2013 College Football Dread All-America (Part 2)

For the most part players on teams in the FCS section of Division 1 just aren't as good as those on FBS teams; but that's not true when it comes to dreads. The dreads in the FCS this season, as usual, did not take a back seat to those in the FBS. Here now are the 2013 FCS Dread All-Americans.

FCS

1st TEAM OFFENSE

• OL Norman Booker - Hampton - SOPH
• OL Vincent Harper - Hampton - SR
• OL Randall Harris (1) - Towson - SR
• OL Quevalas Murray - Western Carolina - SR
• OL Billy Turner - North Dakota State - SR
• TE Wesley Samuels - Tennessee State - SR
• WR Tikeem Platt (1) - Hampton - SOPH
• WR Frank Thomas - Bethune-Cookman - SOPH
• RB Jacobi Green (2) - Richmond - SOPH
• RB Darion Hall - Tennessee State - JR
• QB Nico Flores - Norfolk State - SR
• KR Tay Willis - Southern Illinois - JR

The top (and only?) NFL prospect on the 1st team is Billy Turner (photo above), a 4-year starter at left OT for North Dakota State, which won the FCS championship during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
Quevalas Murray, a 3-year starter for Western Carolina, shown protecting QB Troy Mitchell (photo below) in Week 5 at Samford, has the shortest dreads on the 1st team O-line.

This photo (on left), showing a couple of defensive players celebrating (probably after a turnover) is from the JMU website, but it's the best photo I could find of Towson senior Randall Harris, who makes the team for the 4th straight year!
I don't have pictures for the other two 1st team O-linemen. But I included links to photos of Vincent Harper in my all-America with dreads post. Now here are a couple of links to Harper's teammate, Norman Booker.

http://msuttonphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Hampton-Tennessee-Tech-14-Sep-13/G0000MV9PfLJZggs/I00005A7ia6x5_Ec/C00005HrbnCOH4h4

http://msuttonphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Hampton-Tennessee-Tech-14-Sep-13/G0000MV9PfLJZggs/I0000YQm_miLbghk/C00005HrbnCOH4h4

Fans at Norfolk State and Tennessee State games didn't get to see the dreads of Nico Flores (photo above) and Darion Hall (photo on right) very much on the field this season. After missing the first 4 games of his senior season because he was academically ineligible, Flores appeared in 3 games before going down with an injury. Hall, a reserve RB and former Miami Hurricane, had only 19 carries for 158 yards but has a good chance to get more playing time next season.  

Tay Willis (above right), a JC transfer, was the Salukis' 2nd leading rusher with 321 yards and returned the opening kickoff 92 yards to the house in Week 11 against Missouri State. If he keeps his dreads (and it sounds very much like he's planning to), Jacobi Green (above left) is a lock to be on the team for all 4 of his years at Richmond. Green was the Spiders' leading rusher in 2013 with 566 yards, but his dreads had a tough time of it in the Week 7 game against JMU. Details from the Richmond Times Dispatch on link below.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports/college/richmond/hair-can-be-part-of-tackle-for-ur-s-green/article_24fae3d8-44a6-5589-81cc-0c25558c0569.html

I'm going with only two WRs on the 1st team because, for a change, there's a TE who deserves a 1st team nod. And Wesley Samuels was a pretty good player too, contributing 24 catches for 235 yards and 6 TD in his senior season for the 10-4 Tigers.
Sadly, I do not have any photos of the two WRs, mostly because Tikeem Platt and Frank Thomas didn't have a single reception between them, both playing almost exclusively on special teams. Hopefully by next year I will.
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1st TEAM DEFENSE

• DL Timothy Dysart - Morehead State - SOPH
• DL Dwayne Montgomery (2) - Bethune-Cookman - JR
• DL Terangi Phifer - Southeastern Louisiana - SOPH
• DL Jacoby Sessions (2) - Western Illinois - SR
• LB Raheem Cardwell (2) - Prairie View A&M - SR
• LB Robert Nelson (1) - Alabama A&M - SR
• CB Cantrell Andrews (HM) - Southeast Missouri State - SR
• CB Jaleel Lorquet (2) - Western Carolina - SOPH
• CB Tremaine Shepherd (2) - Alabama A&M - SR
• S D.J. Cameron - Southern Illinois - SOPH
• S Kevin Eugene (1) - Mississippi Valley State - SR
• PR Jeremy Woodson (1) - Bryant - SR

Miami native Jacoby Sessions (photos above) makes the team in both of his seasons at WIU, moving up from the 2nd team last year. He had 39 tackles, but only 1 TFL, as the Leathernecks' starting DT in 2013.
Unfortunately I do not have photos of the other three D-linemen on the 1st team. But all three are underclassmen and have a great chance to be on the team again next year.

Robert Nelson (photos above and on right) left Tennessee looking for more playing time and found it in his two seasons at Alabama A&M. And he played well enough this season to earn 1st team all-SWAC honors, finishing with 100 tackles, including 12 TFL. I had Nelson listed as a sophomore on last year's team, but obviously that was a mistake, because his college career is now over. 

There's another AAMU Bulldog on the 1st team - Tremaine Shepherd (above right) - who moves up from the 2nd team last year and whose dreads almost completely block out his jersey number (9). Shepherd had 3 INT this season. Also moving up from the 2nd team is Raheem Cardwell, trying to strip the ball from Alabama State RB Malcolm Cyrus in Week 7 (above left). I wish I had a better picture of Cardwell's awesome dreads, but this was the best I could find. Raheem was a 2nd team all-SWAC selection as a senior, finishing with 103 tackles, 8 TFL, 2.5 sacks, and 1 INT.

I'm going with three CBs on the 1st team because Tremaine Shepherd, Jaleel Lorquet, and Cantrell Andrews just had to be on the 1st team. Andrews (photos above) barely missed making the team last year and would not be denied this time. After two seasons at an NAIA school, he transferred to the FCS school located in his hometown (Cape Girardeau, MO) and moved into the starting lineup as a senior this season, finishing with 60 tackles, 5 PBU, 2 INT, and 2 FR, one of which was a scoop and score. It's kind of blurry, but you can see Cantrell's dreads in action in this 7-minute video of his highlights this season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zll4SalGB0 

Fans at Western Carolina games have been treated to the sight of Jaleel Lorquet's dazzling dreads the past two years now. It looks like Lorquet, defending a pass intended for Furman WR Jordan Snellings (photo on right) in Week 12 and, along with CB Fred Payne (#3), futilely chasing Samford RB Fabian Truss on a kickoff return to the house (left photo above) in Week 5, is going to be a 4-year starter for WCU as well as a 4-time selection for my dread all-America team. 

Whereas Lorquet still has 2 more years to go, unfortunately this very likely will be the last we see of Miami native Kevin Eugene (photos above), who makes the 1st team in both of his seasons at MVSU. It's been a pleasure, Kevin.

D.J. Cameron returns the second of his 2 INT this season (photo on right) against Illinois State in Week 12. Cameron, who for some reason I didn't even an HM to last year, has led SIU in INT in both of his seasons as a starting S. Jeremy Woodson (left photo above), a standout performer in the Bryant secondary in 2011 and 2012, didn't play as much on defense this season because he was slowed by injury. But he was the Bulldogs' first-choice punt returner this season, so I moved him to PR after he made the 1st team as a CB last season.
How much money would it take to get Woodson to cut off his dreads? Well, let's hear from Jeremy himself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_GOYhhGQ0Q 

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2nd TEAM OFFENSE

• OL Andrew Belizaire - Rhode Island - SR
• OL Damien Campbell - Eastern Kentucky - SOPH
• OL Timothy Carson - North Carolina Central - FR
• OL Jarien Moreland - Southern Illinois - SR
• OL Delryn Wilson - Northwestern State - SOPH
• TE Joseph Hawkins - Norfolk State - SR
• WR Kenneth Dabney (2) - Mississippi Valley State - SR
• WR Je'Ron Stokes (HM) - Norfolk State - SR
• RB Isaiah Crowell - Alabama State - JR
• RB Tevin Spells - Tennessee State - FR
• QB Jamie Cunningham - Howard - SOPH
• KR Xavier Roberson (2) - Southeastern Louisiana - SOPH

The 2nd team O-line (I have no photos of them) may be lacking when it comes to really long dreads; but that's not the case with the RBs, Tevin Spells (on right) and Isaiah Crowell (on left). Spells' output for the whole season (18 carries for 85 yards wouldn't even count as a good game for Crowell, but he's a freshman and figures to get a lot more carries in the seasons ahead. Crowell, who topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his junior season in 2013, is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Good luck, Isaiah, I'd love to see your dreads on Sundays this fall. 

The only other member of the 2nd team offense I have photos of is Kenneth Dabney, making the team for the 3rd straight season. 3 of Dabney's 17 receptions went for TD this season, and he also put in some time as the Delta Devils' holder in the Week 4 game against Southern - with mixed results. Late in the game Kenneth gets the ball spotted in time for K Cherchen Galon's PAT attempt (above left); but back in the 1st quarter, after failing to get the snap spotted on 4th and goal, he decided to make a run for it and instead was sacked for an 11-yard loss by CB D'Andre Woodland (above right). I don't know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet Dabney wasn't the regular holder all season.

For a look at the other 2nd team WR, Je'Ron Stokes, click on the link below.
http://msuttonphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Norfolk-State-Charleston-Southern-21-Sep-13/G0000F_nIyQlw0qg/I00008dZPA.ykCVo/C00005HrbnCOH4h4
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2nd TEAM DEFENSE

• DL Lesley Deamer (HM) - Northwestern State - SR
• DL Matt Grant - Norfolk State - SR
• DL Matthew Hornbuckle - Central Arkansas - SR
• DL Jordan Patrick - Tennessee Tech - FR
• LB Patrick Atkinson (HM) - Central Connecticut State - SR
• LB Aaron Cook - Gardner-Webb - FR
• CB Sherrod Baltimore - Maine - SOPH
• CB James Davis (HM) - Northern Colorado - JR
• CB Dionte Ponder - Alabama State - JR
• S Nick Beard (HM) - Eastern Illinois - SR
• S Adrien Grant (HM) - Prairie View A&M - SR
• PR Tray Butler - Georgia Southern - JR

With dreads like his, Aaron Cook (above right) has a chance to make the team 4 times. He finished his freshman season with 25 tackles, including 2.5 TFL. Matthew Hornbuckle, one of 5 players from the SLC on team, tackles Colorado QB Connor Wood (above left) during 1st quarter in Week 2. A 3-year starter at DT for UCA, Hornbuckle finishes his career with 22.5 TFL, including 7.5 sacks.

The MEAC is the conference with the most players on the team with 11, led by 4 Norflok State Spartans. For a look at DE Matt Grant, click the link below.
http://msuttonphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Norfolk-State-FAMU-2-Nov-13/G0000M_f2bbWj9cA/I0000bhEI1KcufIM/C00005HrbnCOH4h4

Sherrod Baltimore (above left) takes a fumble return 20 yards to the house for his 1st career TD during Maine's 62-28 blowout of Delaware in Week 6. I should have at least given Baltimore an HM last year but didn't - I think it was because I was angry at him because it looked like he cut his dreads a little shorter. If he actually did cut them, it looks like they've grown back. Unable to get on the field in three seasons at Troy, Dionte Pionder (above right) did as Greg Jenkins did - transfer to Alabama State. Ponder played 11 games in his first season with the Hornets, finishing with 16 tackles and 2 PBU.

Congratulations go out to senior S Nick Beard (right photo above), who finally makes the team after three consecutive honorable mentions. Beard (48 tackles, 1 sack, 9 PBU) was a 1st team all-OVC selection but unfortunately is not likely to be playing on Sundays in the future. James Davis makes one of his 4 tackles (left photo above) in Week 6, knocking Sacramento State WR Shane Harrison out of bounds after a 12-yard gain during 1st quarter. Of course, this photo only gives you a hint of how awesome Davis' dreads are; but it's the only photo I could find easily, and I didn't want to spend an hour (or more) trying to find a better one.

Tray Butler (photo above) eludes S Cody Riggs and runs for 16 yards on 3rd and 5 for a key 1st down during 3rd quarter of GSU's upset of Florida in Week 13. Butler rushed for 251 yards, had 2 TD catches, and had 7 punt returns, the best of which went for 42 yards during his junior season. Tray will be taking on FBS opponents on a regular basis during his senior season as Georgia Southern (and Appalachian State too) are leaving the Southern Conference and moving up to the FBS.
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HONORABLE MENTION

Now that we've met the team, let's take a look at those who didn't quite make the team. Not everybody with sick dreads gets an honorable mention; but there are a lot players I gave strong consideration to before deciding their dreads (for one reason or another) just didn't have what it takes to be on the team this season. Here are those players.

TE Alex DeLeon (HM) - FAU - JR
TE Trey Foster - Nebraska - FR
TE De'Marieya Nelson - Arizona State - JR

De'Marieya Nelson (photo above) avoids being tackled on his way to the house as he scores ASU's 1st TD of the season - and the 1st of his 4 TD for the season - in a season-opening rout of Sacramento State. A versatile 230-pounder, Nelson very possibly will be a 2015 NFL draft pick. With there being three senior WRs on this season's team, Martize Barr (photo below, celebrating after a Week 2 win over Cincinnati) will have a great chance to be on the team in 2014. Barr's play on the field, unfortunately, wasn't up to the quality of his dreads. The JC transfer had a disappointing 26 catches for 246 yards and only 1 TD in his junior season.

WR Martize Barr - Illinois - JR
WR E.J. Burston - Massachusetts - FR

Hopefully we'll be seeing E.J. Burston's dreads (photo above) less often on the sideline and more often on the field in the seasons ahead after he had 2 catches for 18 yards in 3 games in his rookie season. But this is the last we'll be seeing of Preston Cleckley (photo below, being tackled after a 6-yard punt return against Florida State in Week 4), who finishes his career at Bethune-Cookman with 2 TD.

WR Preston Cleckley - Bethune-Cookman - SR
WR Defarrel Davis - Central Michigan - SR
WR Stewart Hartman (HM) - Howard - JR
WR Braxton Hoof - Arkansas-Pine Bluff - FR
WR Julian Jones (HM) - Arkansas State - SR
WR Darius Joseph - SMU - SOPH

After catching a career high 52 passes for a career high 641 yards and 4 TD as a senior, Julian Jones (above left) finishes with 11 career TD catches in an Arkansas State uniform. Darius Joseph (above right) also earned honorable mention on my all-America with dreads team after finishing with 103 receptions for 808 yards and 5 TD in 2013.

WR Jameon Lewis - Mississippi State - JR
WR Malcolm Lewis - Miami (Florida) - SOPH
WR Bradley Marquez - Texas Tech - JR
WR Kendrick Peeples - Southeastern Louisiana - JR
WR DeAndre Richardson - FAU - SR
WR Lamar Scruggs (HM) - North Carolina Central - SR
WR William Woods - Kent State - FR
WR Jarvis West - Iowa State - JR
WR Lucky Whitehead - FAU - JR
WR Sammy Watkins (HM) - Clemson - JR
FB Ron Coleman - Southeast Missouri State - JR
FB Kenneth Goins - Maryland - FR
FB Darrell Smith (HM) - Clemson - SR
FB Taharin Tyson - UT-Chattanooga - JR
RB Cam Boyd - ODU - JR
RB Zac Brooks - Clemson - SOPH

Reserve RB Zac Brooks was averaging about 6 carries per game until suffering a shoulder injury against Maryland in Week 9 that pretty much ended his season. He finished 2013 with 246 yards rushing, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Hopefully we'll see these dreads on the field more often the next two seasons.

RB Alex Collins - Arkansas - FR
RB Dallas Crawford - Miami (Florida) - SOPH
RB Joe Ferguson - San Diego - SR
RB Damian Fortner - FAU - SR
RB Kendall Houston - South Alabama - SR
RB Brandon Murie - Buffalo - SR
RB Jalen Overstreet - Texas - FR
RB Ashton Shumpert - Mississippi State - FR
RB Darius Tice - South Florida - FR
DL Zach Barnes - Texas Tech - FR
DL Travonte Boles - Western Michigan - SR
DL Brian Bruton - Bethune-Cookman - SOPH
DL Markus Golden - Missouri - JR
DL Raysean Golden - Southern Illinois - SOPH
DL Jaxon Hood - Arizona State - SOPH
DL Taurean Lynch - Campbell - SR
DL Patrick McNeil - MTSU - JR
DL Jack Ndem - Tennessee State - SOPH

Jack Ndem, helping tackle Central State RB Priestly Shuler in Week 5, was a reserve DE for TSU, finishing 2013 with 8 tackles, including 1.5 sacks.

DL Thad Randle - Nebraska - SR
DL Terrell Reid - ODU - FR
DL Dennell Wesley - Texas Tech - SR
DL Donte Wilkins - Virginia - FR
LB De'Vondre Campbell - Minnesota - JR

I had a hard time deciding, but De'Vondre Campbell lost out on the last LB spot on the FBS team, as I gave Derrell Johnson the nod. But no doubt De'Vondre will have a great chance to be on the team next season.

LB Tavarus Dantzler - Bethune-Cookman - JR
LB Kyle Gayle - Delaware - JR
LB Sharrod Golightly (HM) - South Carolina - JR
LB Christian Henry - MTSU - JR
LB Derrick Jones - FIU - SR
CB Shaq Bell (HM) - Colorado State - SR

Shaq Bell is on the honorable mention list for the 3rd year in a row. Shaq's Twitter profile says "On the path to the NFL!". I hope he's right about that, but it's highly doubtful any team will draft him. 

CB Jalen Collins (2) - LSU - SOPH
CB Devin Drane (3) - Cincinnati - SR
CB Thomas Finnie - Bethune- Cookman - JR
CB Terell Floyd - Louisville - JR
CB Terrance Floyd - Wisconsin - SOPH
CB Collin Frazier - Norfolk State - JR
CB Clay Guess - Indiana State - JR
CB Travon Hunt - Howard - FR
CB Demetrius Nicholson (HM) - Virginia - JR
CB Brandon Salinas - South Florida - SR
CB Antoine Tharpe - Massachusetts - SR

This season cornerback was the position where the competition was fiercest to make the team. A lot of sick CB dreads had to settle for honorable mention, including those on the heads of Brandon Salinas (above left, tackling HM RB Dallas Crawford in Week 5, Donte Williams (above right, being grabbed by the face mask while returning a kickoff by 1st team S Aaron Taylor in Week 9), and Antoine Tharpe (below).

CB Donte Williams - Akron - SR

S Terrance Hudson - Mississippi Valley State - SOPH
S Raven Greene - JMU - S

Raven Greene played in all 12 games as a true freshman for JMU and moved into the starting lineup for the last 5 games, hopefully to stay for the next three seasons. 

S T.J. Lumar - Nicholls State - SR
S Kadetrix Marcus - South Carolina - JR
S Calvin Pryor - Louisville - JR
S Floyd Raven (HM) - Texas A&M - SR

Floyd Raven's dreads (photo above) certainly are long enough, but there just aren't enough of them; so they have to settle for HM. Calvin Pryor's free-flowing, high-rising dreads (photo on right) were part of many a celebration on the Louisville sideline the past three seasons. Next season he'll get the chance to show them off on the sideline of some NFL team.

S Trevon Stewart - Houston - SOPH
KR Lafayette Pitts - Pittsburgh - SOPH
KR Austin Smith - South Carolina State - JR
KR D.J. Woods - Massachusetts - FR
PR Kyle Griswould (HM) - MTSU - SR

What's the only thing worse for a return man than being tackled by the kicker? ..... having the kicker tackle you and force you to fumble, the fate suffered by Lafayette Pitts (upper right photo) on the opening kickoff against the U in Week 14. Austin Smith (above left), with the sickest dreads of the (unofficially) 16 players with dreads on the South Carolina State roster, also caught 12 passes for 102 yards and 1 TD in addition to returning most of the kickoffs for the Bulldogs this season. Kyle Griswould (lower right photo) added some color to his dreads for his senior season but still has to settle for HM for the 2nd straight year after barely being beaten out for a spot on the team by J.D. McKissic. D.J. Woods (photo below) returned 6 kickoffs in 2013, with the longest gaining 22 yards. The UMass website still has him listed as a freshman, so he might have used this season as a redshirt (he played in only 4 games).

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YOU MAKE ME SO VERY UNHAPPY

Whether they reduced their dreads too often or had their dreads hidden or cut off their dreads altogether - whatever the reason, these players, who would have had a good chance to be on the team, blew that chance.

WR Chris Black - Alabama - FR
OT Leon Brown - Alabama - JR
QB/WR Melvin German - FAU - SR
WR D.D. Goodson (HM) - Colorado - JR
WR Patrick Harris (HM) - Bethune-Cookman - SR
LB Vaness Harris (2) - San Diego State - SR
OT Seantrel Henderson - Miami (Florida) - SR
WR Allen Hurns (HM) - Miami (Florida) - SR
RB Matt Jones (HM) - Florida - SOPH
DT Corey King (2) - Miami (Florida) - SOPH
QB Munchie Legaux (1) - Cinciinnati - SR
CB Eriq Lewis (HM) - ODU - JR
DT Jerry Mathis (3) - Samford - JR
LB Anthony McIntyre (2) - North Carolina Central - JR
S Marcus Trice (2) - North Texas - SR

If D.D. Goodson kept his dreads loose on game days the way he had them during this practice last spring, he would have made the 1st team. But whether he was afraid they would get grabbed or for another reason, he instead had his dreads severely stifled for almost every game. What a shame.
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2013 ALL-DREAD SIDELINE

I don't know about you; but me, when I'm watching a football games on Saturdays, I don't take my eyes off the screen at the end of a play. In fact, a lot of times I'm paying more attention to the camera shots of the sidelines than the game itself. There's always a couple of players with their helmets off, revealing their very long dreads. For some of these players this is the only time you see their dreads - they never leave the sideline. Either they're redshirting or injured or simply just not good enough to get on the field. Here's this season's list of players with great dreads who never played or hardly ever played. Players who were on this list last season also have an asterisk (*) following their names.

DB Keelan Anderson - Southern Mississippi - JR
DT Fadol Brown - Mississippi - SOPH
WR Christian Cumberlander - San Diego State - FR (photo below, redshirted this season)

RB Miles Drummond (*) - Missouri - FR
RB Jonathan Dunn - William & Mary - FR
RB Sean Flannel - Incarnate Word - FR
WR Najee Green - Maine - SOPH
WR Jarred Haggins - Florida State - SR - had to redshirt after injuring knee (stress fracture) during training camp
DE John Harris - Mississippi State - SOPH
S Marcell Harris - Florida - FR
DB Jerredith Jiles (*) - Georgia Tech - SOPH
CB Kennar Johnson - Georgia - JR
DE Samuel Kelly - Bethune-Cookman - FR
RB Falon Lee - Miami (Ohio) - FR
WR Ronald Lewis - Arizona State - FR
CB Parry Nickerson - Tulane - FR
WR Clayton Smith - Howard - JR
DB Daishawn Styron - North Carolina A&T
DB Donovan Todd (*) - Florida State - SR
CB Brandon Willingham - Southern Illinois - JR

Falon Lee (photo above) will get to do his freshman season over again, redshirting after carrying the ball 3 times for -8 yards in Miami's first 3 games. Brandon Willingham (photo below, participating in Southern Illinois' fan day last August) redshirted in 2013 after transferring from JC.

Five players from last year's all-dread sideline made the team this year - Kyle Dockins, Terangi Phifer, Dionte Ponder, Aaron Taylor, DeJazz Woods - and I'm looking for some of these guys on the 2013 list to be on the team next season.


NEXT

MLB just had their opening day for the 2014 season; so I guess it's time for my annual baseball DG - coming up as soon as I get it ready (and I don't have any idea how long that will be).