COMPLETE ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
RICHMOND, Va. – CAA Football on Tuesday announced its 2015 award winners, led by the conference’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, James Madison quarterback Vad Lee, William & Mary safety DeAndre Houston-Carson, and Stony Brook lineman Victor Ochi.
CAA Football’s All-Conference awards are voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches. 2015 co-champion William & Mary leads the way with 18 All-Conference selections, including seven first-team picks. Richmond produced the second-most honorees with 13, followed by James Madison and Delaware at 10.
Despite missing the final three games of the season, Lee led CAA Football with 3,004 yards of total offense, 28 total touchdowns and a 165.5 passer efficiency rating. His average of 375.5 yards of total offense per game led the FCS during the regular season, as did his completion percentage of 68.3.
Voting for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year ended in a tie between Houston-Carson and Ochi. Houston-Carson finished with a William & Mary-best 68 tackles, and his four interceptions were second-most in the conference. He also blocked a pair of kicks on special teams.
Ochi, meanwhile, currently leads the nation with 13 sacks, and his 16.5 tackles-for-loss tied for the CAA Football regular-season high.
William & Mary return specialist and receiver DeVonte Dedmon was voted as the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year after leading the league in punt return average at 16.4 yards. He also averaged 25.6 yards on kick returns, and was the only conference player this season to take both a kickoff and a punt back for touchdowns.
Voting for both the CAA Football Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards also ended in ties. Villanova quarterback Zach Bednarczyk and Delaware running back Thomas Jefferson shared the offensive honor, while a pair of linebackers – UAlbany’s Julian Cox and Towson’s Chris Tedder – were recognized on the defensive side.
After leading his team to a share of the CAA Football title and the No. 7 national seed in the FCS playoffs, Richmond’s Danny Rocco was selected as the league’s Coach of the Year for the first time in his UR career. The Spiders finished second in CAA Football in scoring offense, second in total offense and third in turnover margin during the regular season.
Finally, Villanova offensive lineman Jake Prus was named the CAA Football Chuck Boone Leadership Award recipient – an honor that embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, teamwork and sportsmanship in academics and athletics. Prus holds a 3.83 GPA studying bio-chemistry, and was among the Villanova student-athletes who donated bone marrow through the Be The Match Foundation this fall.
The Boone Award is selected by CAA Football’s athletic directors.