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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Football's Groody Earns First Team SBC Honors
12/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 8, 2010
BOCA RATON, FL - Florida Atlantic University's football team ended the 2010 regular-season ranked No. 17 nationally in net punting. The ranking falls squarely on the foot of redshirt junior Mickey Groody, who was named first team All-Sun Belt, as voted upon by Sun Belt Conference (SBC) head coaches and media representatives from each institution.
Groody averaged 45.7 yards per punt on 69 punts in 2010. He had at least one punt travel 50 or more yards in 11 of the team's 12 games. His season-high was a school record 73 yard punt versus FIU, a punt that captured the momentum of the first half. Groody nearly equaled that effort with a 72-yarder versus Troy University. Nearly a third of his punts were not returned, and 16 fell inside the 20-yard-line. Groody finished the regular-season No. 6 nationally in punt average and led the league in the statistical category. He was also recognized by CollegeFootballPerformanc.com as the "National Punter of the Week" for week No. 14 on December 5.
Seniors Lester Jean and Rob Housler were selected as offensive second team members. Jean, a staple for hard work paying off in 2010, led FAU in receptions and yards, he was fourth in the SBC in receptions per game (5.3) and led the league in yards per game (82.3). Jean is T41 nationally in receptions per game and No. 25 in yards per game. His rankings are even more impressive when you consider that he was double-teamed nearly every game. He had three games with more than 100 receiving yards (UAB, FIU and MTSU) and posted 99 yards versus Michigan State University and Arkansas State University. He made the hard catches look easy with every catch earned with defenders closely covering him. Eight of Jeff Van Camps' 17 touchdowns went to Jean.
Housler returned to the field in 2010 after red-shirting to tally 39 catches for 629 yards and four touchdowns. He used his size to block, his speed to get open and his ability to catch the pass in traffic to ignite the Owls. Housler had seven catches for 75 yards against Michigan State. Three catches were either third-and-long or fourth-and-long in FAU's 15-play scoring drive against the Spartans. Housler earned honorable mention from CollegeFootballPerformance.com Awards and repeated it the final week of the season. He is the fourth FAU tight end to record more than 1,000 career receiving yards. Of his eight career touchdown receptions, three were against Texas. Housler was named tight end of the week following Texas game by CollegeFootballPerformance.com.
Defensively, three FAU players were selected as second team All-Sun Belt members: redshirt seniors Michael Lockley and Tavious Polo and redshirt junior Marcus Bartels. Lockley led the team in total tackles (120) in his second year as a starter. He was second in the league in total tackles and ranked No. 24 nationally. Seven of his last eight games in 2010 were double-digit tackle efforts for the middle linebacker. Lockley also ended the season tied for seventh in the SBC in forced fumbles and blocked four blocked-kicks in 2010.
Polo, a four-year starter at corner, ended his final campaign sixth on the squad in total tackles and among the teams leaders in tackles for loss. He recorded two interceptions on the season, one at the University of Louisiana-Monroe while the other was at Western Kentucky University. Polo was tied for No. 18 in the league in passes defended and part of a defensive back unit that is No. 30 nationally in pass defense.
Bartels rounded out FAU's defensive second-team members. The junior led FAU's defense in total tackles and was first or second in the SBC through the first five games. The hard-hitting former walk-on is finished No. 6 in the SBC in total tackles (104) and tied for No. 57 nationally. He had three games in 2010 with double-digit tackles (University of Alabama-Birmingham, Michigan State and Arkansas State), but he may be best remembered for two interceptions in the FIU game that helped to preserve the victory. In FAU's victory at WKU, he recovered three of FAU's fumbles, two on special teams by the returner. His true knack for being near the ball is evident by ranking fifth in passes defended among conference schools.
Jeff Van Camp and Tarvoris Hill were the final two FAU members on the All-Sun Belt team as honorable mention selections. Van Camp assumed the responsibility of FAU's offense with five games remaining in 2009. Van Camp remained positive despite needing five centers to get through preseason camp and the injuries which slowed the offenses' progression. On the season, he completed 192 of 335 pass attempts for 2,459, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His career long was an 80-yard toss to Jean versus ASU. He tossed his 20th career touchdown versus FIU and earned the team's offensive game ball against WKU. Van Camp shared the team's offensive team game ball honors following the University of Louisiana-Lafayette game. He concluded his career with a 7-10 record as the Owls' starting quarterback and is ranked No. 62 nationally in passing efficiency and is tied for No. 77 nationally in total offense. He is listed in 11 all-time FAU career categories.
Hill returned to the Owls in 2010 after missing the last four games due to a broken forearm. He concluded his final season fourth on the squad in total tackles with 63, despite missing the last game-and-a-half with a second break of his forearm. He recorded back-to-back games with an interception in the end zone, the first at Michigan State and the second versus University of North Texas. He was credited with five pass break ups, three at WKU. He is tied for No. 11 in passes defended among SBC universities.
The Owls will next gather on January 30, 2011 at the annual senior banquet. For more information, call 561-297-1094 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting561-297-1094end_of_the_skype_highlighting
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