July 16, 2015

Tech Athletics announces finalists for 2015 Man of the Year honor

The Tennessee Tech University Athletic Department has announced the names of seven finalists for the school’s 2015 Man of the Year Award, with the winner to be announced Sunday.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech University Athletic Department has announced the names of seven finalists for the school’s 2015 Man of the Year Award, with the winner to be announced Sunday.

To be eligible for the Man of the Year Award, a student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student who has completed his athletic eligibility during 2014-15. Criteria for selecting the award include both athletic and academic accomplishments, as well as additional areas such as community and campus involvement and public service activities.

The Man of the Year Award was established in 1993, and 22 winners have been selected in the previous 22 years. The previous winners are:

1993 - Ben Holt (Baseball)
1994 - Mike Kinney (Baseball)
1995 - Willie Queen (Football)
1996 - Gerald Bentley (Football)
1997 - Robert Taylor (Football)
1998 - Jeff Norman (Football)
1999 - T.J. Christian (Football)
2000 - Wes Gallagher (Football)
2001 - Larrie Smith (Basketball)
2002- Grant Swallows (Football)
2003 - Brent Jolly (Basketball)
2004 - Luis Aquerrevere (Tennis)
2005 - Brett Vavra (Football)
2006 - David McMahan (Football)
2007 - Anthony Ash (Football)
2008 - Thomas Nelson (Baseball)
2009 - Bradley Thompson (Football)
2010 - Josh Simer (Golf)
2011 - Kelechi Ordu (Football)
2012 - Corey Watson (Football)
2013 - Tristan Archer (Baseball)
2014 – Dennis Ogbe (Basketball)

The Awards Committee has selected three members of the football team, two from baseball and one each from basketball and golf. The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:

David Allen, Knoxville, Tenn., Baseball
After sitting out his first two seasons as a Golden Eagle, and seeing his time on the field limited to just 44 games over the next two years, due to multiple injuries, David Allen made it all come together for a perfect season in his final hoorah. Originally scheduled to debut 2015 in left field, Allen played in and started all 55 games for the Tech squad in center field after an injury to projected starter Jake Rowland weeks before the start of the season. A long time coming, the Knoxville native was brilliant defensively in his senior campaign, recording an immaculate 1.000 fielding percentage while recording numerous highlight-reel catches and run-saving grabs. He proved to be just as steady with a bat in his hands, batting .301 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 31 RBI while often taking the role of the Golden Eagle leadoff man. He stole four bases and was the ultimate team player on offense, leading the Tech squad in both sacrifice hits (six) and sacrifice flies (six). His 39 runs scored and 68 hits both ranked second on the team. In the classroom, Allen was a tireless worker, earning a place on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll nine times and the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times while compiling a 3.26 GPA and earning his degree in electrical engineering in May. In the community, he took part in Cookeville’s Fall Funfest, providing information to the public about Tech athletics and playing games with all who participated. Allen volunteered as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the week leading up to Christmas. He also spent time at Prescott South Middle School for its Mega Sports Day, helping run several different activities and participate with the children in an attempt to encourage active lifestyles and exercise. He served as the soundboard operator at his church’s Vacation Bible School. Off the diamond, Allen visited New Zealand for six weeks, helping with campus ministry at the University of Otago as well as putting together parties and assisting with sporting events for the students. He also took part in the 10-week Mountain Project in Pigeon Forge as well as worked on the Campus Outreach Tech/Sound team for one year.

Dylan Bosheers, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Baseball
For three years, Dylan Bosheers built a reputation of consistency and just overall great play, never missing a start and always providing the Golden Eagles with a brilliant effort both offensively and defensively. His senior campaign would be no different. The senior led the Golden Eagles, in 2015, with a .337 batting average, 50 runs scored, 69 hits, 20 doubles and a slugging percentage of .576. He ranked second on the squad with nine home runs, 43 RBI and a .424 on base percentage and racked up yet another solid year at shortstop, yielding a fielding percentage of .962. A four-time All-American and the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year, Bosheers captured his second consecutive appearance on the OVC All-First Team (the fourth-straight OVC postseason honor for the senior) and also found himself on the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award Watch List for the third straight season. In three OVC Tournament games, Bosheers was a one-man wrecking crew, batting .400 with a double, two home runs, and five RBI, clinching a spot on the OVC All-Tournament Team for the second consecutive year. One of three team captains, he started all 52 games in which he played, missing just three games all season (the first of his career) due to injury. With yet another fantastic year added to his already impressive resume, Bosheers made huge dents in the Golden Eagle record books, finishing his career ranked first in doubles (60), second in games played (221), at bats (846), runs scored (191), hits (279) and total bases (441), third in RBI (179) and seventh in home runs (30). He became just the fifth Tech player to ever garner 100 or more walks, taking 101 free passes in his career while also cracking the top 10 in OVC history in hits, tying for ninth all time. In four years, he and his fellow seniors became the winningest senior class in program history, collecting a school-record 127 victories as well a program-record of 68 conference wins. Off the field, Bosheers was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the sixth time and OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the second time of his career, sporting a 3.24 GPA in EXPW/coaching and sports administration. He took part in Cookeville’s Fall Funfest, providing information to the public about Tech athletics and playing games with all who participated. He spent time at Prescott South Middle School for its Mega Sports Day, helping run several different activities and participate with the children in an attempt to encourage active lifestyles and exercise. Bosheers also volunteered as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the week leading up to Christmas.

Marty Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio, Football
A six-year member of the Tennessee Tech football team and first-team all-OVC performer, Marty Jones has proven to be one of the most visible and accessible student-athletes at the university during his career while overcoming adversity on several occasions. Jones went through the struggles of sitting out the better part of two seasons, including the 2011 championship campaign. He never let the roadblocks get in the way of his education or career, however, persevering to earn not one, but three degrees in his time as a Golden Eagle. After earning a bachelor’s in marketing in the spring of 2013, the veteran safety completed his master’s in finance in the summer of 2014 before putting the finishing touches on his second bachelor’s degree (in finance) this spring. Jones was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll each and every one of his 11 semesters heading into the spring and also took home a spot on the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in four out of his five previous years as a Golden Eagle student-athlete. On the gridiron, Jones became one of the most reliable players for head coach Watson Brown following his two redshirt seasons, starting all 24 contests over his final two seasons. In addition to his sophomore campaign and three games over his two injury-riddled seasons, he compiled a total of 38 starts while playing in a total of 49 games, more games than any other player in program history. He made every single one of those games count, racking up 356 career tackles out of the safety position to finish fourth all-time in Golden Eagle history. A ball-hawk as well, Jones tallied 12 interceptions in his career, breaking the school and tying the OVC records for picks in a single game with four in a Tech win against Eastern Kentucky his senior season. Jones led the team and ranked fifth in the conference and 27th nationally in tackles with 113 in 2014. A man who proved no task was too big or too small, he served as the team’s holder on extra points and field goal attempts for his final two seasons and earned the honor of team captain in his sixth and final year. Off the field, Jones was an active member of the Golden Eagle Sports Network, providing color commentary for several web stream productions on the OVC Digital Network for basketball, baseball and softball. He also was active in the community, working with underprivileged children in the San Francisco bay area between the 2013 and 2014 seasons and volunteering with the Cookeville-Putnam County Habitat for Humanity several times throughout his six years at Tennessee Tech. At the conclusion of the year, Jones received the team’s Tech Pride Award and the Tony Stone Bumble Bee Award.

Cody Matthews, Gallatin, Tenn., Football
Cody Matthews capped a stellar four-year Golden Eagle career by notching his name in the school record books as a receiver as well as adding several pieces of hardware to his personal shelf with numerous post-season awards and honors. At the same time, he was deeply involved with numerous campus organizations and spent whatever free time he could find in several community activities. On campus, he was president of the Society of Technical Communication, an English tutor, and closed his final semester serving as manager of the TTU women’s golf squad. He was heavily involved in Tech’s Theatre Dept., acting, writing, directing and operating lights and sound, and also interned in the TTU Music Dept. His community involvement included volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Mustard Seed Ranch, and the TSSAA Blue Cross Bowl, and landscaping and painting at a local retirement home, On the field, the former walk-on was named a team captain following the 2014 season as he returned from an injury-shortened season in 2013 to start all 12 games during his final year. He led the Golden Eagles with 48 catches for 670 yards and six touchdowns, ranking among OVC leaders. In the final game of his career, he grabbed 10 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns to help Tech close with a win over Austin Peay. Following the season, he won the team’s Most Valuable Receiver Award. He finished his career ranked eighth in Tech history with 110 catches and is ranked 10th in receiving yardage with 1,647 yards. Matthews was also co-winner of the team’s Academic Award, after being named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District team. The National Football Foundation honored Matthews as Tennessee Tech’s University Scholar-Athlete, and he also became the first Tech winner of the C.R. Bickerstaff / Coach Bill Pace University Scholar-Athlete Award. In addition, he was one of just 50 players selected to the 17th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team. Matthews won the OVC Medal of Honor in 2013 for posting the highest GPA among all football players in the league. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2014 with a degree in English, and returned to the field for his final season as a graduate student.

Javon McKay, Atlanta, Ga., Basketball
In five seasons as a Golden Eagle, McKay has saw a lot of change and a lot of action, playing in 120 games to tie for 10^th all-time in program history. He dropped over 500 points and hauled in over 325 rebounds over the span of his career. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2010-11, the Atlanta, Ga. native played in at least 29 games each of his four years. Not many guards in Tech history made as big an impact as McKay has on the defensive side of the ball, totaling over 70 steals and more impressively, rejecting 49 shots in his career. His 49 blocks placed him 13th all-time in program history, just six behind Stephen Kite and DeAntoine Beasley for a tie for 11th. A career 45 percent shooter from the field, he notched a career-best mark of 16 points as a senior against the Belmont Bruins. McKay earned his degree in interdisciplinary studies in May, earning a spot on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll three times. Named team captain for the 2014-15 campaign, McKay was highly involved in the Cookeville community, participating in numerous community service events. He ran with the children of Algood Elementary School at their annual Tomahawk Trot. The event stands as the major fundraiser for the school every year and accounts for a large chunk of their expendable income. He read to children of several elementary schools around the area. McKay volunteered at the local food bank, assisting the movers in the morning with unloading perishables and other foods. He also helped the men's basketball team host the children of Mustard Seed Ranch for an afternoon of fun. MSR is an interdenominational Christian ministry, serving children who have been neglected, abused, orphaned, or are in need of a loving family environment. He helped clear out boulder and cut back large areas of overgrown trees and brush at Hector Black’s farm. McKay also spoke to different middle schools around the area about the importance of academics, staying active, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Over the summer, he joined the men’s basketball team in providing help and support to orphans in the Dominican Republic while also assisting with the team’s basketball clinic they put together for the local children.

Austin Tallant, Alcoa, Tenn., Football
One word sums up Austin Tallant’s contributions to Tennessee Tech Athletics: Leadership. Tallant closed out his four-year career by winning the Sonny Allen Leadership Award for the Golden Eagle football squad, a couple months after being selected as Tech’s October winner of the Athletic Department’s Unsung Leader Award. He also took home the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player Award. A workhorse who answered the starting bell for four seasons, he was in the starting lineup in 45 of his 46 games. He posted double figures in tackles in 16 games including six as a senior, and finished his career ranked fifth in school history with 353 career tackles. In the opening game of his true freshman season in 2011, Austin was thrust into the spotlight at the University of Iowa after a season-ending injury to projected starter Marty Jones. Tallant started every game the remainder of that year, and every game since except one contest in 2012 due to injury, tying the school record for most career starts with 44. Selected as a team captain for the 2014 season, he also carried home the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player award following his final year on the turf. He ranked second on the team and third in the OVC in total tackles with 102. He forced four fumbles, made six tackles-for-loss and snared two interceptions. Selected as the OVC co-Defensive Player of the Week for his role in Tech’s 27-26 Golden Eagle Homecoming victory over Southeast Missouri, Tallant had 12 tackles and an interception as Tech came from behind to knock off the Redhawks. He made a key tackle on third-and-goal from the one-yard line late in the game. He had a 2.97 cumulative GPA.

Lee Whitehead, Knoxville, Tenn., Golf
The wiley veteran of the Tennessee Tech men’s golf program, Lee Whitehead did just what you’d want a senior member to do. Lead by example. Whitehead provided great consistency throughout his senior campaign, posting the lowest single-season stroke average (72.63) by a Golden Eagle since Scott Stallings averaged 70.9 in his senior season. The mark, which ranked eighth in the league led to him earning All-OVC honors for the first time in his career. Whitehead placed 15^th or better in five of his final six events, including tying for first place at the Red Wolves Intercollegiate (he eventually fell on the second hole of a playoff), and captured three All-Tournament honors. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to their first tournament championship in over eight years, firing a 67-76-66=209 to finish fifth in Tech’s second-to-last event of the year. The Golden Eagles captured the Big Blue Intercollegiate title after dropping a school-record 19-under par, 269 in the final round of the event. That came just two days after setting the school mark in the first round with an 11-under, 277. For his efforts throughout the 2014-15 season, Whitehead was named the Gilbert Darcy Most Valuable Player and also took home the team’s Low Average Award. An EXPW/coaching and sports administration major, Whitehead wrapped up his senior year with an overall GPA of 3.35. Named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll six times and the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times, Whitehead has been heavily involved in the community in his time at Tech. In each of the past three years, he has volunteered at the Salvation Army and at the First Tee Program summer camp. Other volunteer duties have included feeding the homeless in Knoxville at Lost Sheep Ministry, helping out at the Cookeville Elementary School race, Relay for Life, the Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation Camp, and the Cookeville Fair and volunteering with tying flies at the Fly Fishing Federation of America & Little River Chapter Trout Unlimited Talks and Troutfest.