McKelvey, Reaves Honored with Top Conference USA Awards
Marshall's senior linebacker, return man named Players of the Year
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall football linebacker Evan McKelvey and kick/punt return man Deandre Reaves were named today as 2015 Conference USA Players of the Year. Both are redshirt seniors for the St. Petersburg Bowl-bound Herd.
McKelvey, of Moncks Corner, S.C., was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Reaves, of Sterling, Va., received the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year. Both were selected in voting by the 13 C-USA coaches.
The selections of Reaves and McKelvey give Marshall 10 top C-USA football individual awards in the last five of Coach Doc Holliday's six Herd seasons.
McKelvey and Reaves were two of the Herd's three 2015 All-C-USA first team selections announced Tuesday, joined by offensive guard Sebastian Johansson.
McKelvey, the Herd's second consecutive C-USA Defensive Player of the Year winner, leads Marshall with 113 tackles (46 solos) this season. He ranks second in C-USA. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound inside linebacker has nine tackles for loss, nine pass breakups (second among the Herd), an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble in 12 games - all starts.
McKelvey played this season as a sixth-year senior, getting an extra year of eligibility after missing most of two seasons (2012 and '14) following ACL tears and subsequent surgery. His 2015 season was a bounce-back effort after he played in only five games in 2014.
He had seven games of nine or more tackles in 2015, led by his 18-tackle effort - a career best - in the Herd's 36-29 double-overtime victory at Kent State.
McKelvey heads into his final collegiate game with 247 tackles (including 17 for loss), 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.
The 5-10, 179-pound Reaves is regarded as one of the nation's top return men, and this season also has produced 47 receptions for 617 yards and four touchdowns as the Herd's starting slot receiver. His honor as C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year comes in a season in which he has three returns for touchdowns.
Reaves had kick return touchdowns against Kent State (93 yards) and Western Kentucky (97 yards), and also contributed a punt return score against FIU (69 yards). His three returns for touchdowns tied the single-season Marshall record set by College Football Hall of Famer Troy Brown in 1991.
Reaves owns the school's kick return yardage record for single game, season and career. This season, Reaves is averaging 30.5 yards on kick returns and 13.7 yards on punt returns - both ranking in the top 10 in major college football.
McKelvey (marketing and management) and Reaves (marketing) earned their MU undergraduate degrees in August.
While Reaves is Marshall's first honoree for the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year in the Herd's 11 seasons in the conference, McKelvey is the third to win the C-USA Defensive honor from Marshall in the last five seasons.
Defensive end Vinny Curry won in 2011, and linebacker Neville Hewitt took the honor last season. Since the Herd joined C-USA in 2005, the other Herd player to win Defensive Player honors was end Albert McClellan, who was co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.
Former Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato was a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year (2013 and '14) and was the league's MVP in 2012. Former running back Kevin Grooms was the Freshman of the Year in 2012, and junior cornerback/nickel Corey Tindal was the C-USA co-Freshman of the Year in 2013. Holliday was the league's coach of the Year last season.
The Herd (9-3) will close its 2015 season against Connecticut (6-6) in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. at Tropicana Field. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Marshall's senior linebacker, return man named Players of the Year
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall football linebacker Evan McKelvey and kick/punt return man Deandre Reaves were named today as 2015 Conference USA Players of the Year. Both are redshirt seniors for the St. Petersburg Bowl-bound Herd.
McKelvey, of Moncks Corner, S.C., was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Reaves, of Sterling, Va., received the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year. Both were selected in voting by the 13 C-USA coaches.
The selections of Reaves and McKelvey give Marshall 10 top C-USA football individual awards in the last five of Coach Doc Holliday's six Herd seasons.
McKelvey and Reaves were two of the Herd's three 2015 All-C-USA first team selections announced Tuesday, joined by offensive guard Sebastian Johansson.
McKelvey, the Herd's second consecutive C-USA Defensive Player of the Year winner, leads Marshall with 113 tackles (46 solos) this season. He ranks second in C-USA. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound inside linebacker has nine tackles for loss, nine pass breakups (second among the Herd), an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble in 12 games - all starts.
McKelvey played this season as a sixth-year senior, getting an extra year of eligibility after missing most of two seasons (2012 and '14) following ACL tears and subsequent surgery. His 2015 season was a bounce-back effort after he played in only five games in 2014.
He had seven games of nine or more tackles in 2015, led by his 18-tackle effort - a career best - in the Herd's 36-29 double-overtime victory at Kent State.
McKelvey heads into his final collegiate game with 247 tackles (including 17 for loss), 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.
The 5-10, 179-pound Reaves is regarded as one of the nation's top return men, and this season also has produced 47 receptions for 617 yards and four touchdowns as the Herd's starting slot receiver. His honor as C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year comes in a season in which he has three returns for touchdowns.
Reaves had kick return touchdowns against Kent State (93 yards) and Western Kentucky (97 yards), and also contributed a punt return score against FIU (69 yards). His three returns for touchdowns tied the single-season Marshall record set by College Football Hall of Famer Troy Brown in 1991.
Reaves owns the school's kick return yardage record for single game, season and career. This season, Reaves is averaging 30.5 yards on kick returns and 13.7 yards on punt returns - both ranking in the top 10 in major college football.
McKelvey (marketing and management) and Reaves (marketing) earned their MU undergraduate degrees in August.
While Reaves is Marshall's first honoree for the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year in the Herd's 11 seasons in the conference, McKelvey is the third to win the C-USA Defensive honor from Marshall in the last five seasons.
Defensive end Vinny Curry won in 2011, and linebacker Neville Hewitt took the honor last season. Since the Herd joined C-USA in 2005, the other Herd player to win Defensive Player honors was end Albert McClellan, who was co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.
Former Herd quarterback Rakeem Cato was a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year (2013 and '14) and was the league's MVP in 2012. Former running back Kevin Grooms was the Freshman of the Year in 2012, and junior cornerback/nickel Corey Tindal was the C-USA co-Freshman of the Year in 2013. Holliday was the league's coach of the Year last season.
The Herd (9-3) will close its 2015 season against Connecticut (6-6) in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. at Tropicana Field. The game will be televised by ESPN.
