Football 11/22/2022 12:10:00 PM MSU Athletics Communications

Bears Have Nine Selected to the All-MEAC Teams

BALTIMORE, Md. – The postseason major award winners and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) All-Conference Teams were announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon and Morgan State had nine (9) players garner All-MEAC accolades for their play during the regular season.

It matched the most all-conference honors by the Bears since 2009 (9), including the most first team selections since 2008 (5).

Seven of the nine players named to the all-conference teams earned the honor for the first time in their careers.

All awards and honors were voted on by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors.

In partnership with the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, the MEAC will announce its Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year as part of the festivities surrounding the 64^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

North Carolina Central's Robert Mitchell claimed the Offensive Lineman of the Year honor, while Marquis Gillis of Delaware State earned Rookie of the Year honors. North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver was named MEAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.

Morgan had four players on the All-MEAC First Team, including senior running back Alfonzo Graham (Baltimore, Md.), sophomore defensive lineman Elijah Williams (Jersey City, N.J.), senior defensive back Jae'Veyon Morton (Detroit, Mich.), and freshman return specialist Keith Jenkins Jr. (Gainesville, Va.). Graduate student Chris Anthony (Massillon, Ohio) was named the All-MEAC Second Team.

One offensive player and three defensive players were named to the All-MEAC Third Team. The offensive honoree was junior offensive lineman Marvin Atuatasi (Leone, American Samoa). On defense the all-conference group included junior linebacker Lawrence Richardson (Philadelphia, Pa.), senior defensive back Jayden Wooden (Peoria, Ariz.), and sophomore defensive back Carlvainsky Decius (New Carrollton, Md.).

Graham had a career season as the starting running back at Morgan. The senior ranked among the FCS leaders in rushing with 1,150 yards (No. 16) and ran for eight touchdowns. He had topped the 100-yard mark in five games, including a season-high 203-yard outing against Norfolk State (Oct. 8) and earned MEAC Co-Player of the Week. He finished the season while averaging 5.9 yards per carry (No. 27 in FCS) and 104.5 yards per game (No. 17). Graham also had 14 receptions for 85 yards, including a touchdown.

Williams emerged as a force on the defensive line for the Bears this season. The New Jersey product registered 60 total tackles (33 solo, 27 assisted) for the year, including a league-high 19.0 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Williams tallied nine total stops to go along with two sacks against Stony Brook and finished with nine tackles and two sacks at North Carolina Central.

Morton has continued to be a big playmaker for the Morgan defense as one of the best corners in the league. He started in every game (11) and his season totals include 34 tackles (25 solo, 9 assisted), 1.0 sack, 10 pass breakups (T-No. 24 in FCS), and one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Morton leads the Bears with his three picks on the year and returned one interception for a touchdown and was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance.

Jenkins had a sensational 2022 campaign in his first year at Morgan. The freshman is one of the top return specialists in the nation. The speedster finished the season with two kickoff returns for touchdowns (T-No. 2 in the FCS). He picked his way through the Hornets for a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown against Delaware State (Nov. 12) and was named the MEAC Specialist of the Week for that performance. He recorded a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at North Carolina Central (Oct. 13) and was named both the MEAC Rookie of the Week and Specialist of the Week for his efforts. Jenkins finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation in kickoff returns (29.4 avg).

Anthony and Atuatasi have been mainstays on a Morgan offensive line which has been one of the Bears biggest team strengths. The Bears offense averaged 22.7 points thru 11 games on the year, the most point production by the Bears since 2017 (30.5 ppg). The play of the offensive line enabled the Bears to average 147.2 rushing yards per game and top the 100-yard mark six times in 11 contests.

Richardson had a stellar 2022 campaign as one of the conference's premier linebackers. He led the team and ranks fifth in the MEAC with 77 tackles (48 solo, 29 assisted) on the season, including three tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. He had a season-high 13 total stops with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a tough loss versus Towson on Sept. 10. Richardson helped lead the Bears defense to a win over Sacred Heart (Sept. 17), the first win of head coach Damon Wilson's tenure, recording 10 tackles (six solo)  and a pass breakup and was named the MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for that performance.

Wooden had a solid season as a member of the Bears' secondary unit. The senior safety was the team's fifth leading tackler with 45 tackles (32 solo, 13 assisted), one tackle for loss, with three breakups and two forced fumbles. Wooden had a forced fumble and an interception return for 12 yards in an upset win against MEAC defending champion South Carolina State (Oct. 29).

Decius also played a key role for the Bears' opportunistic defensive unit. The sophomore cornerback finished the season with 23 tackles (20 solo, 3 assisted) with three breakups and one forced fumble. He also recorded three interceptions – one against Sacred Heart (Sept. 17), Virginia-Lynchburg (Oct. 1), and a 37-yard pick-six in a win against Delaware State (Nov. 12).

Morgan was picked to finish last (6^th) in the MEAC preseason head football coaches and sports information directors, but instead finished in a 3-way tie for second place with a 2-3 mark in league play.  In just his first season as a head coach, Damon Wilson has helped Morgan State improve from a 2-9 regular season in 2021 to a 4-7 regular season in 2022.

Bears selected to the 2022 All-MEAC Team include:

First Team
RB Alfonzo Graham
DL Elijah Williams
DB Jae'Veyon Morton
RS Keith Jenkins Jr.

Second Team
OL Chris Anthony

Third Team
OL Marvin Atuatasi
LB Lawrence Richardson
DB Carlvainsky Decius
DB Jayden Wooden

For Complete 2022 All-MEAC List click here (PDF)

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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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Players Mentioned

#76 Chris Anthony: OL; 6' 4"; Graduate Student

#58 Marvin Atuatasi: OL; 6' 1"; Junior

#7 Carlvainsky Decius: DB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#2 Alfonzo Graham: RB; 5' 9"; Senior

#22 Jae'Veyon Morton: DB; 5' 9"; Senior

#54 Lawrence Richardson: LB; 6' 1"; Junior

#0 Elijah Williams: DL; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#12 Jayden Wooden: S; 6' 1"; Senior

#14 Keith Jenkins Jr.: DB; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#76 Chris Anthony
: 6' 4"; Graduate Student
: OL

#58 Marvin Atuatasi
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OL

#7 Carlvainsky Decius
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: DB

#2 Alfonzo Graham
: 5' 9"; Senior
: RB

#22 Jae'Veyon Morton
: 5' 9"; Senior
: DB

#54 Lawrence Richardson
: 6' 1"; Junior
: LB

#0 Elijah Williams
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: DL

#12 Jayden Wooden
: 6' 1"; Senior
: S

#14 Keith Jenkins Jr.
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: DB