ATLANTA–Quarterback Ahmad Deramus of Tuskegee headlines the 2018 All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football All-Conference team after earning the Overall Player of the Year (MVP) while Running back Santo Dunn of Morehouse earned Offensive Player of the Year award. The team, which features 26 student-athletes covering eleven positions, was voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The SIAC Football Championship is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10 and will feature the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year, Linebacker Austin Stephens of Miles. Defensive End D.J. Horne of Tuskegee earned Freshman of the Year plaudits while wide receiver Kevin Greenhow of Central State has been named Newcomer of the Year.
Rich Freeman of Morehouse was tabbed the 2018 SIAC Coach of the Year.
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Ahmad Deramus of Tuskegee earned the Overall Player of the Year (MVP) award and is the first Golden Tiger to receive this award since 2015. The junior quarterback is currently No. 24 in Division II and leads the league in passing efficiency completing 54.2 percent of his passes allowing only four interceptions on the season. Deramus is currently majoring in Business Finance and has earned the Offensive Player of the Week award twice this season.
Sophomore running back Santo Dunn of Morehouse leads the league in rushing yards (790), scoring (8.7 points per game), and scoring touchdowns (13). The Miami, Florida native is also ranked No. 38 in Division II in rushing yards, tied for No. 25 in scoring and for No. 17 in total touchdowns. One of Dunn’s top performances came against Division I opponent, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as he led the Maroon Tiger offensive attack finishing with 159 rushing yards on only 14 carries. This performance earned Dunn the Offensive Player of the Week accolade during the first week of this season.
Austin Stephens of Miles garnered the title of Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league and being tied at No. 34 in Division II in tackles. The Munford, Ala. native collected 50 solo and 58 assist tackles for a total of 108 tackles on the season.
Freshman defensive end D.J. Horne is tied at No. 8 in the league in sacks (4) on the season and has secured the Freshman of the Year award. The Lawrenceville, Ala. native is the first Golden Tiger to receive this award since its introduction in 2013. Horne’s rookie season consisted of 23 tackles on the season (14 solo; nine assisted), five quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a breakup.
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Kevin Greenhow of Central State has made history as he is the first Central State player to receive a regular season award in the Marauders Division II era within the league. After being named Newcomer of the Week for three consecutive weeks, Greenhow finished the season posting 880 receiving yards and nine touchdowns with his best performance coming against Western opponent, Tuskegee. The 6’3 wide receiver currently leads the league in receiving yards and is the first Marauder to record back-to-back games of 200 or more receiving yards since the 1995 season. Ending the season with a 5-5 overall record, CSU tied its best record since the program was reinstated in 2005.
Freeman, a 15 year veteran of the football coaching fraternity just completed his eleventh season at Morehouse College. Hired in March of 2007, Freeman directed his first Morehouse team to a surprising 7-3 record and into the upper echelon of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), where the Maroon Tigers took permanent residence, with the mantra, “Play Fast, Hard, and Smart”. The Maroon Tigers end the 2018 campaign repeating their 2007 record with a 7-3 overall record and a second place finish in the SIAC eastern division after being picked to finish fourth in the pre-season predicted order of finish.
Morehouse led the all-conference teams with eleven selections. Tuskegee followed up with ten selections ahead of Kentucky State who had six selections. Albany State, Benedict, and Central State placed five on the all-conference team preceding Fort Valley State and Miles who place three each. Clark Atlanta and Lane rounded out the 2018 SIAC All-Conference team with two selection each.
2018 SIAC Football All-Conference Team
First Team
| Martesse Patterson | Offensive Lineman | Tuskegee | Columbus, Ohio |
| Jean Cyriaque | Offensive Lineman | Morehouse | Durham, NC |
| Justin Brown | Offensive Lineman | Benedict | Marietta, Ga. |
| Marcus Campbell | Offensive Lineman | Kentucky State | Radcliff, Ky. |
| Rochelin Romain | Offensive Lineman | Tuskegee | Pompano Beach, Fl. |
| Ryan Edwards | Tight End | Morehouse | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Leonard Tyree | Wide Receiver | Miles | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Kevin Greenhow | Wide Receiver | Central State | Columbus, Oh. |
| Santo Dunn | Running Back | Morehouse | Miami, Fl. |
| Terraris Saffold | Running Back | Central State | Hayneville, Ala. |
| Trent Mays | Quarterback | Central State | Stuebenville, Oh. |
| Ricky Holmes | Defensive Lineman | Benedict | Baltimore, MD. |
| Kameron Rogers | Defensive Lineman | Clark Atlanta | Washington, D.C. |
| Terance Leatherwood | Defensive Lineman | Tuskegee | Northport, Ala. |
| Brayce McKinzie | Defensive Lineman | Lane | Geneva, Fl. |
| Kailen Abrams | Linebacker | Central State | Detroit, Mi. |
| Austin Stephens | Linebacker | Miles | Munford, Ala. |
| Davoris Thomas | Linebacker | Tuskegee | Mobile, Ala. |
| Camron Young | Defensive Back | Fort Valley State | Eastman, Ga. |
| Robert Cummings | Defensive Back | Benedict | Macon, Ga. |
| Mandell Ray | Defensive Back | Morehouse | Lafayette, Ala. |
| Traviontae Brown | Defensive Back | Benedict | Albany, Ga. |
| Gabriel Ballinas | Kicker | Albany State | Guadalupe, Mexico |
| Turner Warren | Punter | Kentucky State | Louisville, KY |
| Michael Nero | Punt Returner | Kentucky State | Louisville, KY |
| Michael Nero | Kick Returner | Kentucky State | Louisville, KY |
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Second Team
| Darrius Hicks | Offensive Lineman | Fort Valley State | Camilla, Ga. |
| Trey Wilson | Offensive Lineman | Morehouse | Lawrenceville, Ga. |
| Aaron Scroggins | Offensive Lineman | Miles | Bessemer, Ala. |
| Lee Humphrey | Offensive Lineman | Morehouse | Plano, Il. |
| Cordarius Smith | Offensive Lineman | Tuskegee | Columbus, Ga. |
| Robert Corbin, Jr. | Tight End | Central State | Cincinnati, Oh. |
| Tremell Gooden | Wide Receiver | Morehouse | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Javarrius Cheatham | Wide Receiver | Tuskegee | Greenville, Ala. |
| Tracy Scott | Running Back | Albany State | Greenville, S.C. |
| McKinley Habersham | Running Back | Albany State | Savannah, Ga |
| Michael Sims | Quarterback | Morehouse | Detroit, Mi. |
| Antonio Johnson | Defensive Lineman | Morehouse | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Devonta Ramseur | Defensive Lineman | Tuskegee | Shelby, North Carolina |
| Deonte Jackson | Defensive Lineman | Albany State | Fairburn, Ga. |
| Charles Williams | Defensive Lineman | Benedict | Barnwell, S.C. |
| Julien Turner | Linebacker | Morehouse | Pickerington, Oh. |
| Kalil Gray | Linebacker | Tuskegee | Union City, Ga. |
| Myrthel Stewart | Linebacker | Kentucky State | Glenwood, Ill. |
| Kelvin Murray | Defensive Back | Morehouse | Orlando, Fl. |
| Darnell Hill | Defensive Back | Tuskegee | Miami, Fla. |
| Rorrick Steward | Defensive Back | Tuskegee | Decatur, Ala. |
| Matthew Bizmana | Defensive Back | Kentucky State | Louisville, KY |
| Carlos Saldana | Kicker | Clark Atlanta | Austell, Ga. |
| Gabriel Ballinas | Punter | Albany State | Guadalupe, Mexico |
| Lorenzo Smothers | Punt Returner | Fort Valley State | Buena Vista, Ga. |
| Anthony Evelyn | Kick Returner | Lane | Atlantic Beach, FL |
Overall Player of the Year (MVP): Ahmad Deramus, Tuskegee
Offensive Player of the Year: Santo Dunn, Morehouse
Defensive Player of the Year: Austin Stephens, Miles
Freshman of the Year: D.J. Horne, Tuskegee
Newcomer of the Year: Kevin Greenhow, Central State
Coach of the Year: Rich Freeman, Morehouse