Central Michigan University Athletics
Nine Chippewa Football Players Earn All-MAC
11/29/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Nine Central Michigan football players were named to the All-Mid-American Conference team by the league on Wednesday.
Two Chippewas, both on defense, were named to the first team; four others were named to the second team; and three earned a nod on the third team.
CMU's Amari Coleman and Joe Ostman were named All-MAC First Team on defense. It was the second consecutive season that Coleman, a senior cornerback, has been named to the first team. Ostman was named to the second team a year ago and to the third team in 2014.
Coleman, who hails from Flint, has recorded three interceptions, has defended 10 passes, broken up seven passes, and made 42 tackles on the season. He returned an interception for a touchdown, the third pick-six of his career, to seal a 42-30 victory over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 8.
Ostman, a senior defensive end from St. Ignace, ranks second in the nation with 12 sacks among his team-best 18 ½ tackles-for-loss. He has totaled 63 tackles.
The Chippewas' Corey Willis, Jonathan Ward, Malik Fountain and Josh Cox were each named to the second team, while Tyler Conklin, J.P. Quinn and Mark Chapman were each named to the third team.
Willis, a senior wide receiver from Holland who earned a spot on the second team for the second consecutive year, has made 42 catches for 625 yards and nine touchdowns.
Ward, a sophomore running back from Kankakee, Ill., is averaging 6.0 yards per carry, has scored nine touchdowns, and has totaled 1,351 all-purpose yards.
Fountain, a junior linebacker from Chicago who last year earned a first-team spot, ranks second on the team with 81 tackles, 48 of them solos.
Cox, a senior safety from Warren who was a third-teamer a year ago, ranks second in the nation with six interceptions, the highest number of picks for a Chippewa since 1988 and the second-most in program history. Cox leads the Chippewas with 82 tackles.
Quinn, a senior from Naperville, Ill., has started all 12 of the Chippewas' games, 10 at center, one at right guard, and the other at left guard. He has made 27 starts in his career, 25 of them consecutively.
Conklin, a senior from Chesterfield Twp., was one of the most productive tight ends in the league despite missing the Chippewas' first five games with an injury. He has made 28 catches for 406 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 14.5 yards per catch.
Chapman, a senior wide receiver from Port Huron, leads the Chippewas in receptions (54) and receiving yardage (805). He has caught five TD passes.
