LUCIUS SELMON / LAWRENCE WRIGHT / BRIAN CLARK / 10 NEWS DAVE WIRTH
December 2015
$3.00
VOL 5/ISSUE 1
Greetings:
Welcome To Tampa
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 6th Annual Premier Players of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner held at the Garden Inn Hotel in Tampa, Florida on December 9, 2015 and featuring keynote speaker Lawrence Wright, former Football Player with the University of Florida Gators and the Cincinnati Bengals. We are appreciative to the organizers for allowing us, the fans, to recognize those we feel are the best players and coaches in NCAA college football, as well as the premier players of Tampa Bay high school football. Congratulations and best wishes to those who ha
Greetings:
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 6th Annual Premier Players of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner held at the Garden Inn Hotel in Tampa, Florida on December 9, 2015 and featuring keynote speaker Lawrence Wright, former Football Player with the University of Florida Gators and the Cincinnati Bengals. We are appreciative to the organizers for allowing us, the fans, to recognize those we feel are the best players and coaches in NCAA college football, as well as the premier players of Tampa Bay high school football. Congratulations and best wishes to those who have been chosen as the Finalists for these prestigious awards and for the Lee Roy Selmon and Freddie Solomon Community Service Awards. I also take this opportunity to thank all those in attendance for your support of the Premier Players Sports Foundation, a community based nonprofit company whose mission is to help orphaned, foster and special needs children participate in sports and provide a mentorship network for those who go on to college. It is well known that sports are a great way to promote and inspire the value of academic achievement, discipline and sportsmanship – all
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
skills that are so important in helping our youth develop to their full potential. For those of you who are visiting for the first time, I hope you will have the opportunity to experience the many cultural and historical attractions Tampa, Florida has to offer. Whether you visit one of our landmark attractions, ride the streetcar from downtown to Ybor City, enjoy a meal at one of our fine restaurants or visit our many first-class shopping areas, we are sure you will find your stay to be an unforgettable experience. As an area fast becoming known for its many championship sports teams such as the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, World Champion Tampa Bay Storm, and the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, we know you will soon learn what many others have already discovered, Tampa is vibrant, full of energy and one of the greatest cities in Florida. Once again, welcome and thank you. My best wishes to each of you for an enjoyable and successful event.
The Premier Player Trophy
LETS THE FANS DECIDE! Football, or any sport, would not bring excitement to millions of people each year if it wasn't for the fans. Yet, when it came to determining the best players in the country, the fans were mostly left out of the selection process - until now. The Premier Player Trophy is an award presented to the athlete the fans voted as the best player in college football as well as in Tampa Bay high school football. A poll is released at the beginning of the college football season with 20 of the best players for fans to follow. In mid October, up to five more great performing players may be added to the poll while nonperformers are deleted from the poll. Fans then have until the last conference championship game to vote for The Premier Player of College Football. The five athletes with the most votes are announced in early December and invited to the Premier Players of College Football charitable awards dinner where the recipient of the Premier Player Trophy is revealed to fans. "Fans are such a big part of the games, so we wanted to come up with an award that they can be a
big part of too," said Carnell Moore, founder of The Premier Players Sports Foundation. "All the athletes on the list are Premier Players, but we let the fans decide who gets the trophy.� The 501c(3) nonprofit foundation is based in Tampa, FL. It recognizes sports can be a gamechanger in a child's life because it teaches team work, physical fitness, leadership, relationship building and self confidence. That's why its mission is to raise awareness as well as help orphaned, foster, special needs and at-risk children participate in sports by providing proper equipment and league sponsorships. The foundation also financially assists other nonprofits by using its charitable awards dinners as community fundraisers for organizations that focuses on the wellbeing of children. You can help make a difference in the lives of children today by making a tax-deductible donation to The Premier Players Sports Foundation. Our address is P.O. Box 341064, Tampa, FL 33694. Thank you.
The 2015 Premier Players of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner 6:30 pm, Wednesday, December 9th, 2015, At The Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport
6:30 pm
VIP Reception for finalists, sponsors & community leaders
6:45 pm
General Reception
7:00 pm
Blessings of The Show & Dinner Asif Shaikh, Pastor & Olympic Chaplain
Drumline Performance In Honor of Lee Roy Selmon NFL & Collegiate Hall of Fame 1954-2011 First Advisory Board Member
Strawberry Crest High School Marching Chargers
Presentation of the Colors MacDill Air Force Base Honor Guard
The National Anthem Strawberry Crest High School Marching Chargers
ADVISORY BOARD Lee Roy Selmon Jr. Stryker Orthopaedics Pam Iorio Former Mayor, City of Tampa Dave Wirth 10 News Sports Anchor Richard Ballou Columbia Management Div. VP Rod Carter News Channel 8 Morning Anchor Tyrone Keys All Sports Community Service
Welcoming Remarks Dr. G. Jason Hunt, Orthopedic Surgeon, Kaizen Orthopedics
Freddie Solomon Community Legacy Brian Clark, USF, NFL Alumni and Freddie Solomon mentee
Presentation of the 2014 Freddie Solomon Spirit Award Announced & presented by Delilah Solomon & Lanness Robinson Recipient Interviewed by 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
Lee Roy Selmon Community Legacy Lucius Selmon, brother of Lee Roy Selmon
Presentation of The Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award Announced & presented by Lee Roy Selmon Jr. Recipient Interviewed by10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
HALF TIME . . . Enjoy the food & more of The Marching Chargers TAD For Everyone Lawrence Wright, Entrepreneur, NFL Alumni & Gator Great Interview & Audience Questions facilitate by Dave Wirth
BOARD of DIRECTORS Afram Malki Sports & Entertainment Attorney Radenko Dobras Morgan Stanley, Financial Advisor Ken Stanley Raymond James Trust Services
The Finalists For The Premier Coach of College Football Award 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
Presentation of The Premier Coach of College Football Award Announced & Presented by Katelyn Perna, Board Member Recipient Interview by 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
A Word About The Finalists For The Premier Player Trophy 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
Presentation of The Premier Player of College Football Trophy Katelyn Perna Skoda Minotti CPA & Accounting Sam Satin Verizon Communications, Sr. Consultant Carnell Moore, CFP Vital Guidance Financial Management Premier Players Founder
(813) 833-3495
Announced & Presented by Afram Malik, Board Member Recipient Interviewed by 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
About The Premier Player of Tampa Bay HS Football Finalists 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
The Premier Player of Tampa Bay HS Football Trophy Announced & Presented by Carnell Moore, Founder, Premier Players Recipient Interviewed by 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
Closing Remarks 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
2012 Recipient Asa Watson RS Junior, Tight End North Carolina State Wolfpack
2013 Recipient Matt Floyd Sophomore, Quarterback South Florida Bulls
2014 Recipient Dylan Thompson RS Senior, Quarterback South Carolina Gamecocks
Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award Freddie Solomon played his college football at the University of Tampa and went on to play for the Miami Dolphins for three seasons before joining the San Francisco 49ers where he helped win two Super Bowl championships. His career in the National Football League as a wide receiver came to a close after 11 years. Then the Sumter, SC, native known as “Fabulous Freddie”, came back to Hillsborough County to make a more lasting impact. Solomon devoted the next 21 years of his life to the youths of Tampa Bay, working with the
PREMIER PLAYERS 6
Sheriff’s department to teach kids life lessons through football. His efforts impacted more than two decades of youths and his lessons are still carried on in the community. The Freddie Solomon Spirit Award continues Solomon’s efforts to help make the world a better place by honoring a collegiate football player from the states of Florida or South Carolina, each year, who has impacted the lives of others through giving and community service.
2015 Award Finalists De’Angelo Henderson Junior, Running Back Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Matt Dobson Senior, Safety Georgia Southern Eagles
Shakeel Rashad Senior, Linebacker North Carolina Tarheels
Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award Lee Roy Selmon, the first advisory board member for The Premier Players Sports Foundation, was a Collegiate and NFL Hall of Fame inductee who played his entire career for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Along with his older brothers, he helped the Oklahoma Sooners win two national titles before becoming the first player drafted by the expansion Buccaneers as well as the overall #1 pick of the 1976 NFL Draft. Even though the six-time NFL Pro Bowler had a great impact on the Buccaneers, Tampa loved Selmon even more for his impact on the community. The unselfish and very humble Selmon led multiple charities and even founded his own chain of sports restaurants to add his own culinary mark to Tampa. In addition, he helped usher in the University of South Florida football team, which is Tampa’s only Football Bowl Subdivision team. Due to both Selmon’s prowess on and off the field, the Premier Players Sports Foundation found it fitting to name an award after him. The Lee Roy Selmon Spirit Award recognizes athletes who go above the call of a student, amateur or professional athlete by demonstrating a deep care for others and their community. After all, while it is the teams that play the game, it is the community that supports them. That’s why Lee Roy Selmon never let the game of football define who he was, he lived by faith and touched many people in special ways. Today, the Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award honors athletes who show a love for others and a connection to the moral growth of their community.
2012 Recipient Akeem Davis Senior, Linebacker Memphis Tigers
2013 Recipient Gabe Ikard Senior, Offensive Lineman Oklahoma Sooners
2014 Recipient JaCorey Shepherd Senior, Cornerback/Kick Returner Kansas Jayhawks
2015 Award Finalists
Michael Bercovici Redshirt Senior, Quarterback Arizona State Sun Devils
Spencer Drango Senior, Offensive Tackle Baylor Bears
Kenneth Scott Senior, Wide Receiver Utah Utes
PREMIER PLAYERS 10
About The Coaches
The Premier Coach Award is presented to the Head Coach fans voted as the best in his or her sport via online polls. Candidates are announced about a month prior to the end of the regular sports season. Fans then vote not just for the Head Coach with the best regular season team record, but for the coach they felt led his team beyond expectations on the field or court during the regular season.
Jim McElwain Head Coach, Florida Gators
Dabo Swinney Head Coach, Clemson Tigers For years Clemsoning has been a thing in the world of college football. This seemingly annual tradition would see Clemson sweep all before them, before delivering an inexplicably disappointing performance in a game no one could see coming. Now we must find a new school to attach this moniker to, because under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers have moved their game on to a whole new level. Swinney has been the catalyst for five years of unprecedented success at Clemson. Since the beginning of the 2011 season the Tigers have had double digit victories every year and have never finished lower than second in the ACC Atlantic division. Swinney has also led the Tigers to three straight bowl victories. The 2015 season though has been something even the most passionate Clemson fan could not have expected. The Tigers swept all before them during the regular season with two games sticking out as to the impact Swinney has on this year. The first of these was a home clash with Florida State where the Tigers defense held what can be a free scoring offense to just 13 points. The second and perhaps most impressive win was the rivalry game at South Carolina. This was a trap game in every respect as the Gamecocks played their best football of the season in a bid to upset their arch enemy. Swinney though got his Tigers to respond every time it looked like the game may be getting too close and he put together a masterful coaching job in the victory.
You are not supposed to walk into the SEC and win in your very first year. You certainly are not supposed to be able to take a legacy team that has been down for a couple of years and lead them to the SEC Title game in your very first year. Jim McElwain has done both of those things (and more) after jumping from Colorado State to Florida and in doing so he became the first coach in history to win the SEC Eastern Division Championship in his debut season. It is easy to say that a team is in turmoil, but when McElwain took over the Gators job this was definitely a team in turmoil. The Gators had lost their way offensively and were a team without an established quarterback that was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East. Remember this is the Eastern division of the SEC we are talking about; to be picked fifth in that league (ahead of only Kentucky and Vanderbilt) is somewhere Florida should never be. It has not been easy for McElwain in his inaugural season in Gainesville, but he has re-established a winning culture at the school while putting his own stamp on the program in a very short period of time. The big turning point was early in the season where McElwain unleashed a public tirade on running back Kelvin Taylor after the player was flagged for excessive celebration. The fact that Taylor is the son of Fred Taylor, the fourth leading rusher in Gators history, did not matter to the new coach who proved in one moment he was here to change the culture of the program.
Kirk Ferentz Head Coach, Iowa Hawkeyes Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes since before the turn of the century, but in 2015, he has put together his best coaching season to date, leading an unfancied Iowa team to an undefeated regular season and the most wins in a single season in school history. The fact Ferentz has been able to pull out this kind of season at a school as unremarkable as Iowa is astonishing. Iowa does not have the fertile recruiting grounds of an SEC school or one in Texas, but Ferentz has masterfully made the most of the talent available. He has installed a work ethic and a lunch pail attitude of the kind that is whispered about in Big Ten lore through time. In a world of spread offenses and throwing the ball a thousand times a game the Iowa attack does most of its work on the ground. This is a decision Ferentz made based on the way his offensive line can dominate games and it is a tactic that has been the backbone of this amazing season. To complete a perfect regular season after starting the year unranked in one of the Power Five conferences is almost unbelievable. The Hawkeyes slipped into the Top 25 after winning at ranked Wisconsin and have been continually moving up in the polls.
PREMIER PLAYERS 11
Proud Supporters
Premier Player Of Tampa Bay High School Football Award
FINALISTS
10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
Strawberry Crest High School Marching Chargers
The Premier Player of Tampa Bay High School Football trophy is a new award recognizing top athletes from Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando counties. With the help of Ricky Sailor, founder of Unsigned Preps, the first poll of 20 high school candidates was launched Nov. 1, 2014, for fans to select the first recipient of the Premier Player of Tampa Bay High School Football award.
2014 Recipient Ray Ray McCloud III Senior, Running Back, Sickle Gryphons
Markese Hargrove Running Back, Plant City
Malik Davis Running Back, Jesuit Jesuit High School running back Malik Davis had a monster year. The junior back piled up over 2,100 yards rushing and scored 26 touchdowns while leading his school on the field with his work ethic and determination. In 10-of-11 games this fall Davis rushed for over 100 yards and his average of 8.2 yards per carry is off of the charts. Davis’ signature performance of the season came in his schools biggest rivalry game. The clash between Jesuit and Tampa Catholic is known as “The Holy War” and Davis just went off in a 35-20 Jesuit victory. He had 51 carries for 357 yards and three touchdowns on the day, breaking the school’s single game rushing mark which had stood at 289 yards since 1992. It was fitting that on the same day Davis set the career rushing mark at the school too, and he has another full year of play to add to his record and put it out of reach for a very, very long time. Davis, who was stunningly humble after setting these records, led the Tigers to their 16th straight win over the rival Crusaders and to a 10-0 regular season. He already has interest from a number of schools both in and out of the state of Florida and with the way his game has progressed over the last 12 months there is no reason to expect this trend to change. Davis is a powerful, physical runner who can take a heavy workload and a battering from defenders and just come back harder on the next play. This kind of back is getting rarer by the year and Davis is one of the best examples in the state.
Markese Hargrove is the very definition of a big play waiting to happen. The Plant City Raiders athlete is one of those players who just excels in space and has the ability to take the ball the distance on any given play by making a defender or two miss. At Plant City, Hargrove has made his name as a running back and the 5-foot-8, 175-pounder could seemingly play any one of a multitude of positions at the next level with his dynamic running ability. This season Hargrove has carried the ball 220 times for over 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns. His touchdown runs in particular are catching the eyes of college scouts who see Hargrove as an ideal fit for the spread offenses being ran at the NCAA level. In a 28-20 win over Lennard in late October Hargrove was simply unstoppable. The senior ran for 228 yards and a touchdown leading his team to an undefeated season in district play. The most amazing stat of the game was that Hargrove rushed for an otherworldly 13.8 yards per carry which essentially guaranteed the Raiders a first down every time he touched the ball. Hargrove is a natural leader on the field who inspires players around him with his heat and never say die attitude. He also ran track this year to improve his game speed and is always working toward being a better football player. His skill set and dedication made him one of the very best football players in the state of Florida in 2015.
Decalon Brooks Inside Linebacker, Gaither Decalon Brooks may have the family name, but this member of the Brooks clan is forging his own legacy. Son of NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, Decalon had an outstanding junior season at inside linebacker for the Gaither Cowboys. He made 114 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and had five sacks while always being the target of the opposition game plan. The result is that with still a year to go until a college decision has to be made, the scholarship offers are piling up. Brooks’ main asset is his playmaking ability. He does all the things you would expect of a middle linebacker at the prep level, but then he will flash something unexpected that shifts to momentum in favor of his team. He also has the asset of being at his best when under pressure, an aspect of the game that is not coachable. At 5-feet-10 and 190 pounds Brooks is still growing. His 4.55 40yard time is outstanding for a player of his age and is something that scouts are looking to see. Linebackers in college and the pros have to run from sideline to sideline and cover slot receivers in the pass happy football world of 2015 and that is something Brooks’ athleticism and intelligence allows him to do at a very high level. If Decalon continues to play and improve at the level he has to this point then following in the family employment line may become more than just a dream.
PREMIER PLAYERS 14
An Overview of Each Player’s Accomplishments This Season
The Final Five
DeShaun Watson 6'-2" / 210, SO Quarterback Clemson Tigers
Jalen Ramsey 6'-1" / 202 JR Defensive Back Florida State Seminoles Jalen Ramsey has had another stellar year at Florida State. The 6-feet-1, 200pounder has almost exclusively played cornerback this fall, but his versatility and ability to cover anyone on the field has made him one of the most feared secondary players in the nation. Ramsey is known for his gliding athleticism and is a long stringing player who is able to change direction and cover receivers in and out of their breaks with ease. His number this fall may not match some of the other cornerbacks in the country (zero interceptions), but that is more to do with the fact he is never thrown at than him not making plays. Ramsey does make plays consistently in other areas of the game. In the Seminoles close loss to Clemson he was the best defensive player on the field, mustering nine tackles and a sack in his team’s most important game of the year. Ramsey also starred in the ‘Noles 27-2 victory over Florida. The Florida State defense, led by Ramsey, held the Gators scoreless and it was only an offensive safety that prevented Florida being shut out in the Swamp for the first time since 1988. While that would have been the icing on the cake for Ramsey’s career in Tallahassee, the Smyrna, Tennessee native has already become a Seminole legend in his three years on campus.
DeShaun Watson had plenty of doubters entering the 2015 season. The Clemson quarterback was returning from a torn ACL that had bother him for most of last season, but that he played through because it helped the Tigers win. From last November all the way through the summer the questions surrounding Watson were always about his health. He even picked up the dreaded “injury prone” label at one point. Having led the Tigers to an undefeated regular season no one is calling him injury prone any longer. In 2015 Watson has dominated with both his arm and his legs. During the regular season Watson had 127 nonsack rushing attempts, the fourth-most by a Power 5 quarterback. His nine rushing touchdowns trail only Lamar Jackson in the ACC. In the rivalry game against South Carolina the sophomore quarterback rushed a career high 21 times for 114 yards and three touchdowns. It is that sort of willingness to do whatever it takes to lead the Tigers to victory that has taken the team to a Number 1 ranking. During the regular season Watson completed over 70% of his passes for over 3200 yards and 27 touchdowns. It is his combination of explosiveness and efficiency that makes Watson such a hard player to defend. He is the true definition of a playmaker that has the ball in his hands on every down probing for a defensive weakness. Clemson will be a threat to win it all for as long as Watson stays in school.
Vernon Hargreaves III 5'-11" / 199 JR Defensive Back Florida Gators
Keenan Reynolds 5'-11" / 205 SR Quarterback Navy Midshipmen It is hard to get noticed as a quarterback if you are not playing for a Power Five school. It is even harder when you play at a school where football focus is secondary to military obligations. Keenan Reynolds however is no ordinary quarterback Reynolds has been living and breathing Navy football before he was even supposed to be on campus. The quarterback spent his high school spring break sitting in on Navy practices and meetings, and the way he has played during his Navy career it might be wise for more potential college signal callers to forgo the trip to Cancun and instead focus on their future. This season Reynolds broke the record of Montee Ball for the most rushing touchdowns in FBS history. Going into the game against Army he is also tied with Ball for the most total touchdowns with 83. Barring something unforeseen happening against the Black Knights or in the bowl game this record will also be Reynolds alone by the end of the season. It can easily be argued that Reynolds is the most important player to his team in the country. With the triple option scheme Navy runs the quarterback is the focus on almost every play, making multiple decisions with players in motion, reading keys and executing correctly. Reynolds runs this offense as well as anyone in history. He is the definition of a coach’s dream and he could play in any system and for any team in the country.
This may sound strange, but 2015 may actually have been a little boring for Vernon Hargreaves. The junior Florida cornerback came into the school highly touted and has lived up to every expectation put on him. The problem with being so good as a cornerback however is that the offense is so scared that they stay away from you and that is exactly what has happened to Hargreaves this season. The best pure cornerback in college football, Hargreaves has just four interceptions on the year and just two passes defensed. This has nothing to do with Hargreaves level of play slipping and everything to do with the other team just being afraid to challenge him. Hargreaves has such great speed (he runs a 4.44 40-yard dash) and great instincts that any time the ball is in the air on his side of the field there is a chance he will pick it off. This natural ability, plus the hours of practice and preparation he puts in each week, enables Hargreaves to effectively shut out the best weapon on the opposition offense week after week. As the Gators have rebounded in 2015 so has Hargreaves. His level of play inspires confidence in those around him and his attitude has helped propel the Florida defense to make up for an offense that has gone missing on more than one occasion this season.
Derrick Henry 6'-3" / 242 JR Running Back Alabama Crimson Tide Derrick Henry has had an unusual season for a running back. Most backs tend to start hot, perhaps dominating the non-conference schedule before fading down the stretch as their body gets beat up and injuries take their toll. Henry has done quite the opposite as he has become more dominant as the year has progressed. In his first six outings of 2015, Henry rushed for over 140 yards just twice and his early season high was a 148 yards in the win over Georgia. The last six games of the regular season however were a completely different story. In those games Henry rushed for over 200 yards four times, including a monstrous 271 yards against Auburn and 236 yards at Texas A&M. It would have been five games over 200 yards but for the fact Henry was rested early (he had just nine carries) in the cupcake game against Charleston Southern. The interesting aspect of Henry’s game is that he gets better the more carries he has. In the Iron Bowl he was fed the ball early and often, amassing an incredible 46 carries. In a world where split backfields have become the norm it is rare to see a running back get that many touches in a game. Henry also had another 38 carries in the game against LSU just proving what an exceptional player he is.