NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two Eastern Kentucky University football players were selected to the 2017 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference team, the league announced today from its annual media day event in Nashville. Defensive end Aaron Patrick and punter Keith Wrzuszczak earned preseason all-conference honors.
Last season, Patrick was a first team All-OVC honoree. He was also selected to the 2016 Hero Sports Sophomore All-America first team. The 6-foot-4, 227-pound Dayton, Ohio native was second in the OVC, and 42nd in the nation, with an average of 0.64 sacks per game. He led the team with seven sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. He also had 10 quarterback hurries, one pass break-up and one forced fumble. Patrick finished eighth in the OVC with an average of 0.91 tackles for a loss per game.
He had eight tackles and 2.5 sacks at Tennessee Tech (Oct. 1). He finished with a season-best nine tackles at Ball State (Sept. 17) and against No. 2 Jacksonville State (Oct. 22).
Wrzuszczak was a second team All-OVC selection after last season. The 5-foot-11, 202-pound Geelong, Victoria, Australia native ranked third in the conference and 17th in the nation in punt average. He averaged 42.1 yards on 59 punts while placing 28 punts inside the 20 yard line. He had seven punts of 50 or more yards. Wrzuszczak’s directional skill helped EKU lead the OVC in net punting (41.19 ypp) and punt return defense (2.50 ypp). The Colonels ranked third and fourth in the nation, respectively, in those two categories.
He placed four punts inside the 20 yard line at Ball State (Sept. 17). He averaged 48 yards per punt at Tennessee State (Oct. 15). Wrzuszcak averaged 47.3 yards on seven punts at Tennessee-Martin (Oct. 29) while placing three inside the 20 yard line and booming a season-best 63-yarder.
The Eastern Kentucky University football program has won two national championships, 21 conference titles and has made 21 playoff appearances. No other Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team has won at least two FCS national titles and 20 or more conference championships.
The Colonels will open their 2017 season at Western Kentucky on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. ET. Eastern’s first home game is slated for Sept. 23 against Tennessee Tech. For season ticket information, contact the EKU Athletics Ticket Office at 844-3-GOBIGE.
EKU was picked to place fifth in the OVC this season in a preseason poll of league head coaches and communications directors.
Jacksonville State (128) received all 16 possible first-place votes and was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the league. Tennessee-Martin (107) was picked second and Tennessee State (96) third. Eastern Illinois had 81 points and was fourth in the poll.
EKU garnered 68 points in the preseason poll, four more than sixth place Tennessee Tech (64). Southeast Missouri (42) edged Murray State (41) for seventh. Austin Peay (21) rounded out the poll in eighth.
