State College All-Decade Football Team capsules

QUARTERBACK

TYLER THIGPEN, COASTAL CAROLINA (2003-06)

Accounted for school-record 8,236 yards and 66 touchdowns - 6,598 and 53 of them passing - with All-American and Walter Payton candidate honors in 2006. Now playing for the Miami Dolphins.

RUNNING BACKS

LOUIS IVORY, FURMAN (1998-2001)

State's all-time leading rusher with 5,353 yards with 53 touchdowns. Won Walter Payton Award in 2000, when he rushed for 2,079 yards. Two-time Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and All-American in 2000 and 2001.

WILL FORD, S.C. STATE (2006-09)

Rushed for 4,672 yards, a new MEAC record, and 35 touchdowns, which included three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. A candidate for the Walter Payton Award in 2008 and 2009 and All-American in 2008.

WIDE RECEIVERS

ANDRE ROBERTS, THE CITADEL (2006-09)

Caught 285 passes for 3,743 yards and 37 touchdowns. All-American in 2007 and 2008.

TYMERE ZIMMERMAN, NEWBERRY (2003-06)

Caught 250 passes for 3,051 yards and 40 touchdowns. All-American in 2005.

JEROME SIMPSON, COASTAL CAROLINA (2004-07)

Caught 161 passes for 2,720 yards and 44 touchdowns. All-American in 2006.

TIGHT END

TRENT SANSBURY, FURMAN (1998-2001)

Caught 63 passes for 905 yards and seven touchdowns. Two-time All-Southern Conference.

OFFENSIVE LINE

JOEL BELL, FURMAN (2005-08)

Three-time All-Southern Conference and All-American in 2008.

ERIC DEUTSCH, WOFFORD, (2002-04)

Two-time All-Southern Conference and All-American in 2003 and 2004.

HEATH BENEDICT, NEWBERRY (2005-07)

Three-time All-South Atlantic Conference and All-American in 2006 and 2007.

RAYMOND HARRISON, S.C. STATE (2005-08)

Three-time All-MEAC and All-American in 2008.

DONNIE LITTLEJOHN, FURMAN (1998-2001)

Two-time All-Southern Conference selection and consensus All-American in 2001.

DEFENSIVE LINE

ANDRE BERNARDI, NORTH GREENVILLE (2006-09)

Tied the all-time NCAA Division II sacks record with 42. Also the all-time leader in tackles for loss with 78, he had 239.5 career tackles.

NATHAN FUQUA, WOFFORD (1999-2002)

Compiled 50 career tackles for loss, including 18 in 2000 and 16 in 2001. Four-time All-Southern Conference.

NACOMMA MAXWELL, PRESBYTERIAN (1999-2001)

Owns the school single-season record with 11 sacks and shares the career record with 23 sacks. Two-time All-South Atlantic Conference and All-American in 2001.

LINEBACKERS

WILL BOUTON, FURMAN (1998-2001)

Piled up 445 tackles, 41 for loss. Three-time All-Southern Conference, two-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and All-American in 2000 and 2001.

WILL NEWELL, NEWBERRY (2005-08)

Posted 338 tackles. Two-time All-South Atlantic Conference, including Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, and All-American in 2008.

JADA ROSS, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (2004-07)

Compiled 454 tackles, 31.5 for loss. Three-time All-Big South, including Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.

ANTWAN THOMAS, PRESBYTERIAN (2005-08)

Made 367 tackles, 58 for loss, with 17.5 sacks. Three-time all-conference, twice for the South Atlantic Conference and once for the Big South.

WILLIAM FREEMAN, FURMAN (2002-05)

Had 331 career tackles, 28 for loss. Two-time All-Southern Conference, including Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, and All-American in 2004 and 2005.

TRAVIS STEPHENS, THE CITADEL (1998-2001)

Had 244 tackles and 16 sacks combined in 2000 and 2001 to lead team. Two-time All-Southern Conference and All-American in 2000 and 2001.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

QUINTON TEAL, COASTAL CAROLINA (2003-06)

Had 227 tackles with school-record 17 interceptions and 31 pass breakups. Three-time All-Big South and All-American in 2006.

MATT NELSON, WOFFORD (2000-03)

Made school-record 452 tackles with nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups. Three-time All-Southern Conference, including Defensive Player of the Year and All-American in 2003.

MARKEE HAMLIN, S.C. STATE (2006-09)

Four-year starter posted 179 tackles with 10 interceptions. Two-time All-MEAC.

WILLIAM MIDDLETON, FURMAN (2005-08)

Completed career with 194 tackles, seven interceptions and 26 pass breakups. All-Southern Conference and All-American in 2008.

KICKER

DANNY MARSHALL, FURMAN (2000-03)

Converted school-record 51 of 64 field goal attempts for 79.7 percentage. School's second all-time leading scorer with 312 points. Two-time All-Southern Conference and All-American in 2003.

PUNTER

JIMMY MINER, WOFFORD (2000-03)

School career leader in punt average (40.4), including 42.0 in 2001 and 42.2 in 2002. Four-time All-Southern Conference.

RETURNER

GERALD STEVENSON, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (2007-09)

Posted 1,830 all-purpose yards in 2008 and 1,452 all-purpose yards in 2009. Two-time All-Big South Conference.

This story was originally published December 21, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "State College All-Decade Football Team capsules."