Bucknell University Athletics
Seven Bison Named to All-Patriot League Football Teams
11/20/2012 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 20, 2012
- All\-Patriot\ League\ Football\ Teams
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Seven Bucknell football players were named to the All-Patriot League Teams, the league office announced on Tuesday. Junior FB Travis Friend (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), senior DE Samuel Oyekoya (Lanham, Md./Gonzaga) and sophomore S Matthew Steinbeck (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) were named to the first team, while junior DE Sean Sellers (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest), junior DL Tracey Smith (Allen, Texas/Allen), senior LB Beau Traber (Norman, Okla./Norman North) and sophomore LB Evan Byers(Roaring Brook, Pa./Wyoming Seminary/Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.)) landed on the second team.
Five of the seven Bison recognized will return to the Bucknell lineup next year. The seven honorees marked the second-most for the Bison in the last eight years and the six defensive players cited equaled the most in program history, tying the 1994 squad.
Friend, who was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection each of the last two years, and Traber, who was a Second Team All-Patriot League choice last fall, were Bucknell's only repeat honorees this year. Friend is the first Bison player to earn offensive All-Patriot League recognition three consecutive years since Jabu Powell(1999-2001).
In addition to his All-League certificate, Oyekoya was one of 14 players across the league named Academic All-Patriot League.
Friend, who in 2010 became the first Bison since 1993 to earn All-Patriot League honors as a freshman, had a strong junior campaign while being used mainly as a blocker and receiver. He rushed eight times all season, but caught 16 passes for a career-high 136 yards and a touchdown. He now has 50 receptions for more than 300 yards in his three-year career.
In his first year as a regular starter, Oyekoya excelled, collecting a career-high 40 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks. The nine sacks led the Patriot League at the conclusion of the regular season and rank sixth on the program's single-season sacks list. Additionally, Oyekoya is listed tied for 13th nationally in sacks per game and his 17 career sacks are eighth in school history.
Named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy earlier this fall, Oyekoya had at least 0.5 tackles for loss in nine of 11 games this year and his 14 tackles for loss rank second in the Patriot League to Defensive Player of the Year Robert McCabe of Georgetown.
One of only four Bison defensive players, along with Oyekoya, Traber and Donald Quarles, to start all 11 games this year, Steinbeck made a name for himself thanks to his ability to pick off passes. He intercepted a career-high six passes to lead the Patriot League and rank tied for third nationally in interceptions per game (0.55). The six picks list Steinbeck tied for seventh on the Bucknell single-season list and he is one of just three Bison with that many interceptions in the last 12 years.
Steinbeck also recorded 44 tackles and his 158 interception return yards are second on the school's single-season ledger.
A two-year starter on the defensive line, Smith earned his first all-league citation after piling up 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He also had a pair of pass breakups and one blocked kick. Smith registered at least three tackles in every game and he posted a career-high seven stops at Georgetown.
Sellers made it three Bison defensive linemen on the All-Patriot League Teams as he posted careers highs in tackles (32), tackles for loss (8) and sacks (6) despite missing a pair of games. He ranked in the top five in the Patriot League in sacks and in the top 15 in tackles for loss.
Traber, Bucknell's first linebacker to be all-league two straight years since Kevin Ransomein 2003 and 2004, earned his second consecutive all-league recognition after posting a career-high 67 tackles, good for second on the team. The team co-captain also had 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and was tied for third on the team with four pass breakups.
Byers led the Bison in tackles with 100, was second to Oyekoya with 13.5 tackles for loss and third to Oyekoya and Sellers with 5.5 sacks. His three interceptions were also second on the team to Steinbeck. Byers became the first Bucknell player since 2009 to reach the century mark for tackles in a season and he had at least six stops in every contest. His four double-figure tackle outings were most on the team and he led the team in tackles seven times.
This year's Patriot League major award winners were Georgetown's McCabe (Defensive Player of the Year), Colgate QB Gavin McCarney (Offensive Player of the Year), Lafayette WR/RS Jamel Smith (Rookie of the Year) and Coach of the Year Dick Biddle from Colgate.
Bucknell won two of its final three games and finished 2012 with a 3-8 record. The Bison are expected to return no fewer than 16 regular starters next season.
Bucknell's All-Patriot League Selections
First Team
Travis Friend (FB)
Samuel Oyekoya (DL)
Matthew Steinbeck(DB)
Second Team
Evan Byers (LB)
Sean Sellers (DL)
Tracey Smith (DL)
Beau Traber(LB)
Academic All-Patriot League Samuel Oyekoya
