Football – Louisiana Proud: Four Cajuns named to All-Louisiana Team

Fenroy was named the most outstanding player on offense, but he wasn’t the only Cajun recognized

Kent Lowe • Written For The LSWA • January 5, 2009

For Derek Dooley’s bowl-winning Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, their performance helped earn him the vote as Louisiana’s Coach of the Year on the annual Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana College Football Team announced this weekend.

Players from four different schools – UL, Louisiana Tech, Grambling and Southeastern La. – took the special awards announced as part of the team.

Ragin’ Cajuns senior running back Tyrell Fenroy was named the LSWA Offensive Player of the Year, while Antonio Baker of Independence Bowl champ La. Tech was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Wide receiver Simmie Yarborough of Southeastern La. was named the Freshman of the Year, with sophomore

State in his first year on the field, earning Newcomer of the Year honors.

Dooley led the Bulldogs to a 7-5 mark and a second place finish in the highly-competitive Western Athletic Conference which had six bowl-eligible teams. Louisiana Tech would end up winning the Independence Bowl over Northern Illinois , the team’s first bowl appearance since 2001. The Bulldogs ranked among the national leaders in rush offense and defense and special teams touchdowns, landing a record four players on the All-WAC first team.

Fenroy, a senior for UL, earned the offensive player of the year honors as he became only the seventh player in NCAA history with four 1,000-yard rushing seasons and shattered the UL and Sun Belt records for career rushing yards and touchdowns. He also surpassed LSU’s Kevin Faulk for the state’s career rushing yards title.

He earned Sun Belt POY honors and was one of 10 semifinalists for the prestigious Doak Walker Award.

Fenroy rushed for 1,375 yards, a 6.1 yards per carry average with 19 touchdowns. He caught 24 passes for 254 yards. He was 11th in the nation in rushing and eighth overall in scoring.

In winning defensive player honors, Baker earned first team All-WAC honors for Louisiana Tech and the Amite product posted 111 tackles and three interceptions during the year. He was in double digits for tackles in eight of the 12 regular season games and finished second in the WAC and 21st in the nation in total tackles.

His year was highlighted by 14 tackles versus Army and had 10 tackles, a blocked punt and an interception in the win over Fresno State.

Yarborough, from Brookhaven, Miss., was also named the Southland Conference’s Freshman of the Year as he became the first Southeastern player to win that honor. He finished the year with 51 receptions for 490 yards and six touchdowns. His first career reception as a Lion was a 14-yard scoring pass at Alcorn State in the season opener. He caught nine passes and scored once at nationally-ranked Central Arkansas and had eight catches and two scores at Stephen F. Austin.

Newcomer winner Dillon didn’t hit the field for the SWAC champion Tigers until this season and he responded with 1,242 passing yards, rushing for another 676. He tossed 15 touchdown passes and ran for three more. The sophomore from Bogalusa was also named the SWAC Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-SWAC selection.

Joining Fenroy on the first team offense in 2008 were offensive linemen Ciron Black and Herman Johnson of LSU, Chris Fisher of UL, Troy Kropog of Tulane and Eman Naghvi of McNeese State. Fenroy’s running back partner on the first team was Charles Scott of LSU who rushed for 18 touchdowns this season.

At the wide receiver position were LSU’s Brandon LaFell and Southern University’s Juamorris Stewart with ULM’s senior Zeek Zacharie at the tight end. The voters easily chose UL’s Michael DeSormeaux, a senior from New Iberia with 13 passing touchdowns, as the first team quarterback.

The first team defensive linemen combining for 27 sacks were Rahim Alem of LSU, Vincent Lands of Southern, Melvin Matthews of Grambling and D’Anthony Smith of Louisiana Tech. The three linebackers are Cardia Jackson of ULM, Keefe Hall of Grambling and Allen Nelson of McNeese. Joining Baker in the defensive backfield are Tommy Connors of Southeastern, Wesley Eckles of Northwestern State and LaDarius Webb of Nicholls.

Chosen for the first team specialty positions are punter Ross Thevenot of Tulane, Colt David of LSU and Phillip Livas of Louisiana Tech.

Nominees for the team came from sports information directors from the football playing four-year schools in the state and then voting was done by a panel of LSWA members. Nominating information was based on the play of the team through the end of the regular season.