December 11, 2003 – Seven Morehouse football players were named to the All-Conference team announced today by the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Wide receiver Raymond Johnson and running back John David Washington were selected to the first team offense and linebacker Andre Warren and cornerback Selwyn Scott were named to the first team defense.
Offensive linemen Daniel Cramer and Ronald Richards were picked for the second team offense and Robert Kilpatrick was named to the second team defense.
Nominated by the sports information directors and voted on by the coaches, the All-Conference team represents the best players in the conference. Coaches are prohibited from voting for their own players.
Cramer, Kilpatrick, Warren and Washington had been selected to the pre-season All-Conference teams and played up to expectations. Kevin Coleman was also selected to the pre-season team, but the senior center suffered a severe leg injury early in the year that sidelined him for most of the season.
Warren, a 6’-1,” 240-lb linebacker from Phenix City, AL, led the SIAC in tackles with 109. He was one of the top tacklers in all of Division II football and is being scouted by several teams from the NFL. With an average of 9.9 tackles per game, the defensive team captain was the team leader in tackles for 9 of 11 games in the 2003 season.
Washington, a running back, from Toluca Lake, CA, followed up a spectacular freshman season with an even better sophomore season, finishing second in total rushing yards in the SIAC. This season, Washington rushed for 1,124 yards on 238 carries for an average of 4.7 yards per carry and 102.2 yards per game. At 5’-9” tall and weighing 170 lbs, Washington is pound-for-pound one of the best rushers in the SIAC. In 2003, Washington broke two long-standing Morehouse rushing records. His 242 yards against Johnson C. Smith University on September 27 broke the single-game rushing mark of 214 yards that was set by Greg Kelly in 1978; and his 1,124 total yards broke the single-season rushing record of 1,119 yards set by Eddie Burt in 1988.
Washington’s 13 touchdowns were the second highest total in the conference in 2003.
If stats were kept that tracked the performance of offensive linemen, seniors Cramer and Richards would be at or near the top in every category. Team leader since breaking into the starting lineup as freshmen, Cramer and Richards have been consistent performers at opening holes for running backs and protecting quarterbacks. Cramer (6’-2” 280 lbs) and Richards (6’-1” 345 lbs) have been key players on an offense that was first in the conference in red zone offense and 4th-down conversions.
Speed, power and consistency are the traits that propelled Kilpatrick to his third selection to the All-Conference team. A mathematics major from Washington, DC, “Killer,” as he is called by teammates, has been among the team leaders in tackles and quarterback sacks since joining the team.
Wide receiver Johnson and defensive back Scott are two newcomers to the All-Conference ranks. With 43 catches for 654 yards, Johnson, a 6’-1” junior from Lithia Springs, GA, was the SIAC’s second leading receiver. Displaying a penchant for the dramatic, Johnson made several spectacular catches in key games for touchdowns or to keep Maroon Tigers drives alive. Scott, a 5’-10” senior from Boynton Beach, FL, saved his best performances for his final year as a Maroon Tiger. A steady performer, the hard-hitting cornerback was among the team leaders in tackles.
SIAC champion Albany State University placed the most players on the All-Conference team with nine on the first team. Fort Valley State University notched the second most selections with five players on the first team.
Both squads also swept the 2003 individual awards, as FVSU running back Derrick Wimbush garnered Offensive Player of the Year honors. Albany State took home a pair of crowns with defensive lineman Walter Curry’s SIAC Defensive Player of the Year trophy and head coach Mike White’s Coach of the Year nod.
Wimbush, in his first year in the SIAC, rushed for 1,348 yards and 14 TD’s, while averaging an astonishing 7.3 yards per carry.
Curry set the NCAA Division II world on fire with 16 sacks, a mark second best in the nation. He also recorded 72 tackles, with a national best 35 for a loss of 168 yards.
Coach White took Albany State to the SIAC title, and the school’s first ever Pioneer Bowl berth. The Golden Rams will take the field against CIAA Champion Fayetteville State University on December 20, 2003 at the Georgia Dome in Pioneer Bowl VI Presented by Chrysler. Kickoff is slated for 2pm.
