Football | December 18, 2018

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- College football analyst Phil Steele unveiled his 2018 All-Mid-American Conference Teams on Tuesday, December 18. Western Michigan earned eight All-MAC selections, including two recognitions on the First Team.

Junior running back LeVante Bellamy and junior right guard Luke Juriga were named to the First Team. Senior center John Keenoy, junior tight end Giovanni Ricci and freshman wide receiver Jayden "Bird" Reed were voted to the Second Team. Reed picked up two honors, as he was also named to the Second Team as a punt returner. On the Third Team was junior quarterback Jon Wassink and freshman long snapper Bryce Bouwens.

Bellamy outperformed Steele's preseason predictions which originally placed him on the Third Team. Bellamy led the MAC in rushing yards (1,172), rushing yards per game (97.7), and all-purpose yards (1,567). He had six touchdowns and five games with over 100 yards on the ground, including a career-high (and MAC season-high) 213 yards at Ball State on Nov. 13. Bellamy's 1,172 yards and his all-purpose yards both rank 17th most in the nation.

Juriga also outperformed his Second Team preseason prediction. He started all 12 regular season games at right guard and played 979 total snaps. Juriga was named to the Second Team last season as a sophomore.

Keenoy started every game at center, played 923 snaps and served as a team captain. This marks the third time Keenoy has made Steele's list having made Second Team his sophomore year and First Team his junior year.

Ricci played his first season at tight end after making the switch from wide receiver last spring. He totaled 392 yards on 35 receptions and had three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. Ricci also appeared on several of the Broncos' special teams units.

Reed made an immediate impact in his rookie season. He had eight receiving touchdowns and one punt return TD. He led Western Michigan with 797 receiving yards and 56 receptions. He ranked in the top six in the MAC for total receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receptions per game. Reed tied Greg Jennings' school record with four touchdown receptions at Miami on Sept. 29. In the third game of the season, Reed returned a punt for a 93-yard touchdown. For the year, Reed has 215 punt return yards and 116 yards on kick returns.

Wassink led the Broncos to six straight wins following two losses to Power 5 contenders Syracuse and then No. 21 Michigan. Wassink was injured in the first quarter against Toledo (Game 9). It is the second-straight year Wassink's season has ended due to injury. At the time of the 2018 injury Wassink ranked first in the MAC averaging 247.5 yards passing per game, second with 1,980 total yards (14th nationally) and second in points responsible for -16.5 (15th nationally).

Bouwens started in 12 games and recorded four tackles on the season. In total, he was involved in 124 plays.

Western Michigan finished the season tied for second in the MAC West with a 7-5 overall and 5-3 conference record. Bowl eligible for a program-record fifth-straight year, the Broncos will compete in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for the second time in school history. The game will be shown on ESPN at 4:00 PM EST.