Football 11/29/2013 2:30:00 PM

SC State’s Thomas and Bellamy Earn Top Conference Honors

13 Bulldogs Earn All-MEAC Honors

Redshirt senior linebacker JoeThomas was named the MEAC Defense Player of the Year.

NORFOLK, Va., November 29, 2013 – South Carolina State redshirt senior linebacker Joe Thomas was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) Defense Player of the Year and teammate redshirt senior center Tristan Bellamy earned the Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, the conference announced.

South Carolina State led all schools with 13 student-athletes recognized on the three MEAC post-season teams, as voted on by the MEAC's head football coaches and sports information directors. The Bulldogs have five student-athletes earn first-team honors, four second-team, and four third-team honors in addition to earning two-of-four top awards.

Thomas (r-Sr., 6-0, 220) the Blackville, SC native recorded 116 total tackles, 84 solo, with a conference-best 19 tackles for a loss during the 2013 campaign. Thomas collected 7.5 sacks, sixth in the MEAC, with one interception, five breakups, five hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery to help the Bulldogs finish as the nation's No. 1 rushing defense (80.5 avg./g) and No. 2 scoring defense (14.0 avg./g). Thomas earned Defensive Player of the Week honors once this season and is currently listed on the Sports Network's Buck Buchannan Award watch list, which recognizes the nation's top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) defensive player. Thomas becomes the 13^th Bulldog to earn the conference's top defensive award, however he is only the second to have been selected in more than 10 years (David Erby 2010).

Bellamy (r-Sr., 6-3, 300) the Johnston, SC native aided a dominating Bulldog offense that accounted for 4,101 yards of total offense, including 2,000 yards on the ground. Behind Bellamy's blocking S.C. State finished second in the MEAC in scoring offense (29.6 ppg), and third in total offense (341.1 avg./g). Bellamy earned the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Week honor twice this season. Bellamy is the sixth Bulldog to earn Offensive Lineman of the Year accolades.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
2013 Football All-Conference Teams

Offensive Player of the Year: Greg McGhee, Howard Defensive Player of the Year: Joe Thomas, South Carolina State

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Tristan Bellamy, South Carolina State

Rookie of the Year: Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T
Coach of the Year: Brian Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman

Bulldog All-MEAC HONORS

First Team

OFFENSE