By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
All-OVC release and teams (PDF)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The contributions that senior wide receiver Dontez Byrd and junior kicker/punter Nick Madonia brought to the Tennessee Tech football team are very familiar to Golden Eagle football fans.
They certainly didn't go unrecognized by the rest of the conference either.
As the Ohio Valley Conference released its annual All-OVC postseason honors, the Golden Eagles garnered a first-team offense nod for Byrd and a second-team specialist for Madonia.
The awards were voted on by the league's coaches and sports information contacts.
Byrd set school records in receptions and receiving yards for the second straight season as he hauled in 78 passes for 1,003 yards in 2017. He became the first Golden Eagle receiver to ever surpass 1,000 yards in a single season. Byrd ranked 10th nationally in receptions per game (7.1), 15th in receiving yards and 18th in receiving yards per game (91.2).
Madonia, selected as a punter on the 2017 awards list, averaged 40.1 yards per punt with a season long of 65 yards.
Meanwhile, league champion Jacksonville State earned two of the four major awards and 15 All-OVC selections, while Austin Peay won the other two major awards with six All-OVC and three all-Newcomer picks.
JSU running back Roc Thomas was named the conference's offensive player of the year in a season where he rushed for 991 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also catching 16 passes for 235 yards. The Gamecocks also earned defensive player of the year honors for defensive end Darius Jackson, who had 51 tackles, including 19 for-loss and seven sacks. He also had 19 quarterback hurries and forced three fumbles.
Austin Peay quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall was named the league's freshman of the year after throwing for 1,148 yards and seven touchdowns, while also rushing for 453 yards and six scores. APSU head coach Will Healy was selected as the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year after bouncing back from an 0-11 record in 2016 by completing an 8-4 record in 2017, which included one loss in Football Championship Subdivision play – against OVC champion Jacksonville State.
