Five Ohio Valley Conference football players have been named to the 2011 Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-American Team as announced on Thursday.
The selections included one second-team selection and four third-team picks. The second-team selection was Southeast Missouri State junior linebacker Blake Peiffer. The third-team selections were Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman, Eastern Kentucky junior running back Matt Denham, Tennessee Tech senior offensive lineman Scott Schweitzer and Eastern Kentucky senior defensive back Jeremy Caldwell.
Peiffer, a first-team All-OVC selection this year, led the league and ranked third in the nation with 13.7 tackles per game. He registered double-digit tackles in 10 of 11 starts and broke Southeast's single-season tackles record with 151.
Brockman placed 11th in the voting for the 2011 Walter Payton Award after rewriting the MSU and Ohio Valley Conference single-season record books. He went 316-for-477 for 3,276 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns, while catching two passes for 25 yards and two scores. He set new records for attempts and completions, while his 3,267 passing yards rank second to former Racer Justin Fuente's 3,498 yards during the 1999 season. Brockman established a new OVC mark as he compiled 3,487 yards of total offense, breaking Fuente's 1999 mark of 3,407. The junior made NCAA history this season as he threw for an FCS-record 422 yards in the first half against Tennessee State. He went on to throw for 600 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming just the fifth player in FCS history to throw for 600 yards in a game. He also caught a touchdown pass in that game and earned five National Player of the Week honors. Brockman will enter his final season with a chance to break the school career records for attempts (260), completions (70), yards (2,371), touchdowns (9) and total offense (3,169).
Denham ranked third in the FCS in rushing (131.4 yards/game) despite not starting the first four games of the season. After becoming the starter he averaged 184.5 yards/game over the last eight games of the season, a mark that led the nation by 35.3 yards/game. That included four games with 200-plus yards on the ground, tied for the most in the nation. Denham finished the season with eight-straight 100-yard rushing games, the longest active streak in the FCS. His play helped EKU to a share of the OVC Championship and an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs.
Schweitzer was part of a Golden Eagle offensive line that helped Tennessee Tech to a share of the OVC Championship, its first Conference crown since 1975. Tech also earned the OVC's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs and hosted Central Arkansas in the first round. He started all 11 games this season and 42 of 45 games during his career at three different positions on the offensive line.
Caldwell, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, finished the season with 51 tackles (37 solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was named a first-team All-OVC selection as a return specialist and a second-team selection as a defensive back.
2011 Associated Press All-Americans from the OVC
LB - Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri (2nd Team)
QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State (3rd Team)
RB - Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky (3rd Team)
OL - Scott Schweitzer, Tennessee Tech (3rd Team)
DB - Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky (3rd Team)