BELLEVUE, Wash., – Three players from defending Black college Sports page national champion North Carolina A&T were named to the 2018 Hero Sports All-American teams recently.
Senior running back Marquell Cartwright was named to the second team offense while sophomore defensive back Mac McCain was named to the second team defense.
Junior wide receiver Elijah Bell was named to the third team offense along with Howard sophomore quarterback Caylin Newton who was designated as an athlete.
Grambling’s De’Arius Christmas was the only HBCU player named to a first team. The 2017 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year who led the SWAC champion Tigers’ defense was named a first team linebacker.
The three Aggies were key parts of A&T 12-0 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference and national championship season last year.
Cartwright led the MEAC in rushing (1,190 yards, 14 TDs), Bell was the league’s receiving leader (64 receptions, 953 yards 11 TDs and McCain paced the MEAC in interceptions with six, three that he returned for touchdowns. Those three return TDs led all of FCS football..
Last season, Newton led Howard’s resurgence on the gridiron, posting a 7-4 overall mark and 6-2 in Mid Eastern Athletic Conference play; thus, placing second behind MEAC and black college national champion North Carolina A&T.
Newton helped lead Howard to its first-ever FBS win at UNLV in his collegiate debut. From that point, Newton guided the conference’s top-rated offensive unit (447.8 ypg) and rushing offense (217.4 ypg).
Additionally, he became the first freshman in MEAC (MEAC) history to surpass 3,000 yards of total offense (3,185) while averaging 289.5 yards of offense per outing. The Atlanta native also led the MEAC in scoring as he combined for 25 touchdowns en route to leading Howard to its best finish and record since 2012.
Newton earned several postseason honors, including 2017 MEAC Rookie of the Year and 2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year.
North Carolina Central rising senior long snapper Erik Schleckerearned a spot on the Hero Sports FCS Preseason Third Team for achieving a 99 percent success rate on his snaps with only one errant snap in the past two seasons at NCCU. The transfer from ASA College also boasts a snap time average of 0.75 seconds.
To his credit, each NCCU teammate Schlecker has snapped for during the 2016 and 2017 seasons – two placekickers and a punter – has garnered all-conference recognition.