Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football to Celebrate Its Senior Class Friday Versus Kent State
11/25/2019 1:00:00 PM | Football
Over the course of these upperclassmen’s careers, the Eagles have accumulated 25 wins
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan football team honor today, Nov. 29, a 22-member senior class that helped rebuild the Eagles' football brand from the ground up. Over the course of these upperclassmen's careers, the Eagles have accumulated 25 wins, including the first three wins over Power Five opponents in school history. The talented class is also the first group of EMU student-athletes to have the opportunity to play in three bowl games during the course of their careers.
The group includes: Thad Abram (Woodhaven, Mich.-Woodhaven), Hunter Andrews (Metamora, Mich.-Lapeer), Kobie Beltram (Antioch, Calif.-Antioch-City College of San Francisco), Kymani Brown (Sugar Hill, Ga.-Lanier), Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio-Middletown), Eddie Daugherty IV (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor), Sam Dervil (Miami, Fla.-Miami Northwestern-Coffeyville C.C.), Tre'Shown Fields (Grand Rapids, Mich.-East Grand Rapids-Grand Rapids C.C.), Mike Glass III (St. Louis, Mo.-Hazelwood Central-Southwestern College), Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater), Arthur Jackson III (Oakland, Calif.-Wood-American River College), Desmond Kelly (Baltimore, Md.-Overlea-Dodge City C.C.), Bryce Kemp (Baxter, Iowa-Baxter Community School), Line Latu (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo-College of San Mateo), Kevin McGill (Waldorf, Md.-Westlake), Steven Nielsen (Dragoer, Denmark-La Lumiere (Ind.) School), Yannik Rohrschneider (Hilden, Germany-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Gymnasium), Mathew Sexton (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton), Shawn Simeon (Miami, Fla.-Central-Coffeyville C.C.), Drake Sutton (Menomonee Falls, Wis.-Menomonee Falls), Breck Turner (Norwalk, Ohio-Norwalk), and Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams). Additionally, the program will recognize student manager Justin Woods along with student assistants Matt Leffler, Hannah Nelson, and Devin Rugenstein.
"It's going to be hard to see these guys go," said EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton. "You end up spending a ton of time together, you end up sharing this passion of football, and with this group you really feel that you are on a mission of trying to do something that a lot of people did not think that we could do. So, the bonds are deep. We've endured tough times, gut-wrenching times, and we've endured some really high-highs. I want these guys to play their hearts out, to lead really well, and to enjoy every minute."
Abram has been with the program since the 2015 season playing in nine games during his career. The 2019 campaign saw him collect his first extended game action, posting four tackles and a pass deflection. He recorded his first solo tackle in the win at Illinois before adding stops against Western Michigan, Akron, and Northern Illinois.
Andrews has been the ultimate team player having spent time on both sides of the football during his EMU career. In 32 career games, he has notched 64 tackles, four TFLs, and three sacks. Andrews sacked the Akron quarterback twice in a 42-14 victory while equaling a career-best six tackles against the Zips.
Beltram has made the most of his season year, ranking fifth in the Mid-American Conference and 20th nationally with 9.4 tackles per contest. He has started 11 of the 24 career games played at EMU, totaling 125 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and six pass deflections. Beltram is just the fourth EMU player to record 100-or-more tackles in a season since 2010.
Brown has played in 17 games during his EMU tenure, recording four tackles in those contests. This season he has posted stops against Coastal Carolina, Ball State, and Akron.
A two-time All-MAC honoree, Calhoun is expected to become the program's leader in career games started against Kent State. Currently tied with three others, Calhoun has started 47 of his 48 career games played. Furthermore, the Middleton, Ohio product stands at 332 stops, which ranks 12th all-time at EMU. Given his current pace, Calhoun will have the chance to become just the eighth Eagle to record 350 career takedowns. Furthermore, Calhoun's 186 solo tackles are tied for sixth and he needs three more to pass Ron Rice (1991-94) for fifth all-time.
Daugherty burst on the scene as a freshman in 2015 to lead all EMU receivers with 557 yards on 37 receptions, including four touchdowns. Hampered by injuries in 2018, he has 78 career catches for 956 yards in 45 games played.
Dervil has started 10 of his 26 career games at right guard for the Eagles. Part of a pass-oriented offense that leads the MAC and ranks 35th nationally with 271.3 yards per game through the air, he has helped EMU quarterbacks record the first and second-best percentage of passes completed in program history (90.9 and 86.1%).
Fields has played in 20 career games for EMU as a tight end and on special teams. As a senior, he recorded a tackle at Central Michigan along with a kick return for nine-yards at Coastal Carolina.
Despite only playing two seasons, Glass will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever at Eastern Michigan. He is just the ninth EMU signal caller to toss for more than 2,400 yards in a season. Glass' 3,496 career passing yards ranks 10th in the EMU record books, while he has accounted for 41 (13 rush, 28 pass) of the team's 86 touchdowns the last two seasons. Glass notched back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games in 2018, tallying 101 yards on the ground at Western Michigan and 125 yards against Toledo to become the first EMU signal caller to rush past the century mark in consecutive contests.
A two-time All-MAC selection, Hoying has been a vital part of the team's defensive resurgence the last four seasons. He has 235 tackles, 19.0 TFLs, 16 pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, and six interceptions in 46 career games. Currently ranked third in the MAC and 31st nationally in interceptions, Hoying has also been a star in the classroom earning MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and Academic All-MAC recognitions.
Jackson has caught eight touchdown passes in his last 12 games. In his two seasons at EMU, Jackson has 81 receptions for 1,142 yards and 11 TDs. His 11-career receiving scores tied for seventh all-time at EMU, while he is just the 30th player in program history to accumulate 1,000-or-more yards receiving. In 2018, Jackson starred at the Camellia Bowl with a career-best performance of 86 yards and two scores against Georgia Southern.
Kelly has played in 27 games while wearing the Green and White, accumulating 32 tackles in the middle of the Eagles' defensive line. He tallied his only sack in the 2017 contest at Toledo, while earning nine career starts at nose tackle.
Having played in 41 career contests, Kemp has proven himself as both a run-blocker as well as an offensive threat. He has 15 career catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Kemp hauled in 34-yard touchdown reception against Monmouth in 2018 while scoring from 45 yards out against Northern Illinois in 2017.
A utility player both catching and running the football, Latu has tallied 624 yards of total offense in his 24 career contests. He has hauled in 41 catches for 602 yards and five TDs, while carrying the ball six times for 22 yards on the ground. Latu pulled down a touchdown at Kentucky and another in the program's first win at Northern Illinois since 2007. In a return to the west coast, he posted a career-long reception of 54 yards in an overtime contest at San Diego State in 2018.
A 2018 Second Team All-MAC honoree, McGill was a fixture on the preseason watch lists in 2019 with Bednarik Award, Nagurski, and Thorpe Award Watch List selections. Having started 39 of 49 career games, he is tied for the most passes defended in an EMU career with 28 (21 breakups, 5 interceptions). He has compiled 118 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and three fumble recoveries in his career. In 2018, McGill led all MAC cornerbacks in catch rate and allowed a mere 34.4 passer rating during his junior campaign.
A 2018 Third Team All-MAC selection, Nielsen has started 36 consecutive games for the EMU offensive line since the beginning of the 2017 season. In 2018, he helped an EMU offense that ranked third nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (4) and 11th in turnover margin (+0.77). Off the field, Nielsen has previously earned MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and Academic All-MAC recognition.
Part of EMU's international core of student-athletes, Rohrschneider has played in 13 contests for the Eagles. A majority of those appearances have come in 2019 on special teams and in a reserve role on the offensive line.
Getting the honor to switch to the number two jersey in 2019 in honor of the late-Damarius Reed, Sexton has totaled 100 catches for 1,335 yards and nine scores. His 1,335 career yards rank 13th in school-history. Additionally, with his one grab at NIU, he become the 15th EMU player with 100-or-more catches in a career. Sexton has also proven key in special teams with two punt blocks. With the likelihood of winning sitting at 0.1 percent according to ESPN, he made the game-winning play against Central Connecticut State with a blocked punt and return of 30 yards for a touchdown in a 34-29 victory. His other block occurred during the 2018 Camellia Bowl against Georgia Southern.
Simeon has 26 tackles, four TFLs, and two sacks in 22 all-time contests for Eastern. He came up with a huge sack and five tackles that helped change the course of game play in the 34-31 triumph over Illinois. He also added another quarterback takedown at Kentucky.
A critical force on special teams, Sutton has been EMU's long snapper in 36 consecutive games dating back to the 2016 season. In 2019 he was named to the Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper Award Watch List and to the Special Teams University All-American Watch List. In 2018, Eastern's special teams ranked second in the nation in punts downed inside the five-yard line, fourth in punts downed inside the 10, and 23rd in punts downed inside the 20.
Turner has seen action in 42 career games for Eastern, totaling 804 yards and seven touchdowns at the running back position. In 2016, he ran the ball a personal-best 77 times for 417 yards and four scores. An Academic All-MAC honoree, Turner was also a Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate in 2019.
Vann is just the eighth running back in program-history to surpass 2,400 yards rushing with 2,456 yards in 42 career games. Overall, his 487 all-time carries rank eighth at EMU and he needs 12 carries to pass Dwayne Priest (2007-10) for the next spot on the career rushing attempts list. Meanwhile, his 23 career touchdowns (22 rushing, 1 receiving) is tied with Bob Foster for sixth. Vann turned in one of his best performance in the 42-14 victory over Akron with 142 yards on the ground and four rushing TDs. With those four scores, he became the first Eagle to rush for four touchdowns since the 2012 season.
Eastern is back on the field next Friday, Nov. 29, for a Black Friday matchup against Kent State University, at 12 p.m. Bring your young Eastern fan to visit Santa Claus in the Holiday Factory. Located on the west concourse of Rynearson Stadium, the Holiday Factory includes ornament decorating, face painting and a balloon artist, all inside a heated tent to help get you in the holiday spirit. Exclusive to this game, adult tickets are just $10 each and all kids under the age of 18 are FREE! Additionally, $2 from every adult ticket will be donated to the Shop With A Cop program to benefit youth from our county who are in need.
The group includes: Thad Abram (Woodhaven, Mich.-Woodhaven), Hunter Andrews (Metamora, Mich.-Lapeer), Kobie Beltram (Antioch, Calif.-Antioch-City College of San Francisco), Kymani Brown (Sugar Hill, Ga.-Lanier), Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio-Middletown), Eddie Daugherty IV (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor), Sam Dervil (Miami, Fla.-Miami Northwestern-Coffeyville C.C.), Tre'Shown Fields (Grand Rapids, Mich.-East Grand Rapids-Grand Rapids C.C.), Mike Glass III (St. Louis, Mo.-Hazelwood Central-Southwestern College), Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater), Arthur Jackson III (Oakland, Calif.-Wood-American River College), Desmond Kelly (Baltimore, Md.-Overlea-Dodge City C.C.), Bryce Kemp (Baxter, Iowa-Baxter Community School), Line Latu (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo-College of San Mateo), Kevin McGill (Waldorf, Md.-Westlake), Steven Nielsen (Dragoer, Denmark-La Lumiere (Ind.) School), Yannik Rohrschneider (Hilden, Germany-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Gymnasium), Mathew Sexton (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton), Shawn Simeon (Miami, Fla.-Central-Coffeyville C.C.), Drake Sutton (Menomonee Falls, Wis.-Menomonee Falls), Breck Turner (Norwalk, Ohio-Norwalk), and Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams). Additionally, the program will recognize student manager Justin Woods along with student assistants Matt Leffler, Hannah Nelson, and Devin Rugenstein.
"It's going to be hard to see these guys go," said EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton. "You end up spending a ton of time together, you end up sharing this passion of football, and with this group you really feel that you are on a mission of trying to do something that a lot of people did not think that we could do. So, the bonds are deep. We've endured tough times, gut-wrenching times, and we've endured some really high-highs. I want these guys to play their hearts out, to lead really well, and to enjoy every minute."
Abram has been with the program since the 2015 season playing in nine games during his career. The 2019 campaign saw him collect his first extended game action, posting four tackles and a pass deflection. He recorded his first solo tackle in the win at Illinois before adding stops against Western Michigan, Akron, and Northern Illinois.
Andrews has been the ultimate team player having spent time on both sides of the football during his EMU career. In 32 career games, he has notched 64 tackles, four TFLs, and three sacks. Andrews sacked the Akron quarterback twice in a 42-14 victory while equaling a career-best six tackles against the Zips.
Beltram has made the most of his season year, ranking fifth in the Mid-American Conference and 20th nationally with 9.4 tackles per contest. He has started 11 of the 24 career games played at EMU, totaling 125 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and six pass deflections. Beltram is just the fourth EMU player to record 100-or-more tackles in a season since 2010.
Brown has played in 17 games during his EMU tenure, recording four tackles in those contests. This season he has posted stops against Coastal Carolina, Ball State, and Akron.
A two-time All-MAC honoree, Calhoun is expected to become the program's leader in career games started against Kent State. Currently tied with three others, Calhoun has started 47 of his 48 career games played. Furthermore, the Middleton, Ohio product stands at 332 stops, which ranks 12th all-time at EMU. Given his current pace, Calhoun will have the chance to become just the eighth Eagle to record 350 career takedowns. Furthermore, Calhoun's 186 solo tackles are tied for sixth and he needs three more to pass Ron Rice (1991-94) for fifth all-time.
Daugherty burst on the scene as a freshman in 2015 to lead all EMU receivers with 557 yards on 37 receptions, including four touchdowns. Hampered by injuries in 2018, he has 78 career catches for 956 yards in 45 games played.
Dervil has started 10 of his 26 career games at right guard for the Eagles. Part of a pass-oriented offense that leads the MAC and ranks 35th nationally with 271.3 yards per game through the air, he has helped EMU quarterbacks record the first and second-best percentage of passes completed in program history (90.9 and 86.1%).
Fields has played in 20 career games for EMU as a tight end and on special teams. As a senior, he recorded a tackle at Central Michigan along with a kick return for nine-yards at Coastal Carolina.
Despite only playing two seasons, Glass will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever at Eastern Michigan. He is just the ninth EMU signal caller to toss for more than 2,400 yards in a season. Glass' 3,496 career passing yards ranks 10th in the EMU record books, while he has accounted for 41 (13 rush, 28 pass) of the team's 86 touchdowns the last two seasons. Glass notched back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games in 2018, tallying 101 yards on the ground at Western Michigan and 125 yards against Toledo to become the first EMU signal caller to rush past the century mark in consecutive contests.
A two-time All-MAC selection, Hoying has been a vital part of the team's defensive resurgence the last four seasons. He has 235 tackles, 19.0 TFLs, 16 pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, and six interceptions in 46 career games. Currently ranked third in the MAC and 31st nationally in interceptions, Hoying has also been a star in the classroom earning MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and Academic All-MAC recognitions.
Jackson has caught eight touchdown passes in his last 12 games. In his two seasons at EMU, Jackson has 81 receptions for 1,142 yards and 11 TDs. His 11-career receiving scores tied for seventh all-time at EMU, while he is just the 30th player in program history to accumulate 1,000-or-more yards receiving. In 2018, Jackson starred at the Camellia Bowl with a career-best performance of 86 yards and two scores against Georgia Southern.
Kelly has played in 27 games while wearing the Green and White, accumulating 32 tackles in the middle of the Eagles' defensive line. He tallied his only sack in the 2017 contest at Toledo, while earning nine career starts at nose tackle.
Having played in 41 career contests, Kemp has proven himself as both a run-blocker as well as an offensive threat. He has 15 career catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Kemp hauled in 34-yard touchdown reception against Monmouth in 2018 while scoring from 45 yards out against Northern Illinois in 2017.
A utility player both catching and running the football, Latu has tallied 624 yards of total offense in his 24 career contests. He has hauled in 41 catches for 602 yards and five TDs, while carrying the ball six times for 22 yards on the ground. Latu pulled down a touchdown at Kentucky and another in the program's first win at Northern Illinois since 2007. In a return to the west coast, he posted a career-long reception of 54 yards in an overtime contest at San Diego State in 2018.
A 2018 Second Team All-MAC honoree, McGill was a fixture on the preseason watch lists in 2019 with Bednarik Award, Nagurski, and Thorpe Award Watch List selections. Having started 39 of 49 career games, he is tied for the most passes defended in an EMU career with 28 (21 breakups, 5 interceptions). He has compiled 118 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and three fumble recoveries in his career. In 2018, McGill led all MAC cornerbacks in catch rate and allowed a mere 34.4 passer rating during his junior campaign.
A 2018 Third Team All-MAC selection, Nielsen has started 36 consecutive games for the EMU offensive line since the beginning of the 2017 season. In 2018, he helped an EMU offense that ranked third nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (4) and 11th in turnover margin (+0.77). Off the field, Nielsen has previously earned MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and Academic All-MAC recognition.
Part of EMU's international core of student-athletes, Rohrschneider has played in 13 contests for the Eagles. A majority of those appearances have come in 2019 on special teams and in a reserve role on the offensive line.
Getting the honor to switch to the number two jersey in 2019 in honor of the late-Damarius Reed, Sexton has totaled 100 catches for 1,335 yards and nine scores. His 1,335 career yards rank 13th in school-history. Additionally, with his one grab at NIU, he become the 15th EMU player with 100-or-more catches in a career. Sexton has also proven key in special teams with two punt blocks. With the likelihood of winning sitting at 0.1 percent according to ESPN, he made the game-winning play against Central Connecticut State with a blocked punt and return of 30 yards for a touchdown in a 34-29 victory. His other block occurred during the 2018 Camellia Bowl against Georgia Southern.
Simeon has 26 tackles, four TFLs, and two sacks in 22 all-time contests for Eastern. He came up with a huge sack and five tackles that helped change the course of game play in the 34-31 triumph over Illinois. He also added another quarterback takedown at Kentucky.
A critical force on special teams, Sutton has been EMU's long snapper in 36 consecutive games dating back to the 2016 season. In 2019 he was named to the Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper Award Watch List and to the Special Teams University All-American Watch List. In 2018, Eastern's special teams ranked second in the nation in punts downed inside the five-yard line, fourth in punts downed inside the 10, and 23rd in punts downed inside the 20.
Turner has seen action in 42 career games for Eastern, totaling 804 yards and seven touchdowns at the running back position. In 2016, he ran the ball a personal-best 77 times for 417 yards and four scores. An Academic All-MAC honoree, Turner was also a Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate in 2019.
Vann is just the eighth running back in program-history to surpass 2,400 yards rushing with 2,456 yards in 42 career games. Overall, his 487 all-time carries rank eighth at EMU and he needs 12 carries to pass Dwayne Priest (2007-10) for the next spot on the career rushing attempts list. Meanwhile, his 23 career touchdowns (22 rushing, 1 receiving) is tied with Bob Foster for sixth. Vann turned in one of his best performance in the 42-14 victory over Akron with 142 yards on the ground and four rushing TDs. With those four scores, he became the first Eagle to rush for four touchdowns since the 2012 season.
Eastern is back on the field next Friday, Nov. 29, for a Black Friday matchup against Kent State University, at 12 p.m. Bring your young Eastern fan to visit Santa Claus in the Holiday Factory. Located on the west concourse of Rynearson Stadium, the Holiday Factory includes ornament decorating, face painting and a balloon artist, all inside a heated tent to help get you in the holiday spirit. Exclusive to this game, adult tickets are just $10 each and all kids under the age of 18 are FREE! Additionally, $2 from every adult ticket will be donated to the Shop With A Cop program to benefit youth from our county who are in need.
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