LORMAN, Miss. – The senior offensive linemen duo of
Kenyon Brantley and
Timothy Gardner from the Alcorn State University football program were both named to the 2017 HBCU All-America First-Team, released by BOXTOROW.
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Additionally, seniors
De'Lance Turner and
Norlando Veals earned recognition as Honorable Mention.
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Brantley and Gardner anchored an offensive line that helped Alcorn lead the SWAC in both total offense and rushing offense. They heavily aided the Braves in racking up 461.3 yards per game and 237.4 rushing yards per outing – both marks were top-10 in the country.
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Brantley, from Crossett, Arkansas, and Gardner, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, blocked for Turner who broke the school's single-season rushing record with 1,357 yards on the year which was second-most in the country.
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It marked just the second time in school history that Alcorn placed offensive linemen on the HBCU All-America team.
Isaac Sampson earned the nod in 2014.
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Brantley and Gardner were also named to the All-Conference First-Team.
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2017 BOXTOROW All-America Team
OFFENSE
QB:Â Â Â Â Amir Hall, Bowie State, Jr., Bowie, Md.
RB:Â Â Â Â Trenton Cannon, Virginia State, Sr., Hampton, Va.
RB:Â Â Â Â Marquell Cartwright, North Carolina A&T, r-Jr., High Point, N.C.
OL:Â Â Â Â Kenyon Brantley, Alcorn, r-Sr., Crossett, Ark.
OL:Â Â Â Â Leeward Brown, Tuskegee, Sr., Miami, Fla.
OL:Â Â Â Â Timothy Gardner, Alcorn, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.
OL:Â Â Â Â Â Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Kannapolis, N.C.
OL:Â Â Â Â Trenton Scott, Grambling, r-Sr., Huntsville, Ala.
OL:Â Â Â Â Â Gerald Wright, Howard, Sr., Miami, Fla.
TE:Â Â Â Â Dillon Beard, Southern, r-Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
WRÂ Â Â Â Â Elijah Bell, North Carolina A&T, Soph., Wheeling, West Va.
WR:Â Â Â Â KhaDarel Hodge, Prairie View A&M, r-Sr., D'Lo, Miss.
DEFENSE
DL:Â Â Â Â Stefen Banks, Savannah State, Jr., Columbus, Ohio
DL:Â Â Â Â Kawuan Cox, North Carolina Central, Soph., Summerville, S.C.
DL:Â Â Â Â Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T, Soph., Kingsland, Ga.
DL:Â Â Â Â Aaron Tiller, Southern, Sr., Columbus, Ohio
LB:Â Â Â Â Â De'Arius Christmas, Grambling State, Jr., Vicksburg, Miss.
LB:Â Â Â Â Darius Leonard, South Carolina State, r-Sr., Lake View, S.C.
LB:Â Â Â Â Jeremy Taylor, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Kinston, N.C.
LB:Â Â Â Â Osband Thompson, Tuskegee, Sr., Miami, Fla.
DB:Â Â Â Â Â Danny Johnson, Southern, Jr., East Feliciana, La.
DB:Â Â Â Â De'Aumante Johnson, Grambling State, Sr., Plain Dealing, La.
DB:Â Â Â Â Franklin (Mac) McCain, III, North Carolina A&T, r-Fr., Greensboro, N.C.
DB:Â Â Â Â Davanta Reynolds, North Carolina Central, Jr., Tucker, Ga.
SPECIALISTS
P:Â Â Â Â Â Jamie Gillan, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jr., Leonardtown, Md.
PK:Â Â Â Â Marc Orozco, Grambling State, r-Jr., Denton, Texas
RS:Â Â Â Â Â Khris Gardin, North Carolina A&T, Jr., Morganton, N.C.
PR:Â Â Â Â William Flowers, Bowie State, Soph., Baltimore, Md.
KR:Â Â Â Â Â Trenton Cannon, Virginia State, Sr., Hampton, Va.
Honorable Mention
QB:Â Â Â Â Â DeVante Kincade, Grambling; Lamar Raynard, North Carolina A&T
RB:Â Â Â Â Martez Carter, Grambling;
De'Lance Turner, Alcorn; Robert Chesson, Bowie State;Â Justin Hardy, Miles
OL:Â Â Â Â Sam Baptise, Alabama State; Justin Brown, Benedict; Darriel Mack,
North Carolina A&T; Victor Tamba, Bowie State; William Waddell, Grambling
TE:Â Â Â Â Trey Scott, North Carolina A&T
WR:Â Â Â Â Brandon Britton, Bowie State; Jequez Ezzard, Howard;
Norlando Veals, Alcorn
DL:Â Â Â Â La'Allan Clark, Grambling; Chaz Cosby, Saint Augustine's, Ebenezer
Ogundeko, Tennessee State; Derrick Tate, Bowie State
LB:Â Â Â Â Chris Collins, Tennessee State; Reggie Hunter, North Carolina Central
DB:Â Â Â Â Sterling Hammond, Virginia Union, Jonah McCutcheon, Tuskegee;
Ju'Anthony Parker, Prairie View A&M; Diquan Richardson, Bethune-Cookman;
Carlo Thomas, Johnson C. Smith
P:Â Â Â Â Â Nathaniel Tilque, North Carolina Central
PK:Â Â Â Â Nick Christiansen, Miles
RS:Â Â Â Â Bret Sylve, Kentucky State
PR:Â Â Â Â Lorenzo Smothers, Fort Valley State
KR:Â Â Â Â Darius Floyd, Prairie View A&M
#FearTheBrave
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