DeKALB – Already on a record-setting pace, Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish helped the program set another on Wednesday.
The senior won the Vern Smith Leadership Award, the Mid-American Conference player of the year award voted on annually by the league's coaches. He is the fifth Huskie player to receive the award the past six years, joining Garrett Wolfe, Chad Spann and two-time winner Larry English. Marshall had four Vern Smith winners from 1997 to 2002, including Randy Moss, Chad Pennington and two-time winner Byron Leftwich.
Harnish is the first NIU quarterback to win the award since Tim Tyrrell in 1983. With 2,692 passing yards and 1,351 rushing yards (ranked 12th in the country), Harnish is on pace to become the first college football player ever to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,500. He has 23 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, and has run for 11 touchdowns.
"I'm still having trouble processing [the fact that I won]," Harnish said in a news release. "I am so proud that an NIU player has won this award in five of the last six years, and to be to recognized with them, and be the first Huskie quarterback since Tim Tyrrell to win this award, is an awesome feeling."
Harnish, also the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, was one of four NIU players on the all-MAC first team. Center Scott Wedige, left tackle Trevor Olson and kicker Mathew Sims also made the first team. Receiver Perez Ashford, running back Jasmin Hopkins, defensive end Sean Progar and defensive back Jimmie Ward made the second team, while receiver Nate Palmer was on the third team.
"When you are on a winning team, you are going to have guys that get rewarded," Doeren said in a news release. "The guys that were second and third team were certainly deserving, and played a big role on our team. I think our offensive line deserved more than we got. We had two more senior offensive linemen in Joe Pawlak and Keith Otis that I feel could have been on this list, but our choices were limited.
"Defensively this [all-MAC] team illustrates what we are - we are young and we are a work in progress. To be in the championship game and have only two defensive players on any of the three all-MAC teams shows what our coaches and players have done collectively on that side of the ball. It's a tribute to the way that whole unit has worked and developed throughout the season."
2011 All-MAC First Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois @
Center – Scott Wedige, Northern Illinois @
Offensive Linemen – Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo %
Offensive Lineman – Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois @
Offensive Lineman – Joe Flading, Ohio @&
Offensive Linemen – Pat Boyle, Temple
Tight End – Evan Rodriquez, Temple @
Wide Receiver – Jordan White, Western Michigan @
Wide Receiver – Eric Page, Toledo @!
Wide Receiver – Nick Harwell, Miami #
Wide Receiver – Kamar Jorden, Bowling Green @
Running Back - Bernard Pierce, Temple @ ^
Running Back –Branden Oliver, Buffalo
Kicker –Mathew Sims, Northern Illinois
2011 All-MAC First Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker –Aaron Morris, Ball State
Outside Linebacker – Khalil Mack, Buffalo
Inside Linebacker – Brian Wagner, Akron !
Inside Linebacker - Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green #
Down Lineman – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State @
Down Lineman – Adrian Robinson, Temple @ ^
Down Lineman – Chris Jones, Bowling Green %
Down Lineman – Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan %
Defensive Back – Dayonne Nunley, Miami
Defensive Back – Desmond Marrow, Toledo
Defensive Back – Sean Baker, Ball State #
Punter – Brian Schmeidebusch, Bowling Green
2011 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Eric Page, Toledo @
Punt Return Specialist –Eric Page, Toledo
2011 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Alex Carder, Western Michigan %
Center – Zac Kerin, Toledo
Offensive Lineman - Brandon Brooks, Miami # !
Offensive Lineman – Jordan Hansel, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Brian Winters, Kent State %
Offensive Lineman – Eric Herman, Ohio
Tight End – David Blackburn, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – LaVon Brazill, Ohio !
Wide Receiver – Briggs Orsbon, Ball State
Wide Receiver – Perez Ashford, Northern Illinois
Wide Receiver – Marcus Rivers, Buffalo
Running Back – Adonis Thomas, Toledo #
Running Back – Jasmin Hopkins, Northern Illinois
Placekicker – Matt Weller, Ohio ^
2011 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – C.J. Malauulu, Kent State
Outside Linebacker – Tahir Whitehead, Temple
Inside Linebacker – Travis Freeman, Ball State
Inside Linebacker – Noah Keller, Ohio ! +
Down Lineman – Sean Progar, Northern Illinois @
Down Lineman – Tremayne Scott, Ohio
Down Lineman – Nate Ollie, Ball State
Down Lineman – Brad Ohrman, Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back – Johnnie Simon, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Josh Pleasant, Kent State
Defensive Back – Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Travis Carrie, Ohio
Punter – Brandon McManus, Temple
2011 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – BooBoo Gates, Bowling Green
Punt Return Specialist – Jamill Smith, Ball State
2011 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Tyler Tettleton, Ohio
Center – Ben Bojicic, Bowling Green
Offensive Lineman – Dann O’Neill, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Wayne Tribue, Temple
Offensive Lineman – Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman – A.J. Strum, Ohio #
Tight End – Garrett Hoskins, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Nate Palmer, Northern Illinois
Wide Receiver – Titus Davis, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan #
Wide Receiver – Chleb Ravenell, Western Michigan
Running Back – Donte’ Harden, Ohio
Running Back – Matt Brown, Temple #
Placekicker – John Potter, Western Michigan %
2011 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Justin Cudworth, Eastern Michigan
Outside Linebacker – Jerrell Wedge, Miami
Inside Linebacker – Luke Batton, Kent State
Inside Linebacker – Ryan Kennedy, Miami
Down Lineman – Austin Brown, Miami #
Down Lineman – Morkeith Brown, Temple
Down Lineman – Freddie Bishop, Western Michigan
Down Lineman – T.J. Fatinikun, Toledo %
Defensive Back – Latarrius Thomas, Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back – Kevin Kroboth, Temple
Defensive Back – Luke Wollet, Kent State
Defensive Back – Marlon Pollard, Eastern Michigan
Punter – Scott Kovanda, Ball State
All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Donte’ Harden, Ohio
Punt Return Specialist – Terrell Jackson, Buffalo @
@ 2010 First team All-MAC
# 2010 Second team All-MAC
% 2010 Third team All-MAC
^ 2009 First team All-MAC
! 2009 Second team All-MAC
& 2009 Third team All-MAC
~ 2008 First team All-MAC
+ 2008 Second team All-MAC
