JSU ALL-AMERICANS
Darron Edwards 1995
OVC
HISTORY
RECORDS
REVIEW
OPPONENTS
ABOUT JSU
COACHES
GAMECOCKS
OUTLOOK
INTRO
Darron Edwards was named All-America in 1995 after leading the Gamecock defense with four interceptions. The Pell City, Ala., native set the JSU school record by recording all four interceptions against instate rival Samford. Edwards returned one for an 84-yard touchdown, the longest interception return in the school’s Division I-AA history. He also had 10 tackles and five pass breakups in that 35-14 JSU win. He finished his senior season with 60 tackles and a team-high 11 pass breakups after starting all 11 games in the school’s first season at the NCAA Division I-AA level.
Richie Rhodes
2001 • 2002 • 2003
Richie Rhodes is the Gamecocks only three-time All-American. Rhodes punted in 43 games in his JSU career with 218 punts for 9,208-yards, averaging 42.2-yards with a long of 74 in his freshman season that set a Division I-AA record. In his junior campaign, Rhodes punted in 11 games for the Gamecocks with 52 punts for 2,082-yards. In 2003, Rhodes led the OVC in punting with 67 punts for 2,761-yards. He was named AllConference four times and Conference Player-of-the-Week seven times in his career.
Eric Mims
Deon White
Eric Mims earned All-American honors in 1997 after leading the team with 145 total tackles, including 81 solo stops. The Wellborn, Ala., native set a school record with 33 total tackles against Nicholls State, just one week after recording 19 tackles versus West Georgia. He finished his career with more than 378 total tackles and five intercepions. He also had six fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles 17 pass breakups and one blocked kick during his Gamecock career.
Deon White was named All-America in 2002 after earning first-team All-Southland Football League honors as an offensive lineman. The Birmingham, Ala., native helped the Gamecocks roll up some impressive numbers on offense. With White anchoring the offensive line, Jax State led the Southland in rushing yards and total offense and an upset homecoming win over third-ranked Northwestern State.
1997
Mark Word 1998
Mark Word earned All-American honors for the Gamecocks in 1998 after being named to the Southland Conference defensive first-team as a lineman. He was one of the top sacks leaders in the country after leading the conference with 15 sacks in 11 games. He also finished with 52 total tackles, four fumble recoveries, 27 quarterback pressures and 14 tackles for loss. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round.
Montressa Kirby 1998
Quarterback Montressa Kirby led Jacksonville State from 1995-98 and earned All-America honors in 1998 and was named the Southland Football League Offensive Player of the Year. He went 168-of-318 for 2,271 yards with 15 touchdowns also was the second leading rusher with 114 attempts for 310 yards and seven touchdowns. The Anniston, Ala. native set 14 school records including most attempts in one game (48) and in a season (418), most completions in one game (28) and in a season (218), most touchdown passes in a game (5), most passing yards in a game (417) and the longest touchdown pass (93). Kirby finished his career 492-of-966 for 6,587 yards, 45 touchdowns and 43 interceptions.
Eurosious Parker 1998
Eurosious Parker became the fourth Gamecock specialist to earn All-America honors. Parker, a native of Greenville, Ala., led the Gamecocks in all returns as a senior and was named to the Southland AllConference team. He had 28 kickoff returns for 619 yards. He returned 34 punts for 477 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown. He also grabbed five interceptions and returned a fumble 13 yards for a touchdown. He finished his career with over 1,600 return yards.
Delvin Hughley 2000
Delvin Hughley was defensive back All-American in 2000 for JSU. In his career for the Gamecocks, Hughley posted 205 tackles, including 138 unassisted and 67 assists with six for losses of 23-yards. He recorded 41 pass deflections with seven forced fumbles and four recoveries. Hughley recorded seven interceptions for 56-yards and one touchdown. Hughley also served as a punt returner, logging 49 returns for 543-yards with a long of 40.
Jeremy Sullivan 2001
Jeremy Sullivan was named an All-American in 2001. Sullivan was named to the Southland Football League All-Conference team in 2001 and 2000. Sullivan started every game his final three seasons at JSU. In 2001, he helped anchor a offensive line that opened holes for the SLC leading rushing team that garnered 2,491-yards on the ground. During his junior season, the Gamecocks finished second in the league in rushing and 26th nationally.
168 2011 Gamecocks Football
2002
Oscar Bonds 2004
Oscar Bonds was named to The Sports Network 2004 All-American team and The Associated Press 2004 All-American team. In the 2004 season, Bonds rushed 1,320 yards with 19 touchdowns on 203 carries. He averaged 6.2 yards a carry and 114.8 yards a game. His longest run of the season and career was for 79 yards against instate and conference rival Samford on November 6, 2004. Bonds was just as good running the ball and he was catching. During his senior season, Bonds caught 12 passes for 150 yards, setting his longest reception, of 30 yards, twice (10/9/2004 at Tennessee-Martin and 11/13/2004 at Eastern Illinois). For his career, Bonds recorded 1,683 yards on 278 carries with 22 touchdowns.
John Pettus 2004
John Pettus was named to The Sports Network 2004 All-American team and The Associated Press 2004 All-American team. Pettus started all 23 games at center during his junior and senior seasons and logged 31 career starts. In 2004, he was a key member of the JSU offense that led the OVC in rushing, with 3,061 yards and 41 touchdowns, and scoring offense with 56 touchdowns and an average of 37.5 points a game. Behind Pettus, the JSU rushing game averaged 260.3 yards a game. Pettus also anchored a JSU passing game that threw for over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 182.4 yards a contest in 2004.
Craig Agee 2004
Craig Agee was named an All-American during his sophomore season with the Gamecocks after leading all of NCAA Division I-AA in punt returns. In 2004, Agee accounted for 1,352 all-purpose yards, averaging 58.8 yards a game. Agee had 30 receptions for 661-yards and three touchdowns for the Gamecocks. The Taylorsville, Miss native posted 637 punt return yards on 48 receptions and had two touchdowns. In his freshman season, Agee caught nine passes for 143-yards and scored his first collegiate touchdown on October 11 with a 22-yard reception against UT-Martin. He led the team with 268 punt return yards.
Clay Green 2005
Clay Green was named an All-American during his junior season at running back after rushing for 1,352 yards during the 2005 season. It was the second most rushing yards in a single-season in school history. The Birmingham, Ala., native finished his four-year career 3,034 yards, which ranked as the third most career rushing yards in school history. He led the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring in 2006 and finished with 216 career points to move into fifth place on the Gamecocks all-time scoring list and is became just the eighth player to score more than 200 points. Green rushed for 1,083 yards in 2006 to become the first player in JSU’s history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in back-to-back seasons.