| In a season where five teams, including North Carolina A&T, shared the MEAC football title, it is only fitting that the conference’s top offensive award also was shared. A&T sophomore running back Tarik Cohen has been named co-offensive player of the year by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Cohen will share the award with quarterback Greg McGhee of Howard University.
The conference also announced its all-conference teams. Seven Aggies, including Cohen, earned first-team honors. The Aggies’ other first-team All-MEAC selections are cornerbacks Donald Mattocks and Tony McRae, left guard William Ray Robinson III, center Ronald Canty, linebacker D’Vonte Grant and placekicker Cody Jones.
McRae also was a second-team selection as a return specialist. He was joined in that group by nose guard Marquis Ragland, and wide receiver Desmond Lawrence.
Quarterback Kwashaun Quick and left tackle Brandon Parker were third-team selections.
Cohen is the second Aggie to win co-offensive player of the year during Rod Broadway’s four years as head coach (Running back Mike Mayhew earned co-honors in 2011). Cohen rushed for 1,340 yards and 15 touchdowns on 197 carries. It was the second-highest single-season rushing performance in Aggies history.
“He is without a doubt one of the best running backs in the nation,” Broadway said. “He is one of those special players who you get to coach maybe once in a lifetime. He’s special. He’s a warrior, and he gives us an opportunity to win every ballgame. He is going to always hang in there and give you a chance to win.”
Cohen currently leads the conference in rushing (Morgan State’s Herb Walker, Jr., is still playing games), scoring (8.7 ppg), touchdowns scored and is second in all-purpose yards (143.4 ypg). Nationally, Cohen is second in the nation in yards per carry (6.8), 10th in rushing yards per game (121.8), 13th in rushing TDs and 18th in all-purpose yards. |
