July 27, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. -- Quarterback Thomas DeMarco (Palm Desert, Calif.), running back Mario Crawford (Detroit, Mich.), and punter Jonathan Plisco (Newport News, Va.) are the three football Monarchs selected to the FCS College Football Performance Awards watch list.
The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
DeMarco, who is also in the Walter Payton Award watch list, has been also named an Honorable Mention All-American by Consensus Draft Services and selected to Phil Steele's All-Independent Team this preseason. The starting Monarch signal caller was number one in the FCS in points responsible for with 21.1 points per game and was the second leading quarterback in the FCS in rushing behind Florida A&M's Curtis Pulley. DeMarco totaled 892 yards rushing and 81.1 yards per game in helping the Monarchs to rank 10th among all FCS schools in rushing offense. He completed 137 of his 255 attempts with only four interceptions, threw for 21 touchdown passes, and passed for over 100 yards in all but one of ODU's 11 games last year.
Heading into the 2010 season, Plisco has already been awarded First Team Preseason FCS All-American and All-Independent Team honors by Phil Steele, named a Consensus Draft Services Preseason FCS and The Sports Network All-America Team honoree, and selected by The Sports Network as one of the Top 10 FCS specialists. Plisco earned three All-America distinctions last fall. He was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, a Second Team All-American by The Sports Network, and earned Honorable Mention status by The College Sporting News. He finished the 2009 season averaging a nation-leading 44.84 yards per punt and consistently ranked among the top punters nationally in the FCS throughout the year.
Crawford meanwhile was the second leading Monarch rusher at 60 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry along with six touchdowns. As a member of the special teams unit, he racked up 226 yards on 10 kickoff returns, including a long of 76, in the Monarchs first season of FCS play. Crawford was also named to Phil Steele's All-Independent Team.
The following is a rough watch list for the 2010 season.
FCS National Performer of the Year: Jeremy Moses (Stephen F. Austin), Michael Herrick (Northern Arizona), Scott Riddle (Elon), Greg Denham (UC Davis), Chase Reynolds (Montana), Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Matt Szczur (Villanova), Devon Moore (Appalachian State), Tysson Poots (Southern Utah), K.J. Black (Prairie View), Andrew Selle (Montana), Thomas DeMarco (Old Dominion), Chris Whitney (Villanova), Josh McGregor (Jacksonville)
FCS Quarterback Performer of the Year: Jeremy Moses (Stephen F. Austin), Michael Herrick (Northern Arizona), Scott Riddle (Elon), Greg Denham (UC Davis), Josh McGregor (Jacksonville), K.J. Black (Prairie View), Andrew Selle (Montana), Thomas DeMarco (Old Dominion), Chris Whitney (Villanova)
FCS Running Back Performer of the Year: Kyle Minett (South Dakota State), Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Chris Evans (Samford), Chase Reynolds (Montana), Devon Moore (Appalachian State), Rudell Small (Jacksonville), Ed Gowins (Stony Brook), Justin Babb (Savannah State), Patrick Hall (Gardner-Webb), Mario Crawford (Old Dominion), Mike Rucker (Wofford), Terrence Holt (Austin Peay), Matt Szczur (Villanova)
FCS Punter Performer of the Year: Jonathan Plisco (Old Dominion), Pedro Ventura (Prairie View), Patrick Dolan (Nicholls State), Kyle Negrete (San Diego), Kevin Cook (Eastern Illinois), Tim Edger (Rhode Island), Drew Nelson (Stephen F. Austin), Bob Hooper (Samford), Josh Duran (Southern), Sean Wren (Montana)