Football | December 04, 2019

CLEVELAND – Western Michigan senior running back LeVante Bellamy was voted the 2019 Mid-American Conference Vern Smith Leadership Award winner as the league's most valuable player and the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, while junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward was tabbed the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, the conference announced Wednesday.
 
In all, 12 Broncos earned 13 all-league awards with six first-team selections, four second-team picks and three third-team accolades. WMU led the league with its six first-team honorees and paces the MAC with 32 all-conference selections since 2017. Western Michigan is the first MAC program to have the league's offensive and defensive players of the year since Marshall in 2001 with Byron Leftwich (offensive) and Max Yates (defensive).
 
Joining Bellamy on the first-team offense were senior center Luke Juriga, senior tight end Giovanni Ricci and freshman wide receiver Skyy Moore. Juriga and Bellamy repeat as first-team honorees from a year ago and Ricci was a third-team selection last fall. Juriga was a second-team pick in 2017. Hayward and graduate transfer kickoff return specialist Keith Mixon Jr. rounded out the first-team honorees. The second team was anchored by a pair of junior offensive linemen in Jaylon Moore and Mike Caliendo. Second-team defensive representatives were senior linebacker Drake Spears and junior defensive end Ali Fayad. Senior quarterback Jon Wassink and sophomore cornerback Patrick Lupro were named to the third team, as was Mixon Jr., this time a punt return specialist.
 
Bellamy, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., and Doak Walker Award semifinalist, leads the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns and ranks eighth in the country with 1,412 yards rushing this season. Bellamy's 23 rushing TDs are tied for fourth most in MAC single-season history. He is second nationally in rushes of 30 or more yards with 11 and tied for third in the country in rushes of 40 or more yards with seven. On the WMU career charts, Bellamy's outstanding 2019 has him within 11 yards of fourth place on the all-time rushing yardage list and fourth on the rushing touchdown ledger. He is a two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week this fall and earned All-America Honorable Mention accolades from Pro Football Focus.
 
Bellamy becomes Western Michigan's fifth Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner as the MAC MVP, joining Tony Kimbrough (1988), Robert Sanford (2000), Greg Jennings (2005) and Zach Terrell (2016). Bellamy also joins the four and Jerome Persell (1976, 1977 & 1978), Jarvion Franklin (2014) and Corey Davis (2016) as Broncos to receive MAC Offensive Player of the Year awards.
 
Hayward, from Ypsilanti, Mich., paces the Broncos in tackles with 132, the second most in the MAC and fifth most nationally. His 10.5 tackles for loss rank tied for 10th in the league while his 5.0 sacks are tied for seventh most in the conference. Hayward, a two-time MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week, is part of a Western Michigan defense that ranks second in the league in points per game with 26.2, an improvement of 8.3 points per game from the 2018 campaign.
 
In WMU history, Hayward is the eighth MAC Defensive Player of the Year, joining John Offerdahl (1985), Mark Garalczyk (1986), Sean Mulhearn (1990), Jason Babin (2002 & 2003), Ameer Ismail (2006) and Drew Nowak (2011).
 
Juriga, Jaylon Moore and Caliendo have been essential to the success of the Broncos' offense, helping WMU rank 22nd nationally in total offensive yards per game (457.3) and third-down conversion percentage (.463), 23rd in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.42) and 26th in points per game (34.2) and rushing yards per game (212.7). The trio has provided plenty of space for Bellamy's robust year and has given Wassink time and protection to rank 28th nationally in passing yards (2,904) and 33rd in passing yards per completion (13.08). Juriga, an Aurora, Ill., product, has accepted his invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. Moore, a native of Detroit, and Caliendo, from Brookfield, Wis., have each played in every WMU game the last two seasons.
 
Ricci, a product of Loveland, Ohio, has caught 47 passes for 622 yards (13.23 ypc) and eight touchdowns. A John Mackey Award semifinalist, Ricci stands third nationally among tight ends with his eight scoring grabs while ranking seventh among all players in the MAC with 29 receptions resulting in first downs. Ricci is also tied for third in the league with 16 catches on third down. He will join Juriga at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January.
 
Skyy Moore has turned in a strong rookie season for WMU, hauling in 47 passes for 734 yards (15.62 ypc) and three touchdowns. He is the first Bronco wide receiver to be first team All-MAC since Corey Davis in 2016. Moore is also the first MAC true freshman wide receiver to be first team all-league since Roger Lewis of Bowling Green in 2014, the first in WMU history and just the third in the MAC since 1982. In the last two contests, Moore, a New Kensington, Pa., native, has 13 grabs for 287 yards, accounting for 56.6 percent (287-of-507 yards) of Western Michigan's receiving yards. Nationally, his 734 receiving yards this fall are the fourth most among all freshmen.
 
Mixon Jr. earned two all-league selections after taking over as the Broncos' top returner. He has 25 kickoff returns for 706 yards (28.24 ypr) and nine punt runbacks for 39 yards (4.33 ypr). Nationally, Mixon Jr. stands ninth in kickoff return average and is helping WMU lead the league in kickoff return average with 24.22 yards per runback. A graduate transfer from Mississippi State and a product of Birmingham, Ala., Mixon Jr. is tied for the lead nationally with 10 kickoff returns of 30 or more yards and is second with six runbacks of 40 or more yards. The September 2 MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week has the eighth most kickoff return yards in a year in Bronco history.
 
Spears and Hayward have combined to form one of the best linebacking duos in the MAC with Spears contributing 88 tackles, 2.5 tackles for lost yardage, 0.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a trio of quarterback pressures. Against Miami (Ohio), Spears flipped the game with a 74-yard interception for a touchdown that turned a 6-0 deficit into a 7-6 lead in the second quarter. Following the performance, he was tabbed the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week. Spears, from Aurora, Ill., also recovered a fumble at Ohio that helped extend WMU's lead from 3-0 to 10-0 in the second frame.
 
Fayad capped the regular season with a breakout performance at Northern Illinois to increase his campaign totals to 49 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, four caused fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and seven quarterback pressures. Against the Huskies, Fayad finished with 4.5 TFL, the most by a Bronco since Nowak's 5.0 versus Akron on November 25, 2011. A product of Dearborn, Mich., Fayad stands second in the league in TFL and sixth in sacks. His four forced fumbles are tied for third nationally.
 
Wassink, who remained healthy for the entire regular season for the first time in his career, has completed 222-of-371 passes for 2,904 yards and 19 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., he has already been named a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award recipient as well as a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and Senior CLASS Award. He is also a CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 First Team honoree. Within the MAC, Wassink ranks third in passing yards per game (242.0), third in total offensive yards per game (266.4) and eighth in passing efficiency (138.7).
 
Lupro, from Belleville, Mich., took over for D'Wayne Eskridge following the latter's injury at Syracuse and has excelled, totaling 57 tackles, 4.0 TFL, one fumble recovery, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. Lupro, who finished 2018 with 12 tackles in 12 games played, ranks tied for 11th in the MAC with his seven pass breakups and tied for fifth with his trio of INTs, recorded in consecutive home games versus Central Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green.
 
2019 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year:  Jim McElwain, Central Michigan
Offensive Player of the Year:  RB LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year:  OLB Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year: K Matthew Trickett, Kent State
Freshman of the Year:  QB Brett Gabbert, Miami
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: RB LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
 
2019 FIRST TEAM ALL-MAC
2019 All-MAC First Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Nathan Rourke, Ohio +#
Offensive Lineman – Danny Pinter, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Luke Juriga, Western Michigan &#
Offensive Lineman – Jordan Steckler, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Evin Ksiezarczyk, Buffalo +
Offensive Lineman – Tommy Doyle, Miami
Tight End – Giovanni Ricci, Western Michigan %
Wide Receiver – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Justin Hall, Ball State %#
Wide Receiver – Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Wide Receiver – JaCorey Sullivan, Central Michigan
Running Back – LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan &
Running Back – Jaret Patterson, Buffalo +
Placekicker – Matt Trickett, Kent State &
 
2019 All-MAC First Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan
Outside Linebacker – Troy Brown, Central Michigan
Inside Linebacker – Jacob White, Ball State %
Inside Linebacker – John Lako, Akron %
Down Lineman – Sean Adesanya, Central Michigan
Down Lineman – Taylor Riggins, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Doug Costin, Miami +
Defensive Back – Joey Banks, Buffalo
Defensive Back – Javon Hagan, Ohio &#*
Defensive Back – Vince Calhoun, Eastern Michigan %^
Defensive Back – Antonio Phillips, Ball State
Punter – Kyle Kramer, Miami %
 
2019 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Keith Mixon Jr., Western Michigan
Punt Return Specialist – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
 
 
2019 SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC
2019 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Mike Glass III, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Austen Pleasants, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Kayode Awosika, Buffalo
Offensive Lineman – Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Paul Nosworthy, Buffalo
Tight End – Tony Poljan, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Riley Miller, Ball State +
Wide Receiver – Arthur Jackson, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Bryce Mitchell, Toledo
Wide Receiver – Quintin Morris, Bowling Green
Running Back – Bryant Koback, Toledo
Running Back – Caleb Huntley, Ball State
Placekicker – Sam Sloman, Miami
 
2019 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan %@ (as defensive back)
Outside Linebacker – Kadofi Wright, Buffalo
Inside Linebacker – Michael Oliver, Central Michigan
Inside Linebacker – Drake Spears, Western Michigan
Down Lineman – Ali Fayad, Western Michigan
Down Lineman – Jack Heflin, Northern Illinois %
Down Lineman – Ledarius Mack, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Kameron Butler, Miami
Defensive Back – Jamal Parker, Kent State
Defensive Back – Mykelti Williams, Northern Illinois +
Defensive Back – Uzodinma Amechi, Ball State
Defensive Back – Tyrone Hill, Buffalo
Punter – Michael Farkas, Ohio &!
 
2019 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Malik Dunner, Ball State %^
Punt Return Specialist – Maurice Thomas, Miami
 
 
2019 THIRD TEAM ALL-MAC
2019 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Jon Wassink, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Nick Rosi, Toledo
Offensive Lineman – Danny Godlevske, Miami %
Offensive Lineman – Curtis Blackwell, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Marques Grimes, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Steven Hayes, Ohio
Tight End – Mitchell Brinkman, Northern Illinois
Wide Receiver – Isaiah McKoy, Kent State
Wide Receiver – Antonio Nunn, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Mike Carrigan, Kent State
Wide Receiver – Dylan Drummond, Eastern Michigan
Running Back – Jonathan Ward, Central Michigan
Running Back – Tre Harbison, Northern Illinois +
Placekicker – John Richardson, Northern Illinois
 
2019 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Myles Reid, Miami
Outside Linebacker – Kholbe Coleman, Bowling Green
Inside Linebacker – Kobie Beltram, Eastern Michigan
Inside Linebacker – Jaylin Thomas, Ball State
Down Lineman – Jamal Hines, Toledo
Down Lineman – Chibueze Onwuka, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Theo Majette, Kent State
Down Lineman – Robi Stuart, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Alvin Davis, Akron &#
Defensive Back – Emmanuel Rugamba, Miami
Defensive Back – Patrick Lupro, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Kevin McGill, Eastern Michigan +
Punter – Derek Adams, Kent State
 
2019 All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – DL Knock, Ohio
Punt Return Specialist – Keith Mixon Jr., Western Michigan
 
& 2018 First-Team All-MAC
+ 2018 Second-Team All-MAC
% 2018 Third-Team All-MAC
 
@ 2017 First-Team All-MAC
# 2017 Second-Team All-MAC
^ 2017 Third-Team All-MAC
 
= 2016 First-Team All-MAC
* 2016 Second-Team All-MAC
! 2016 Third-Team All-MAC