SoCon Football Preseason Honors
7/28/2022 1:02:00 PM | Football
Six tabbed with all-league honors
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Six Mercer football student-athletes were voted onto the 2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference teams, as announced by the league office at its annual Media Day on Thursday.
A pair – John Thomas (OL) and Lance Wise (DB) – were selected to the First Team while four – Isaac Dowling (LB), Ty James (WR), Trey Turk (P) and Solomon Zubairu (DL) – were tabbed to the Second Team.
Thomas, a junior offensive lineman, helped open up holes for the Bears' running game in 2021 when they rushed for 2,092 yards. The Mercer rushing attack's 2,092 yards on the ground ranked 12th nationally and third in the league last year.
Wise, a senior safety, made his presence known in 2021. The Defensive Player of the Month for October, the Marietta, Georgia, native picked off three, scored a touchdown and was second on the team with 46 tackles. Following the season, he was tabbed to Hero Sports' FCS All-American Team.
Dowling, a sophomore linebacker, made 25 solo stops in all 10 starts a season ago. In addition to his 25 stops, he assisted on 48 others – including 13 in the season finale against ETSU. The Snellville, Georgia, product made 7.5 tackles for loss and notched a touchdown from a fumble in the home win over Wofford.
The Bears' leader in receptions – Ty James – set three school records in 2021: yards in a game, receiving touchdowns in a game and receiving touchdowns in a season. A starter in every game, the Conyers, Georgia, product hauled in 26 receptions, 611 receiving yards and scoring seven times. His 64.8 yards per game placed him sixth in the league for the category.
A First Team All-SoCon Defensive selection a season ago, Zubairu tallied 34 tackles and made 5.0 sacks in 2021. The senior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, paced the Bears for the second consecutive season with 5.5. He forced a fumble in the final home win over Chattanooga in mid-November.
A sophomore from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Trey Turk played a vital role in putting opposing offenses in unfortunate field position. In 2021, Turk pinned a dozen punts inside the opponents' 20-yard lines and forced 13 fair catches. In nine games played, he tallied an average of 40.6 yards from 40 punts. Following the 2021 campaign, he was named to the All-Freshman team.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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A pair – John Thomas (OL) and Lance Wise (DB) – were selected to the First Team while four – Isaac Dowling (LB), Ty James (WR), Trey Turk (P) and Solomon Zubairu (DL) – were tabbed to the Second Team.
Thomas, a junior offensive lineman, helped open up holes for the Bears' running game in 2021 when they rushed for 2,092 yards. The Mercer rushing attack's 2,092 yards on the ground ranked 12th nationally and third in the league last year.
Wise, a senior safety, made his presence known in 2021. The Defensive Player of the Month for October, the Marietta, Georgia, native picked off three, scored a touchdown and was second on the team with 46 tackles. Following the season, he was tabbed to Hero Sports' FCS All-American Team.
Dowling, a sophomore linebacker, made 25 solo stops in all 10 starts a season ago. In addition to his 25 stops, he assisted on 48 others – including 13 in the season finale against ETSU. The Snellville, Georgia, product made 7.5 tackles for loss and notched a touchdown from a fumble in the home win over Wofford.
The Bears' leader in receptions – Ty James – set three school records in 2021: yards in a game, receiving touchdowns in a game and receiving touchdowns in a season. A starter in every game, the Conyers, Georgia, product hauled in 26 receptions, 611 receiving yards and scoring seven times. His 64.8 yards per game placed him sixth in the league for the category.
A First Team All-SoCon Defensive selection a season ago, Zubairu tallied 34 tackles and made 5.0 sacks in 2021. The senior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, paced the Bears for the second consecutive season with 5.5. He forced a fumble in the final home win over Chattanooga in mid-November.
A sophomore from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Trey Turk played a vital role in putting opposing offenses in unfortunate field position. In 2021, Turk pinned a dozen punts inside the opponents' 20-yard lines and forced 13 fair catches. In nine games played, he tallied an average of 40.6 yards from 40 punts. Following the 2021 campaign, he was named to the All-Freshman team.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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