THREE PRESEASON ALL-OVC SELECTIONS HIGHLIGHT OVC FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY
7/22/2019 9:55:00 AM | Football
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three University of Tennessee at Martin standouts were recognized as preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference performers while the Skyhawks were picked to finish seventh in conjunction with OVC Football Media Day festivities held at Embassy Suites Nashville Airport.
The Skyhawks saw the trio of Terry Fultz, Julian Crutchfield and Austin Pickett each earn preseason All-OVC honors. UT Martin was tabbed seventh in the preseason poll – as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors – with the Skyhawks garnering 60 votes.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Fultz ranked as the team's most dependable unit from the offensive line a year ago. The fifth-year senior played and started in all 11 games for the Skyhawks at both tackle positions, most notably at right tackle where he notched nine starts. The athletic tackle proved his All-OVC worth by anchoring a line which conceded just 13 sacks in league play. For his career, he has seen action in 25 games.
Hailing from Lebanon, Tenn., Crutchfield picked up his third preseason honor after becoming a mainstay on the Skyhawk defensive line. Crutchfield finished last season with 41 tackles while creating havoc in the backfield with 9.0 tackles for loss totaling 36 yards – including a pair of sacks to earn All-OVC second team honors in 2018. His 9.0 tackles for loss ranked 16th in the OVC while sitting third on the team. He tallied three games with five more tackles, including a season-high seven tackles against Austin Peay and No. 10 Jacksonville State. He also notched a pair of tackles for loss against Middle Tennessee while notching a forced fumble against No. 10 Jacksonville State.
A native of Lake Minneola, Fla., Pickett garnered his second preseason accolade after taking his game to another level during his junior campaign. After seeing action in just five games during his first two seasons, he started all 11 games at the nose tackle position before tallying 36 combined tackles – including nine solos and 27 assists. Additionally, he registered 5.5 tackles for loss totaling 33 yards while notching 2.0 sacks on the season. Arguably his best game came against Eastern Kentucky when he tallied eighth tackles on the day.
Defending OVC champion Jacksonville State was picked as the preseason favorite for the sixth consecutive year after picking up 14 of 18 first place votes, including 126 points overall. Southeast Missouri picked up 115 votes – including four first place votes – to finish second while Eastern Kentucky (98), Austin Peay (70), Murray State (61), Tennessee State (61), UT Martin (60), Eastern Illinois (35) and Tennessee Tech (22) followed.
The Skyhawks begin their 14th season under the direction of head coach Jason Simpson who has won a total of 80 games in his tenure, ranking as the seventh most victories in OVC history. Simpson needs just six wins to become the program's all-time winningest coach while presiding over 83 All-OVC players.
Fans will get the first look at the Skyhawks with the home opener scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 29 Northwestern State. The Skyhawks then play host to Family Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Murray State. UT Martin will also play host to Ohio Valley Conference rivals Eastern Illinois (Oct. 19), Jacksonville State (Nov. 2) and Tennessee State (Nov. 16). The program's annual Homecoming contest is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 against Jacksonville State.
Season ticket packages and single-game ticket sales for Skyhawk football are now available. For more information or to purchase your tickets today, contact the UT Martin Ticket Office by calling 731-881-7207 or purchase online at www.UTMSports.com.
The Skyhawks saw the trio of Terry Fultz, Julian Crutchfield and Austin Pickett each earn preseason All-OVC honors. UT Martin was tabbed seventh in the preseason poll – as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors – with the Skyhawks garnering 60 votes.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Fultz ranked as the team's most dependable unit from the offensive line a year ago. The fifth-year senior played and started in all 11 games for the Skyhawks at both tackle positions, most notably at right tackle where he notched nine starts. The athletic tackle proved his All-OVC worth by anchoring a line which conceded just 13 sacks in league play. For his career, he has seen action in 25 games.
Hailing from Lebanon, Tenn., Crutchfield picked up his third preseason honor after becoming a mainstay on the Skyhawk defensive line. Crutchfield finished last season with 41 tackles while creating havoc in the backfield with 9.0 tackles for loss totaling 36 yards – including a pair of sacks to earn All-OVC second team honors in 2018. His 9.0 tackles for loss ranked 16th in the OVC while sitting third on the team. He tallied three games with five more tackles, including a season-high seven tackles against Austin Peay and No. 10 Jacksonville State. He also notched a pair of tackles for loss against Middle Tennessee while notching a forced fumble against No. 10 Jacksonville State.
A native of Lake Minneola, Fla., Pickett garnered his second preseason accolade after taking his game to another level during his junior campaign. After seeing action in just five games during his first two seasons, he started all 11 games at the nose tackle position before tallying 36 combined tackles – including nine solos and 27 assists. Additionally, he registered 5.5 tackles for loss totaling 33 yards while notching 2.0 sacks on the season. Arguably his best game came against Eastern Kentucky when he tallied eighth tackles on the day.
Defending OVC champion Jacksonville State was picked as the preseason favorite for the sixth consecutive year after picking up 14 of 18 first place votes, including 126 points overall. Southeast Missouri picked up 115 votes – including four first place votes – to finish second while Eastern Kentucky (98), Austin Peay (70), Murray State (61), Tennessee State (61), UT Martin (60), Eastern Illinois (35) and Tennessee Tech (22) followed.
The Skyhawks begin their 14th season under the direction of head coach Jason Simpson who has won a total of 80 games in his tenure, ranking as the seventh most victories in OVC history. Simpson needs just six wins to become the program's all-time winningest coach while presiding over 83 All-OVC players.
Fans will get the first look at the Skyhawks with the home opener scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 29 Northwestern State. The Skyhawks then play host to Family Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 28 against Murray State. UT Martin will also play host to Ohio Valley Conference rivals Eastern Illinois (Oct. 19), Jacksonville State (Nov. 2) and Tennessee State (Nov. 16). The program's annual Homecoming contest is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 against Jacksonville State.
Season ticket packages and single-game ticket sales for Skyhawk football are now available. For more information or to purchase your tickets today, contact the UT Martin Ticket Office by calling 731-881-7207 or purchase online at www.UTMSports.com.
Players Mentioned
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