NORFOLK, Va. – After earning a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football championship for the second year in-a-row, North Carolina Central University topped the conference with 13 All-MEAC selections to the league's three postseason teams. Headlining the list for NCCU is redshirt freshman running back Dorrel McClain, who captured first-team all-conference honors and was voted as the MEAC Rookie of the Year.
 
Joining McClain on the All-MEAC First Team are junior center Carl Jones, senior defensive back C.J. Moore and freshman placekicker Nigel Macauley. Garnering All-MEAC Second Team recognition are senior tight end Nathan Scruggs, senior offensive lineman Clevonne Davis, junior offensive lineman Desmond Cooper, senior defensive lineman Richard Mitchell, junior linebacker Jordan Miles, and senior Ryan Smith, who is cited as both a defensive back and a return specialist. Rounding out the list on the All-MEAC Third Team are junior quarterback Malcolm Bell and senior offensive lineman Zachary Giles.
 
McClain, a 5-10, 190-pound native of Cary, North Carolina, finished the season as the MEAC's second-leading rusher with 958 yards and eight touchdowns for an average of 87.1 ground yards per contest. His 5.6 yards per carry tops the MEAC among rushers with more than 100 attempts. McClain, who was announced as one of 20 candidates for the STATS FCS Freshman of the Year award, also ranks second in the MEAC with 108.0 all-purpose yards per contest, as he caught 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, while also returning three kickoffs for 59 yards.
 
Jones (Nashville, Tenn.) started all 11 games at center and was twice named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week (Oct. 3 and Nov. 7). In 757 plays, he graded out at 92 percent of blocking assignments with 63 pancake blocks, while only allowing one sack.
 
Moore (Raleigh, N.C.) amassed a team-high 100 tackles (56 solo) to rank third in the conference overall and first among defensive backs. From his safety position, he collected 11.5 stops for a loss and 10 passes defended (two interceptions and eight pass break-ups) to place fourth in the league. Moore also blocked two punts, recovering one in the end zone for a touchdown.
 
Macauley (Fayetteville, N.C.) tops the conference in scoring with 8.9 points per game and field goals with 1.80 made per game, which ranks second nationally in the NCAA Division I-FCS. He broke the NCCU single-season record with 18 field goals during his rookie year, including a long boot of 47 yards, while connecting on 35-of-37 extra-points kicks.
 
Scruggs (Jacksonville, Fla.) grabbed 14 receptions for 156 yards, averaging 11.1 yards per catch. His receptions and receiving yards are the most by an NCCU tight end since 2009.
 
Davis (Miramar, Fla) started all 11 games on the offensive front and is a two-time recipient of the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week award (Sept. 5 and Oct. 17). In 758 plays, he graded out at a team-best 93 percent of blocking assignments with 72 pancake blocks, while only allowing a half-sack.
 
Cooper (Stafford, Va.) started 10 games at left tackle and was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week for Oct. 31. In 653 plays, he graded out at 87 percent of blocking assignments with 36 pancake blocks.
 
Mitchell (Southaven, Miss.) led the Eagles and ranked fifth in the MEAC with 6.0 sacks, while also placing ninth in the league with a team-high 13.0 tackles for a loss. He posted 35 total takedowns with four quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.
 
Miles (Woodbridge, Va.) finished second on the squad and seventh in the league with 80 tackles, including 5.0 hits for a loss and a sack, along with four pass break-ups and a forced fumble.
 
Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) received all-conference second team honors as both a defensive back and return specialist. As a defender, he ranks third in the MEAC with 11 passes defended (two interceptions and nine pass break-ups), while adding 52 tackles (38 solo – second on team) with 1.5 stops for a loss. As a returner, Smith leads the conference and ranks 10th in the nation with an average of 28.1 yards per kickoff return, including a 95-yard touchdown.
 
Bell (Richmond, Va.) averaged 190.0 yards of total offense per game as the Eagles' starting signal caller. He completed 126-of-243 passes (51.9 percent) for 1,581 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 509 yards and five touchdowns.
 
Giles (Durham, N.C.) started all 11 games as an offensive guard and was announced as the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week for Nov. 21. In 727 plays, he graded out at 89 percent of blocking assignments with 38 pancake blocks, while only allowing two sacks and committing just two penalties. Giles appeared in all 46 games during his NCCU career and was a starter in all but one of those contests.
 
NCCU ended its second season under head coach Jerry Mack with an overall record of 8-3 and a conference mark of 7-1 to repeat as MEAC co-champions.