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College Fanz Sports Network Announces 2009 NAIA Football All-American Team

Posted by Jason Dannelly - Tue, Jan 26, 2010 - [Football] - Viewed 3073 times

Grand Island, Neb. – January 26, 2010 -- College Fanz™ Sports Network has announced the 2009 NAIA Football All-American team, as voted on by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football coaches and the College Fanz Football Game of the Week broadcast team.

This is the ninth annual edition of the NAIA Football All-American team, which began in 2002 with Jason Dannelly and the Victory Sports Network (now part of College Fanz). College Fanz is the world's largest online college sports community launched by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen.

Lorenzo Brown, quarterback of the University of Sioux Falls, was named the Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Trevor Holleman, defensive back, was the Defensive Player of the Year.

"This year's team is as solid as ever," said Jason Dannelly, Director of College Relations for College Fanz. "The only difference this season was really the number of people that got to witness these great players because of the College Fanz NAIA Game of the Week broadcasts. Forty-three of the first and second team All-Americans appeared this season on our College Fanz Game of the Week broadcasts."

Lorenzo Brown won the College Fanz Offensive Player of the Year award for the first time, while a student-athlete from Sioux Falls has now won the award three times. The 6-0, 200 lb. signal caller joins 2007 USF quarterback Chad Cavender as an award winner. Cavender won the award twice. Brown averaged 271 yards per game of total offense and 56 total touchdowns this season while completing 68 percent of his passes.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE 2009 NAIA ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

"Brown was the complete quarterback this season," said Dannelly. "Through the air or on the ground, he was able to get into the end zone. His athleticism made him the toughest player to defend against in all of the NAIA."

Sioux Falls Cougar defensive back Trevor Holleman (left)captured the College Fanz Defensive Player of the Year honors after a year of big plays and even harder hits. Holleman finished the season with 49 solo tackles, 26 assisted tackled and seven interceptions.

"Holleman is just a complete defensive leader. He makes big plays, makes big hits when needed and instructs one of the best defenses in the country. There is no one else a coach would want to have in that position," Dannelly said.

Coach of the Year honors went to Brian Ward (right) of McPherson College in McPherson, Kan. Ward, a McPherson Alumnus, led the Bulldogs to their first ever college football postseason appearance this year finishing with a 9-2 record. Ward has just finished his third season with the Bulldogs.

"Brian Ward has done an outstanding job in building his alma mater into a team that is competitive nationally," said Dannelly. "He'll be the first to tell you they still have a long way to go before they get to their ultimate goal, but it is apparent after this season that Ward is one of the NAIA's finest coaches."

For the second year in a row, the University of Sioux Falls' defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell (right) has garnered the Assistant Coach of the Year honors. Morrell's defense was one of the best in the NAIA again this past season, ranking first in scoring defense (10.5 points per game) and total defense (210.5 yards per game).

"Morrell is one of college football's best defensive minds," said Dannelly. "His squads are consistently at the top of the NAIA every season."

The complete list of the College Fanz 2009 NAIA Football All-American team appears below.

About College Fanz:

Launched September 7, 2007, 28 years to the day that Bill Rasmussen's ESPN dream went on the air for the first time, College Fanz Sports Network is the world's largest online college sports community, with students, alumni, and other fanz of college sports. College Fanz is changing the way college sports news and information is delivered to fans worldwide, just as Rasmussen's earlier creation changed the way people watched television. College Fanz boasts over 22,000 web pages devoted to more than 1,450 colleges and universities competing in over 225,000 NCAA and NAIA athletic events. Fans can post videos, photographs, and comment on their favorite teams and schools, participate in contests, and communicate with other fans in a compelling and ever-growing social network. Live and on-demand broadcasts of selected college games further enhance the constantly-evolving content offered on College Fanz. Additional information is available at http://www.collegefanz.com/.