SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A total of 14 Elon Phoenix football players were recognized by the Southern Conference's coaches with either all-conference or all-freshman accolades on Tuesday afternoon. The 14 honorees are the most for the program since joining the SoCon for the 2003 season, surpassing last year's total of 10.
Harrison, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., earned his second consecutive first-team nod from the coaches. He is a team captain who has started 44 games for the Phoenix. Harrison was awarded Elon's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman honor following the 2008 season.
Werden, a native of Charleston, S.C., picked up his first all-conference nod from the coaches with his selection. He has started all 46 games of his career and earned the team's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman honor in 2007.
Rocky Mount, N.C. resident Hudgins has compiled one of the most impressive seasons in the history of FCS football in 2009, setting four new NCAA records this year. The honor is the third straight first-team selection and fourth all-conference nod overall from the SoCon coaches for Hudgins. This year he has caught 111 balls for 1,466 yards and 15 touchdowns and leads the nation in both receptions per game (10.1) and receiving yards per game (133.3) at the FCS level. A Walter Payton Award candidate, Hudgins has become the most prolific pass catcher ever at the FCS level. During the 2009 campaign, Hudgins has established new NCAA Division I (FBS or FCS) records for career receptions (383) and career 100-yard games (27) and new FCS standards for career receiving yards (5,083) and career games with a touchdown reception (33). He also established a new SoCon record with nine games with at least 100 receiving yards this season. Hudgins earned one SoCon Player of the Week, one SoCon Player of the Month and two national player of the week awards in 2009.
Campbell, who hails from Plantation, Fla., garnered his first career All-SoCon award following a season in which he has racked up a league-leading 16.0 tackles for a loss. He also has 8.5 sacks among his 37 total tackles. He set career-bests with five tackles twice this season and with 2.0 sacks in a league victory over Georgia Southern.
Ludwig, a Burlington, N.C. native, picked up his first career first-team honor after being a second-team choice last year. Ludwig has made 33 tackles this year, including 9.0 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He recovered two fumbles in Elon's SoCon victory at Wofford and posted a personal-best six tackles in a win over Georgia Southern this season.
Jones, from Tampa, Fla., currently leads the Phoenix and sits eighth in the league with 88 total tackles. He has posted 7.0 tackles for a loss including 2.0 sacks during the season. In Elon's victory over Georgia Southern, Jones intercepted his first career pass and returned it 48 yards. This is the first All-SoCon award for Jones who was an All-Freshman team selection last year.
Sullivan, who came to Elon from Greenville, S.C., is tied for third in the league with four interceptions this season. This is Sullivan's first all-league distinction during his career. Sullivan has tallied 33 tackles this year, 25 of which have been solo stops. His 10 career interceptions are the second-most by an Elon player since the move to NCAA Division I play. Following Elon's win over Chattanooga, in which he totaled six tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble, Sullivan was named the SoCon's Defensive Player of the Week.
Riddle, a Ramseur, N.C. native, is the second-team quarterback for the second consecutive season. Riddle won one SoCon Offensive Player of the Week this season after throwing for 338 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 19 yards and a score in Elon's win over Georgia Southern. On the year, Riddle has thrown for 3,036 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing 65.5 percent of his attempts. He is averaging 276.0 yards passing per game and has also rushed for three scores. Riddle holds the SoCon records for career touchdown passes (77), career passing yards (9,724) and games passing for 200 or more yards (29).
Shuman, who hails from Fayetteville, N.C., was selected as an all-conference performer for the first time. Shuman finished the regular season as the league's third-leading rusher, grinding out 677 yards on the ground and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He rushed for three touchdowns. Shuman was named the SoCon's Offensive Player of the Week after his career-best 26-carry, 190-yard rushing performance at Presbyterian.
McGlenn, a resident of Belmont, N.C., collected his first career All-SoCon honor following a season in which he recorded 50 total tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble. He has also broken up four passes this season. He ranks fourth on the team in total tackles and second on the squad in interceptions.
Ward, a Brandon, Fla. native, collected his first career all-league distinction in his final year with the Phoenix. This year Ward has tallied 49 tackles, fifth on the team, and intercepted one pass while breaking up three others. Twice this season Ward has totaled 10 tackles in a game.
Peterson, a true freshman from Winston-Salem, N.C., has caught 13 balls for 96 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per game. Peterson has twice cuaght three balls and posted a high of 24 receiving yards against Appalachian State. He scored his first career touchdown in Elon's opener against Davidson.
Riley, a Charlotte, N.C. native, is second on the Elon squad with 63 tackles. He has also posted 3.0 tackles for a loss, including 1.5 sacks as a red-shirt freshman. Riley posted a high of 10 tackles in Elon's SoCon victory at Furman.
Shreiner, who hails from Marietta, Ga., has garnered one league freshman of the week nod as well as on SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season. The red-shirt freshman has made 15 of his 19 field goal attempts, including a 37-yarder to win the game at Furman, this year. Shreiner has also converted 41 of his 43 PATs and has totaled 86 points.
SoCon Offensive Player of the Year honors went to Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards, Defensive Player of the Year distinction was bestowed upon Chattanooga's Josh Beard and Freshman of the Year accolades went to Western Carolina's Michael Johnson. Appalachian State's Mario Acitelli was given the Jacobs Blocking Award. Co-Coach of the Year honors went to Chattanooga's Russ Huesman and Appalachian State's Jerry Moore.
The ninth-ranked Phoenix will make its first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs this weekend by traveling to take on the Richmond Spiders in a 1 p.m. game on Saturday afternoon. Elon concluded its regular season with a 9-2 overall mark and a 7-1 SoCon record, finishing second in the league.
-- ELON --
