McClain and Williams are 2007 Orange MVPs

Senior defensive end Jameel McClain (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore wide receiver Mike Williams (Buffalo, N.Y.) are the 2007 Syracuse University football Bill Horr Most Valuable Player Award winners. The pair was honored, along with the team’s 22 seniors and six senior managers, at the team banquet on Saturday at Manley Field House. In addition, Joe Fields (Houston, Texas), Max Suter (Ruffs Dale, Pa.), Rob Long (Downingtown, Pa.), Andrew Robinson (Baltimore, Md.), Jeremy Sellers (Rawlings, Md.), Tony Jenkins (Springfield, Va.), Arthur Jones (Endicott, N.Y.), Dowayne Davis (Bronx, N.Y.), Taj Smith (Newark, N.J.), Tony Fiammetta (Walkersville, Md.) and Ryan Durand (Leominster, Mass.) were recognized with awards.

“We honor the seniors and we recognize accomplishments,” said head coach Greg Robinson. “The season was full of flashes and the explosion at Louisville. Yes, there was a lot of heartache, but there were also so many great things to see. The competitiveness and the fight of this football team needs to be recognized. Every person in this senior class dedicated and re-dedicated himself and fought the fight. We appreciate each one of them.”

In addition to McClain, Fields, Sellers, Jenkins and Davis, the senior class includes Josh Arrington (Stoneham, Mass.), Kyle Bell (Philadelphia, Pa.), David Bouchard (Cap-De-La Madeleine, Quebec), Cornelius Campbell (Ft. Washington, Md.), Oliver Fernandez (North Berwick, Maine), Ian Hammond (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Donta Herrod (Washington, D.C.), Arthur Kapalanga (Avenel, N.J.), Marvin McCall (St. Augustine, Fla.), Max Meisel (Weston, Conn.), Rice Moss (North Bethesda, Md.), Jawad Nesheiwat (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), Eugene Newsome (East Stroudsburg, Pa.), Larry Norton (Apple Valley, Minn.), Jason Tanner, CB (Fulton, N.Y.) and Lee Williams, DE (Webster, N.Y.) and senior managers Mark Urquhart (head manager), Steve Gotlib, John Nehme, Mike Ross, Jake Silverman, Charles Williams.

McClain finished seventh on the Orange record list for tackles by a defensive lineman with 177 in his career, including 77 in 2007. He also had two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception. He made 21.5 tackles for a loss of yards in his Syracuse career, which ties for 11th on the Orange record list.

Williams, a 2007 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, etched his name at the top of a several Syracuse record list with nine consecutive games with a touchdown catch and tied the Syracuse record of 60 receptions in a season. His touchdown streak is the longest among active players in the nation. The sophomore also has an active streak of 20 games with at least one reception, which is fifth in Syracuse history. Williams, who led the Orange in receptions and receiving yards, gained 837 yards on 51 catches. His 837 yards is the most by an SU sophomore and is the eighth best total in SU history. Williams is third on SU’s single-season touchdown record list (10) and sixth on the career list (14).

Fields earned the Pat Miller Award presented to the outstanding athlete, student and citizen. He finished the season tied for sixth in The BIG EAST Conference with 8.1 tackles per game. The senior led the Orange with 97 tackles, including 53 solo stops, and had four interceptions and one fumble recovery. Fields started 25 consecutive games in the secondary after moving to free safety from quarterback prior to the 2006 season.

Suter and Long shared the 2007 Joe Szombathy Special Teams Award for outstanding performance. Suter, a 2007 All-BIG EAST First Team selection and a 2007 Rivals.com BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection, averaged 25.5 yards per return, which ranked second in the BIG EAST and 37th nationally. At Louisville, the true freshman took a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and set the Syracuse record for kick return yards in a game with 198, en route to earning the league’s BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Suter, who played safety and running back in his first season with the Orange, set the NCAA, BIG EAST and Syracuse single-season records for kick return yards (1,299) and set the Syracuse season standard for kicks returned (51). His 25.5 yards per return average is fifth on the Orange single-season and career record lists. Suter led the Orange with 1,337 all-purpose yards.

Long, a 2007 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection and a 2007 Rivals.com BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection, averaged 41.9 yards per punt as a true freshman, which ranks 32nd nationally, including third-best among all freshmen, and second in the BIG EAST with a 41.9 yards per punt average. He finished third on Syracuse’s season punting yards list (3,139) and on the season punting attempts list (75). Twenty-one of his punts landed inside the 20. Against South Florida, Long matched the longest punt in school history with a 73-yarder in the second quarter. He tied Sean Reali, who kicked a 73-yarder against Clemson in the 1996 Gator Bowl, for the record.

Robinson earned the Ben Schwartzwalder Award, presented to the exemplary football player. In his first year as a starter, Robinson threw for 2,192 yards and 13 touchdowns. The sophomore’s passing yardage ranks fifth on Syracuse’s single-season record list and his touchdown total is ninth. His 199.3 passing yards per game is also fifth on the Orange single-season record list.

Sellers and Jenkins shared the Duffy Daugherty Award presented to the player’s player and coaches player. Sellers was a valuable special teams performer and played running back and linebacker during his Syracuse career. In 2007 he had 21 carries for 49 yards and one touchdown and caught two passes for 31 yards. He had six tackles, including five solo. Against Buffalo, Sellers forced and recovered a fumble on a Syracuse kickoff that led to an Orange touchdown.

Jenkins closed his Syracuse career ranked 10th on the Orange record list for tackles by a defensive lineman with 145, including 20 in 2007. Jenkins started 18 consecutive games before missing the last five games of his career due to knee surgery. He recorded 16.5 tackles for a loss, including seven sacks, forced two fumbles and had two fumble recoveries.

Jones, earned the Tim Green Award presented to the outstanding defensive lineman. A 2007 All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, Jones recorded 17.5 tackles for a loss in 2007, which ranks third on the Syracuse single-season tackles for loss record list. The sophomore ranks second in the BIG EAST and ninth nationally with 1.59 tackles for loss per game. Jones posted 51 total tackles, including 32 solo, and blocked a kick in his first year as a starter for the Orange.

Davis was presented the Coach Mac Award for intensity, focus, effort and attitude. He closed his Orange career 10th on the Syracuse record list for tackles by a defensive back with 216, including 61 in 2007. He started 35 consecutive games at strong safety and cornerback.

Smith was honored with the Ray Martino Award for loyalty, enthusiasm and perseverance. The 2007 team co-captain caught 44 passes for 822 yards and five touchdowns. His receiving yardage is the most by a Syracuse junior and ranks ninth on the Orange single-season record list. He has an active streak of 15 consecutive games with a catch.

Fiammetta earned the Mark Hoffman Award for the most outstanding back. The junior fullback had 12 receptions out of the backfield gaining 75 yards and had three carries for eight yards. Fiammetta started eight of the 11 games he played in 2007 and has played in 33 games during his Syracuse career.

Durand, a 2007 CoSIDA District I Academic All-American, was presented with the Joe Alexander Award for excellence in football, scholarship and citizenship. The junior guard has started 24 of the 31 games he has played in his Syracuse career.

Syracuse University Athletics

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