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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football Honors Seniors
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 6, 2006
Florida Atlantic University's football program honored its 2005 seniors and bestowed team honors Monday evening at the Embassy Suites of Boca Raton.
"This banquet is a celebration of the eight seniors and the underclassmen that helped FAU make the transition from Division I-AA to Division I-A," said head coach Howard Schnellenberger. "Although we were not pleased with the won/loss total, we are deeply appreciative and impressed with the overall accomplishments of this year's class. They measured up better than expected against the non-conference opponents and played competitive with our Sun Belt opponents. This team is much better prepared for the 2006 season than we were for the 2005 season."
Shomari Earls walked away with the team's MVP award as well as the Defensive MVP award after leading the team's defense with 87 tackles in 11 games. As a senior, Earls tallied double-digit tackles in five games. He ended his career with 217 tackles which places him third on the all-time list. He may be most remembered for his momentum shifting tackle at Hawaii in 2004.
Senior quarterback Danny Embick earned the squad's Offensive MVP award and the team's Student Athlete of the Year award after leading the team in the program's first nine games of full Division I-A play. Embick received the program's first Sun Belt Player of the Week honor for his leadership and offensive efforts that nearly stole a game from Kansas. A thumb injury sidelined the William Dwyer prepster who led the offense with 1,511 passing yards on with 120 completions in 225 attempts for 11 TDs. He also led the rushing attack through two thirds of the season with 89 carries for 295 yards and one score.
Special Team honors were awarded to Mike Brown who was the lone punter used in 2005. Brown had 72 punts for a total of 2,797 yards and an average that kept him among the nation's leaders at 38.8 yards per punt.
The Most Improved Award was given to Robert St. The newcomer began the season as a redshirt freshman and ended the season with 11 games played and a total of 24 tackles. He also led the squad with eight tackles for a loss of 13 yards.
John Rizzo earned the team's Non-Scholarship MVP award after making the squad as a walk-on, drawing his first start against Louisville and then gaining more and more playing time on the OL as the season drew to a close.
Lawrence Gordon earned the coveted Bone Award which is also awarded weekly following victories. The Bone Award is given to the individual who has the biggest hit. Gordon ended the season with 46 total tackles, including three for a loss of nine yards. The defensive back also had one interception for a return of 39 yards he was also credited with 11 pass break ups.
The evening was highlighted by its season-long video and letterman awards.
Players Mentioned
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