Hilton, Cristobal take top Sun Belt Conference honors


FIU earns 12 All-SBC nods.

Junior wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has been named the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Head Coach Mario Cristobal the conference Coach of the Year, while the Panthers landed a conference-best 12 All-Sun Belt nods, the conference announced today. Hilton, who becomes the first Panther to ever win Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, was also named First-Team All-Sun Belt at wide receiver and return specialist, as well as Second-Team All-Sun Belt at “all-purpose.” This is the most all-conference selections the Panthers have ever earned, as well as the most First Team nods.

With his explosive speed and ability to make things happen every time he has the ball, Hilton is regarded as one of the most dangerous players in the country.

Joining Hilton on the first team are center Brad Serini, defensive end Jarvis Wilson, linebacker Toronto Smith and defensive back Anthony Gaitor. Running back Darriet Perry, defensive end Tourek Williams and safety Jonathan Cyprien all received second-team honors. Senior wide receiver Greg Ellingson and sophomore linebacker Winston Fraser were both Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt.

In his fourth year as head coach, Mario Cristobal has turned a program that had no wins the year before he took over into the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Champions. Under Cristobal’s leadership, the Panthers won a program-record six games this season, broke nearly 30 records and are headed to the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, marking the first bowl appearance in the program’s young history.

Cristobal has led the Panthers, including First Team All-SBC honoree Brad Serini, in the background, to their first bowl appearance.

Hilton, a junior from Miami, has earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous players not only in the conference, but in the country. A former Freshman All-American, Hilton is already FIU’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 5,392. This season, Hilton led the Panthers with 56 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 291 yards and four scores. Perhaps the biggest game of his career came against ULM on November 6, when he amassed 291 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns, two on receptions, one rushing and one on a kick return. This marks the third time in as many years that Hilton earns First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.

A three-time Rimington Award Watchlist member, senior center Brad Serini has started 48-consecutive games for FIU, making him the only player in FIU history to start every game in their career. The leader and anchor of FIU’s much-improved and potent offensive line, Serini has helped FIU rank 30th in the country and first in the conference in sacks allowed, as well as 28th in the country and second in the conference in rushing yards-per-game. After FIU’s win over Troy, the entire offensive line was awarded a Helmet Sticker on ESPN.com after opening up holes for the rushing game to the tune of 448 yards on the ground. This is Serini’s third all-conference nod, and his second-consecutive First-Team All-Sun Belt selection.

Jarvis Wilson had a breakout year in his final season as a Panther. Wilson currently ranks fifth in the conference and first on the team with 7.5 sacks, as well as fifth in the conference and first on the team with 13.0 tackles for loss. Wilson had three tackles, including two sacks against current No. 18-ranked Texas A&M. He had one sack in FIU’s overtime victory over ULM, recorded two tackles for loss, including one sack, in FIU’s victory over Troy, and had a career-best three sacks in FIU’s road win over Louisiana.

Described by coaches as the heart and soul of FIU’s top-ranked defense, senior linebacker Toronto Smith opened the season with a nine-tackle performance against Rutgers. He followed that up with six tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack against Texas A&M. He had nine tackles and a season-best three for loss and two sacks against North Texas, recorded a season-best 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack against ULM, and had seven tackles and one interception against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. This is the first time Smith earned all-conference honors.

Cornerback Anthony Gaitor is having another stellar season for the Panthers. Gaitor has not only been outstanding in coverage, but he also has a career-best eight tackles for loss, including three sacks. Gaitor opened the season with a three-tackle performance against Rutgers while also picking off a pass late in regulation to keep the Panthers in the game. He was then named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 54 yards for a score, having one sack and forcing a fumble against Texas A&M. Later in the season, Gaitor was again named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week after having eight tackles, one for loss, against Troy and limiting the explosive Jerrel Jernigan to just 32 receiving yards. This is Gaitor’s third all-conference nod, and his second First-Team All-Sun Belt selection.

Junior running back Darriet Perry has been a force in the FIU backfield, rushing for 707 yards on 154 carries and an FIU single-season record 14 touchdowns. Perry rushed for a season and career-high 186 yards on 27 carries and a score in a big win at Troy where he was one of three Panthers to rush for over 100 yards in the game. This is Perry’s first all-conference selection.

Tourek Williams has been dominant opposite Jarvis Wilson, finishing second on the team with six sacks for 36 yards, to go along with 42 tackles, 12.5 for loss. Williams lived in the backfield against ULM, registering career and season-highs with two sacks and four tackles for loss while totaling four tackles, and he followed that up with a sack and two tackles at Troy.

Cyprien leads the Panthers and is third in the conference with 105 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, has five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one interception on the year. Cyprien opened the season with a nine-tackle performance against Rutgers and followed it up with eleven tackles and two forced fumbles against Texas A&M. This is Cyprien’s second-consecutive all-conference selection, as he was named Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt last season.

One of FIU’s most cerebral players and defensive leaders on the field, Winston Fraser is third on the team with 66 tackles this season, including 7.0 for loss and one sack. He has two forced fumbles and one very key interception. Fraser’s pick came at the end of the ULM game to send the ballgame into overtime where the Panthers eventually won the contest and clinched the Sun Belt Conference Championship. This is Fraser’s first All-Sun Belt nod.

Greg Ellingson has been FIU’s go-to man in key situations as 32 of his 36 receptions have produced either a first down or a touchdown. The senior wideout leads the team with five touchdowns, and is second on the team with 36 receptions and 546 receiving yards. For his career, Ellingson is fifth all-time at FIU with 124 catches and fourth with 1,952 receiving yards. This is the first All-Sun Belt selection for Ellingson.

Player of the Year: T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., WR)

Offensive Player of the Year: Bobby Rainey (WKU, Jr., RB)

Defensive Player of the Year: Jamari Lattimore (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL)

Freshman of the Year: Corey Robinson (Troy, Fr., QB)

Coach of the Year: Mario Cristobal, FIU

FIRST TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Offense

Ryan Aplin (Arkansas State, So., QB)

Lance Dunbar (North Texas, Jr., RB)

Bobby Rainey (WKU, Jr., RB)

T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., WR)

Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Sr., WR)

Ladarius Green (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., TE)

Brad Serini (FIU, Sr., OL)

Tyler Clark (Troy, Sr., OL)

Victor Gill (North Texas, Sr., OL)

Derek Newton (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)

Esteban Santiago (North Texas, Sr., OL)

Defense

Bryan Hall (Arkansas State, Sr., DL)

Jamari Lattimore (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL)

Jonathan Massaquoi (Troy, So., DL)

Jarvis Wilson (FIU, Sr., DL)

Demario Davis (Arkansas State, Jr., LB)

Toronto Smith (FIU, Sr., LB)

Craig Robertson (North Texas, Sr., LB)

M.D. Jennings (Arkansas State, Sr., DB)

Anthony Gaitor (FIU, Sr., DB)

Rod Issac (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DB)

Jeremy Kellem (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DB)

Special Teams

Alan Gendreau (Middle Tennessee, Jr., K)

Mickey Groody (Florida Atlantic, R-Jr., P)

T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., Return Specialist)

Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Sr., All Purpose)

SECOND TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Offense

Corey Robinson (Troy, Fr., QB)

Phillip Tanner (Middle Tennessee, Sr., RB)

Darriet Perry (FIU, Jr., RB)

Lester Jean (Florida Atlantic, Sr., WR)

Luther Ambrose (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., WR)

Rob Housler (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., TE)

Tom Castilaw (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)

Sifa Etu (Arkansas State, Sr., OL)

Ian Burks (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., OL)

Mark Fisher (Middle Tennessee, Sr., OL)

James Brown (Troy, Jr., OL)

Defense

Dorvus Woods (Arkansas State, Jr., DL)

Tourek Williams (FIU, So., DL)

Ken Dorsey (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., DL)

Mario Addison (Troy, Sr., DL)

Javon McKinnon (Arkansas State, Sr., LB)

Michael Lockley (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., LB)

Thomas Majors (WKU, Sr., LB)

Marcus Bartels (Florida Atlantic, R-Jr., DB)

Tavious Polo (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., DB)

Jonathan Cyprien (FIU, So., DB)

Darius Prelow (Louisiana-Monroe, Jr., DB)

Special Teams

Zach Olen (North Texas, Fr., K)

Josh Davis (Middle Tennessee, Fr., P)

Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Sr., Return Specialist)

T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., All-Purpose)

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Dwayne Frampton (Arkansas State, Jr., WR); Allen Muse (Arkansas State, So., WR); Tarvoris Hill (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., DB); Jeff Van Camp (Florida Atlantic, R-Sr., QB); Greg Ellingson (FIU, Sr., WR); Winston Fraser (FIU, R-So., LB); Orkeys Auriene (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DB); Spencer Ortego (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., P); Kolton Browning (ULM, R-Fr., QB); Cameron Blakes (ULM, So., LB); Eric Russel (Middle Tennessee, Junior, RS); Dwight Smith (Middle Tennessee, Sr., DL); Brelan Chancellor (North Texas, Fr. RS); Will Goggans (Troy, Jr., P); Michael Taylor (Troy, Jr., K); Orlando Misaalefua (WKU, Sr., LB); Mychal Patterson (WKU, Sr., OL)

The All-Sun Belt Conference Teams are selected by each team’s head coach and a media representative from each institution.