Twelve Ferris State Football Student-Athletes Tabbed To All-GLIAC Team In 2013

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football team had a total of 12 football players named to the 2013 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Football Team in an announcement made Wednesday (Nov. 20) afternoon by the conference office.

FSU had three student-athletes chosen to the all-conference first team, including two on the defensive side of the ball, along with three second team honorees in addition to six honorable mention picks.

The first-team selections included senior offensive tackle Carlin Landingham (Muskegon) along with sophomore defensive end Justin Zimmer (Greenville) and senior safety Marvin Robinson (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region).

On the second team listing, the honorees included Bulldog sophomore quarterback Jason Vander Laan (Frankfort, Ill./Chicago Christian) in addition to junior defensive tackle Corey Stone (Sterling Heights/Stevenson) and junior linebacker Terrell Porter (Detroit/Berkley).

Six others attained honorable mention all-league accolades, including sophomore guard Adam Bennett (Romeo), junior wide receiver Jake Lampman (East Lansing/Haslett), senior center Justin Glover (Grand Rapids/Union), linebacker Darnell Morris (Detroit/Inkster), junior cornerback A.J. McEwen (East Grand Rapids) and senior offensive tackle Sam Parker (Muskegon/Mona Shores).

The all-conference balloting was conducted by the league's head coaches via a online voting process.

Landingham, at left tackle, was a key cog on a Bulldog offensive line that helped FSU lead the GLIAC and rank sixth nationally in rushing offense with a school-record 317.4 yards per game.  FSU was also the league leader and 12th nationally in total offense with an average of 492.5 yards per contest.  Ferris State finished second in the country in third down conversion percentage (.497). The Bulldogs also ranked as the GLIAC's second-highest scoring offense (38.8 ppg.) and were among the top 30 in the nation.

Meanwhile, both Zimmer and Robinson played key roles on a Bulldog defensive unit that got stronger as the year went on in 2013. A redshirt sophomore, Zimmer led FSU and ranked among the league leaders with both 7.5 sacks (-33 yards) and 10.5 tackles for loss (-41 yards).  He ranked fourth among the team leaders with 57 tackles and scored a touchdown on a 20-yard interception return this year. The standout end also had seven quarterback hurries, blocked two kicks and forced two fumbles while starting all 11 games.

Robinson made the most of his lone season as a Bulldog after transferring from the University of Michigan. The Bulldog safety led the team with 89 total tackles, which included 50 solo stops and became one of the league's most feared hitters in 2013. he also had an interception in the season opener at two-time defending FCS National Champion North Dakota State and finished with five pass breakups in the secondary.

A second-team All-GLIAC honoree, Vander Laan is among the nation's Harlon Hill Trophy candidates and ranked as the nation's top running quarterback with more rushing yards on the ground this season than any other signal caller in the country, regardless of level. His 1,607 total yards rushing finished tops among all quarterbacks at the NCAA Division I, 
II or III level, including both the FBS and FCS levels of competition. In addition, his total topped the all-time NCAA Division II single-season mark for rushing yards by a quarterback this year. Overall, Vander Laan ranked fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns (21) along with seventh nationally in rushing yards (1,607). Vander Laan was also eighth in the 
country in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and second in the GLIAC in points responsible for (216).

On the defensive side, Stone was a dominant force on the interior of the Bulldogs' defensive line and finished the year with 49 tackles, including 13 solo stops and 36 assisted tackles. He had six tackles for loss (-11 yards) and five quarterback hurries while recording one fumble. His play helped the Bulldogs finish the year as the league leader in rushing defense.

Porter was also a key part of Ferris State's defensive unit under first-year coordinator Lou Esposito. He played in all 11 games and finished second on the team with 86 tackles on 37 solo stops and 49 assisted efforts. He also had two sacks (-18 yards), 5.5 tackles for loss (-24 yards) and both two hurries and two breakups.

Among the honorable mention selections, Bennett earned All-GLIAC honorable mention accolades for the second-straight year despite moving from center to guard this fall.  He started all 11 games and played a key role in the Bulldogs' offensive success as did both Parker and Glover.

Both Glover and Parker were mainstays on the offensive line with Glover handling the snapper duties at center this fall and Parker sliding over to right tackle in the Bulldog lineup. 

On the outside, Lampman also claimed All-GLIAC honorable mention honors for the second year in a row after ranking as FSU's leading receiver with 38 catches for 542 total yards (14.3 average). He caught five touchdown receptions and also carried the ball 18 times for 132 yards and four scores.

McEwen became a key contributor in the secondary this fall after previously starting at wide receiver in 2012. He was among the league and nation's top cornerbacks in the statistical rankings most of the year with five interceptions for 41 return yards. He finished with 33 tackles, including 26 unassisted hits and added a squad-best 12 pass breakups in 
addition to a recovery.

Finally, Morris became an impact player in his first season as a Bulldog player. He was third overall on the team with 63 tackles and had six tackles for loss (-7 yards) in addition to a fumble recovery. A total of 22 of his stops were unassisted efforts.

In addition to the all-conference teams, the league's annual postseason award winners were announced and included Saginaw Valley State quarterback Jonathon Jennings as the league's Player of the Year.

Ferris State finished the 2013 campaign with an 8-3 overall record along with a second-place 8-2 finish in the GLIAC North Division standings. FSU, which finished the year riding a four-game winning streak, narrowly missed receiving the school's first playoff bid in 17 years.

The Bulldogs' eight-win campaign was the school's first since 2006 and only the second in the program's last 16 seasons. FSU's eight league wins were also its most since 1996.

2013 Ferris State Football All-GLIAC Honorees:

First Team Offense -- Carlin Landingham (T)
First Team Defense -- Justin Zimmer (DE), Marvin Robinson (S)
Second Team Offense -- Jason Vander Laan (QB)
Second Team Defense -- Corey Stone (DT), Terrell Porter (LB)

Honorable Mention -- Adam Bennett (G), Jake Lampman (WR), A.J. McEwen (CB), Sam Parker (T), Darnell Morris (LB), Justin 
Glover (C)