MTU Football hands out team awards
HOUGHTON, Mich. — Tyler Scarlett earned the Al Bovard Award as Michigan Tech football’s most valuable player as the Huskies handed out their team awards at a team meeting Sunday (Dec. 14). A total of 12 Tech players were recognized.
Scarlett, an All-GLIAC Second Team selection, wrapped up his four-year career as the Huskies starting quarterback with a 29-13 record. He totaled 2,154 passing yards this past season with 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He set numerous Michigan Tech records during his career, including: total offense records for career yards (10,506), season yards (2,889) and touchdowns responsible for in a game (6), season (28) and career (92); passing records for yards in a game (441), season (2,596) and career (9,708), completion percentage in a season (.661) and career (.624), touchdowns in a game (6), season (28) and career (81), and career interception percentage (.022). Scarlett, who is a three-time team Bovard Award winner, also claimed the team’s outstanding offensive player award.
Tech’s Fred Baird Award for the outstanding defensive player went to junior defensive tackle Tanner Agen, who posted 49 total tackles including 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks on the season. He also had three blocked kicks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on the year.
Senior kicker Garrett Mead was the team’s Daniel Dopp Memorial Award winner as the top special teams player. Mead hit 9-of-12 field goals and 38-of-41 extra point attempts on the season for 65 total points—second-most on the team. He was twice named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week and had two game-winning kicks in 11 contests.
Nelson Wienke, who was the GLIAC’s Defensive Lineman of the Year, earned the same award for the Huskies. He posted 48 tackles and team highs of 11.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The senior end was a three-time All-GLIAC performer and a Daktronics All-Region Second Team honoree.
Cornerback DeShawn Nelson was selected as the team’s Defensive Back of the Year, after leading the team in interceptions (six). Nelson posted 51 total tackles on the season and had nine total pass breakups. The senior’s 236 career interception return yards is a Tech record.
Tech’s Offensive Back of the Year and Iron Man Awards went to running back Charlie Leffingwell, who ranked third in the GLIAC and 11th nationally in rushing yards per game (131.6). The senior posted seven 100-yard games and three 200-yard games in 2014 to finish his career sixth all-time on Tech’s career rushing list with 3,293 yards.
Frank Vruwink was the team’s Offensive Lineman of the Year for the second straight campaign. The junior moved from left tackle to left guard this season and helped Tech average 404.8 yards of total offense and 191.8 rushing yards per game. He was an All-GLIAC First Team pick.
Fellow offensive lineman Josh Knoepke was the Huskies’ Outstanding Freshman. He started all 11 games at left tackle and was an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention.
Senior defensive end Cameron Allen earned both the Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award and the Ted Kearly Award. The Kearly Award is given to a player who exhibited passion, pride and integrity. Allen started all 11 games at defensive end and posted 35 tackles en route to All-GLIAC Honorable Mention.
Punter Ryan VanGoethem picked up the Omer LaJenunesse Award for scholastic achievement with his 3.95 grade point average in biological sciences. The junior punted 41 times in 2014 with a 36.2 yard average and 11 kicks downed inside the 20.
The scout team players of the year were two redshirts: Jake Brown, a quarterback from Comstock Park, Mich., on offense and Jaylyn Williams-Boone, a defensive back from Flint, Mich.
The 2014 football season was one of the best in Michigan Tech program history. The Huskies won nine games (just the fourth time in school history) and earned a berth into the NCAA Playoffs (just the second time in school history).
(Information Courtesy of MTU Athletics)