STATS FCS unveiled its 2019 All-America teams on Thursday, and seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) players were honored -- highlighted by three players who were named Second Team on offense.
That trio included North Carolina A&T State running back Jah-Maine Martin and Aggies offensive lineman Marcus Pettiford -- the 2019 MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year -- as well as South Carolina State offensie lineman Alex Taylor.
Martin, a First Team All-MEAC selection and a finalist for the Black College Football Player of the Year award, has proven to be one of the best running backs in the nation. He has nine touchdown runs of 50 yards or more. He leads the nation in yards per carry at 7.81, and he was the only MEAC player this season to rush for more than 1,000 yards as he enters the Celebration Bowl with 1,336 yards and a single-season school-record 21 touchdowns.
Pettiford was a key player on North Carolina A&T State's offensive line, as the unit produced the lone 1,000-yard rusher in the MEAC this season and one of the NCAA’s best running backs in Martin, who leads the nation in rushing yards per carry and is second in scoring.
Taylor was a First Team All-MEAC selection after leading the Bulldogs to a share of the MEAC championship this season, and he was named Offensive Lineman of the Week five times. He anchored an offensive line that allowed South Carolina State to average 368.2 yards of total offense and 30.1 points per game.
North Carolina Central's Darius Royster, the 2019 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, was named Third Team All-American on defense, as was Morgan State linebacker Rico Kennedy.
Royster was a terror in the backfield for the Eagles during the 2019 season. He tied for the MEAC lead in both sacks and tackles for a loss this season. He was in the top 15 in the conference in overall tackles with 75 and ranked 22nd in all of FCS in sacks and tied for 33rd in tackles for loss.
Kennedy was third in the MEAC in total tackles this season with 105, averaging nearly nine stop a contest. His 4.5 sacks were also among the MEAC's best, and Kennedy tied for the conference lead with Royster in tackles for loss -- 16.0 total for 52 yards.
On special teams, Florida A&M punter Chris Faddoul and Bethune-Cookman return specialist Jimmie Robinson earned Third Team honors.
Faddoul continued to be one of the most consistent punters in all of college football. He showcased his powerful leg all season long and finished second in all of FCS averaging 46.0 yards per punt. He ranks second nationally in punting and booted a season-high 72-yard punt against North Carolina A&T State on Oct. 20.
Robinson averaged 28.1 yards a return on kickoffs this season, leading the MEAC and finishing third in the FCS. His 2019 highlights included a 92-yarder against Howard and a 79-yarder for a touchdown at North Carolina Central. He also finished eighth in the nation with two blocked kicks.