FOOTBALL PLACES FOUR ON NEC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

November 30, 2009

BRYANT FOOTBALL PLACES FOUR ON NORTHEAST ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM 

Matt Tracey

Don Smith

Jerell Smith

Andre Whyte

SMITHFIELD, R.I - Eligible for postseason honors for the first time, the Bryant University football team was well represented on the 2009 Northeast Conference All-Star teams announced Monday by the league office. 

Competing in only its second year at the Division I level, Bryant posted a 5-6 overall record this past fall and finished tied for fifth place in the NEC with a 4-4 conference record.  

Junior tight end Matt Tracey (Littleton, Colo. / Heritage) and senior defensive lineman Don Smith (Attleboro, Mass / Attleboro) were named First Team All-NEC while senior running back Jerell Smith (Brooklyn, NY / St. Francis Prep) and senior defensive back Andre Whyte (Bennington, Vt. / Mount Anthony) were named Second Team All-Conference.

Tracey led Bryant with 35 receptions for 476 yards.  He averaged 13.6 yards per catch and had a team-high six touchdown receptions on the season.

He had five receptions in games against Albany and Duquesne and caught three passes for a season-best 67 yards in Bryant's win at Robert Morris and had a pair of TD receptions in the win over Saint Francis (PA).

Don Smith finished the season with 37 tackles and was second on the team with six sacks for a loss of 34 yards. A standout defensive end during his career, he had six quarterback hurries plus two fumble recoveries in 2009 and concludes his career ranked fourth all-time in school history with 17 career sacks.

A transfer from Howard University, Jerell Smith had a remarkable three-year career at running back for the Bulldogs. Smith rushed 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009. 

He rushed for over 100 yards in five games this season including a career-best 239 yard, three touchdown performance in the win over Saint Francis (PA).  

He concludes his career third all-time in school history with 3,071 career rushing yards and first all-time with 4,427 career all-purpose yards and 1,207 career kick return yards.

Whyte was third on the team with 55 tackles and had eight pass breakups.  He has a season-high nine tackles in the season finale, a win at Duquesne on November 21 and also had eight tackles against conference champion Central Connecticut State, six of which were solo stops.

Central Connecticut running back James Mallory was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Year while Monmouth linebacker Jose Gumbs earned NEC Defensive Player of the Year. 

CCSU coach Jeff McInerney was voted upon by the league coaches as the 2009 Coach of the Year.