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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football Honors 2006 Team
1/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 28, 2007
Florida Atlantic University's athletic department presented its sixth annual football banquet on Sunday to honor a football squad that finished 5-7 on the year and posted a 4-3 Sun Belt Conference record in its first full season of conference play.
Aaron Sanchez, a four-year senior from Miami, captured the team's MVP award, while seven others received top honors, and 53 players were awarded letters. Of the 53 lettermen awards, 22 were awarded to sophomores that exemplified the youth of the program that played six 2006 bowl participants.
"This is a very special senior class," said Howard Schnellenberger FAU's head football coach. "Small in number, as it is, they have led the charge up the hill at the Division I level. Their unheralded accomplishments have taken us to a new level of competition in our DI ascension. We now have the foundation to play at the highest collegiate level."
Sanchez earned the team's top honor after playing in every 2006 game. It was a season which saw him return from two injuries that kept him off the field in 2005. Sanchez's senior campaign was more of what he had built his college career upon, short yardage and blocking. He tallied 251 yards and one rushing TD. Sanchez added 22 receptions and a team leading three TD receptions. During his five year FAU career he tallied 816 yards, nine rushing TDs and had five career TD receptions. To compliment his rushing yards, Sanchez also had 500 career receiving yards, played in the 2003 NCAA I-AA semifinal game and rushed for 39 yards at Hawaii to capture the program's first victory of a Bowl participant in 2004.
The squad's Offensive MVP honor was awarded to Charles Pierre. Pierre, a sophomore from Orlando, has not missed a game during his first two collegiate seasons. He recorded three 100+ yard games in 2006 to capture FAU's single-season and career 100-yard game record. In 2006, Pierre tallied 756 yards for an average of 3.7 yards per carry and 63 yards per game. He led all offensive players with five TDs and had double-digit carries in all but the opening game against Clemson. Pierre's season-high 122 yards against Arkansas State came in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference contest.
The defense was a mainstay much of the 2006 campaign despite being outsized in nearly every outing. Leading the team's defense was junior Kris Bartels, who joined the squad as a true walk-on in 2004 and has held the starting safety role the last two seasons. He concluded his junior campaign second on the squad in total tackles, with a total of 69 tackles. Bartels recorded two interceptions one for a team leading of 89 yard return yards. He also changed the momentum of the North Texas game with an INT and score just before the half to take the lead a game they won in the last seconds. Surprisingly, he also became the team's primary kick returner. On the season, Bartels tallied 16 returns for 345 yards with an average of 21.6 yards per return, which lists him no. 62 nationally and no. 7 among the Sun Belt. He set an FAU record in returns for a single season and is third all-time in number of returns and yards returned. His two INTs were part of a team record-setting 18 interceptions.
Fifth-year senior Dewain Akerblom, who served as the team's long-snapper, earned the Special Teams MVP honor. Akerblom returned as the team's veteran in 2006 and assumed the leadership role. He was instrumental in 64 successful punts without a block and saw just one field goal blocked.
Robert St. Clair was awarded the team's Student Athlete Award and became the fifth defensive player in six seasons to earn the team's academic honor. St. Clair, a pre-med major with a goal of becoming a veterinarian, was part of a defense line that improved its sack total by 88% and totaled 12 defensive line sacks compared to two a year ago despite a more difficult 2006 schedule.
Senior Rickey Bethel, who graduated in December along with Sanchez, earned the team's Most Improved Award. Bethel came to FAU in 2004 as a highly touted local product from junior college. He played special teams and saw time on the two-deep in 2004. Bethel elected to redshirt in 2005 to work on his game and skills in hopes of a starting spot in 2006. His work ethic and desire paid off in 2006 as he held the starting corner position and saw a major jump in his statistical performance. On the season, Bethel recorded 32 tackles and had three interceptions, which was second on the squad and was part of a unit that set single-season record of 18 interceptions.
Chad Wilkes became the seventh player to earn the Non-Scholarship MVP award and is the 15th player who was originally a walk-on to be honored at the season-ending banquet. On the season, the Fort Myers native tallied 11 receptions for 89 yards and a score.
The final award, the "Bone Award," was presented every week following a victory to the player who laid the hardest hit. Following the unfortunate passing of Ramon Rickards, who played at FAU from 2000-2004, the program wishes to immortalize Rickards by naming the hardest hitter award in his honor. The Ramon Rickards Memorial "Bone Award" was presented this year to Frantz Joseph. Joseph joined the squad in 2006 as a transfer sophomore from Boston College. Joseph, a Fort Lauderdale native, stepped into the middle linebacker role that had previously been played by experienced players. In his first collegiate season Joseph played in all but one game, the first game of the season. He ended his year third on the squad with 61 tackles and 2.5 for a loss of five yards, recorded a sack against Lafayette and a fumble recovery for a return of 12 yards. Joseph finished the year second among linebackers in total tackles, but the power behind his tackles is what earned him the Ramon Rickards Memorial "Bone Award."
Players Mentioned
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