Commerce, Texas – Six Lions were named to the Don Hansen's All-Region Team highlighted by first team honors by wide receiver
Ricky Collins and kicker
Saul Martinez.
Collins picked up first team honors after catching 64 passes for 1,075 yards and 12 TDs averaging 107.5 yards per game. His 77-yard touchdown catch and run against Tarleton State in the opening round of the LSC Playoffs was the longest play from scrimmage for the Lions this season.
Martinez set the Lion school record for kicking points in a season. He made 64 of his 68 point after attempts and drilled 20 of his 23 field goal attempts including a career-long of 48.
Three Lions graced the second team list headlined by wider receiver
Vernon Johnson. With Johnson as a key cog, the Lion offense finished the season as the most explosive and best offense in the NCAA. A&M-Commerce led the nation in points per game with 54.1 and total offense averaging 535.4 yards per game. The Lion offense will also go down as the best scoring offense in the 83-year history of Lone Star Conference after averaging their 54.1 points per game and scoring a total of 649 points both conference records.
Defensive lineman duo,
Toni Pulu and
Charles Tuaau, were the first A&M-Commerce players recognized with second team honors.
Pulu was the Lone Star Conference's Defensive Player of the Year honors after being one of the driving forces for the Lions being ranked second in the NCAA in team tackles for loss, is second for tackles for a loss – 17th in the NCAA -- and third for sacks in the league. In conference only games, he leads the league in tackles for a loss and is second in sacks. He was the Lions fifth leading tackler with 22 solo tackles and 27 tackle assist for 49 total tackles.
Tuaau recorded 25 tackle, 8.5 tackles for loss season despite gutting through the season after sustaining a lower leg injury on a chop block in the Eastern New Mexico game. He is one of the most disruptive lineman in the country constantly causing havoc in the backfield.
Corner
Ronald Fields was the final Lion after picking up third team honors. Fields led the Lions with eight pass break ups including six in only five LSC games after missing two games to finish seventh in the league. Overall he broke up the third most passes in the league with eight. In total passes defended, Fields topped the league with 11 adding three interceptions. Fields finished sixth on the squad with 45 total tackles including 33 solo stops on the perimeter of the Lions defense.
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