defense
Pos.	Name	        Class	School	                                Hometown
DL	Jermaine McDaniel r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Dillon, S.C.
DL	Roderick Perry	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	                Raleigh, N.C.
DL	De’Shaan Dixon	Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Chesapeake, Va.
DL	Chris Myers	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	                        LaVergne, Tenn.
LB	Kyin Howard	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Gastonia, N.C.
LB	Jacob Roberts	So.	North Carolina A&T State	        Charlotte, N.C.
LB	Joseph Stuckey	Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Hillside, N.J.
DB	Markquese Bell	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	                        Bridgeton, N.J.
DB	Bryan Mills	Sr.	North Carolina Central	                Palmdale, Calif.
DB	Mac McCain III	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Greensboro, N.C./Dudley High School
DB	Decobie Durant	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	                Lamar, S.C.
P	Chris Faddoul	Sr.	Florida A&M	                        Wesley Chapel, Fla.
PK	Jose Romo-MartinezJr.	Delaware State	                        Banning, Calif.
RS	Brandon CodringtonSo.	North Carolina Central	                Raleigh, N.C.                                                                                                                                                               


Second Team Offense
Pos.	Name	       Class	School	                                Hometown
QB	Corey Fields	So.	South Carolina State	                Hollywood, S.C.
RB	Isaac Washington 	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	                Cape Coral, Fla.
RB	Dedrick Parson 	r-Jr.	Howard	                                Philadelphia, Pa.
WR	David Manigo	So.	Florida A&M	                        Decatur, Ga.
WR	Shaquan Davis	So.	South Carolina State	                Summerville, S.C.
TE	Taron Mallard	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	                        New Bern, N.C.
C	Bryan Crawford 	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	                        Pahokee, Fla.
OL	Andrew Dale	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	                Morehead City, N.C.
OL	Jamal Savage	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	                        Plant City, Fla.
OL	Jalen Powell	Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Temple Hill, Md.
OL	De’jour Simpson	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Charlotte, N.C.                                                                                                                                                               


Second Team Defense
Pos.	Name	        Class	School	                                Hometown
DL	Devin Harrell 	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Gastonia, N.C.
DL	Xavier Johnson	Jr.	South Carolina State	                Lake View, S.C.
DL	Gerome Howard	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	                        Sarasota, Fla.
DL	Tavien Blackwell	Sr.	Norfolk State	                Richmond, Va.
LB	Brooks Parker	Jr.	Delaware State	                        Laurel, Del.
LB	Jerome Foster	Jr.	North Carolina Central	                Greenville, S.C.
LB	Untareo Johnson	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	                        Jonestown, Miss.
DB	Devyn Coles	So.	Norfolk State	                        Highland Springs, Va.
DB	Juwain Granger	Jr.	Delaware State	                        New Castle, Del. 
DB	Stephen Stokes	Sr.	North Carolina Central	                Baltimore, Md.
DB	Brandon Savage	Jr.	Norfolk State	                        Baltimore, Md.
P	Michael Rivers	Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	        Wilmington, N.C.
PK	Josh Nardone	Sr.	Norfolk State	                        Virginia Beach, Va.
RS	Tyrese Spain	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	                        Tampa, Fla.