Eastern Michigan Athletics
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Three Football Players Earn Post-Season Honors
12/6/2010 3:35:27 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Priest, Welch and Thayer named to Phil Steele’s All-MAC Team
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Three Eastern Michigan University football players have been named to the 2010 All-Mid-American Conference Team as selected by Phil Steele's Football Preview Magazine.
Senior tight end Ben Thayer (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Hackett Catholic Central), senior running back Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-Fleming-Fork Union Military) and redshirt junior kickoff returner Corey Welch (Akron, Ohio-Green) were all singled out for the 2010 Steele squad.
Thayer was named to Steele's All-MAC first team while Priest was a third-team selection and Welch was a fourth-team pick.
Thayer led the 2010 Eagles in receiving with 30 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Priest was the second-leading rusher in the MAC in 2010 with a 79.2 yards per game rushing average. The 5-foot-8 Priest rushed 168 times for 716 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in nine games. The 5-foot-9 Welch was fourth in the MAC in kickoff returns with 33 for 688 yards and a 20.8 per-return average.
For the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Thayer, the first-team selection was the latest in a long list of honors accumulated in 2010. He was a first-team CoSIDA/ESPN All-District IV Academic First Team selection after posting a 3.60 GPA as a math-secondary education major. He was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission for his efforts in EMU's 41-38 win at Ball State, Oct. 16, 2010. In that BSU game he recorded three receptions for 65 yards and a career-high two touchdowns helping his team snap an 18-game losing streak. Thayer's first touchdown reception tied the game at 28-28 in the third quarter and his game-winning touchdown catch ended the game in overtime. He was also named National Tight End of the Week by collegefootballperformance.com for that BSU contest.
Priest was a two-time winner of the MAC West Division Offense Player of the Week Award. He earned the first weekly honor for the Army game, Sept. 4, when he rushed 26 times for142 yards and two touchdowns. His second MAC Player of the Week Award was awarded after he rushed 35 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns at Buffalo, Nov. 20.
Senior tight end Ben Thayer (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Hackett Catholic Central), senior running back Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-Fleming-Fork Union Military) and redshirt junior kickoff returner Corey Welch (Akron, Ohio-Green) were all singled out for the 2010 Steele squad.
Thayer was named to Steele's All-MAC first team while Priest was a third-team selection and Welch was a fourth-team pick.
Thayer led the 2010 Eagles in receiving with 30 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Priest was the second-leading rusher in the MAC in 2010 with a 79.2 yards per game rushing average. The 5-foot-8 Priest rushed 168 times for 716 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in nine games. The 5-foot-9 Welch was fourth in the MAC in kickoff returns with 33 for 688 yards and a 20.8 per-return average.
For the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Thayer, the first-team selection was the latest in a long list of honors accumulated in 2010. He was a first-team CoSIDA/ESPN All-District IV Academic First Team selection after posting a 3.60 GPA as a math-secondary education major. He was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission for his efforts in EMU's 41-38 win at Ball State, Oct. 16, 2010. In that BSU game he recorded three receptions for 65 yards and a career-high two touchdowns helping his team snap an 18-game losing streak. Thayer's first touchdown reception tied the game at 28-28 in the third quarter and his game-winning touchdown catch ended the game in overtime. He was also named National Tight End of the Week by collegefootballperformance.com for that BSU contest.
Priest was a two-time winner of the MAC West Division Offense Player of the Week Award. He earned the first weekly honor for the Army game, Sept. 4, when he rushed 26 times for142 yards and two touchdowns. His second MAC Player of the Week Award was awarded after he rushed 35 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns at Buffalo, Nov. 20.
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