Slowik Earns MVP
Read more: Michigan Tech Football
Courtesy: MTU
Senior wide receiver Bobby Slowik (Green Bay, Wis./Southwest) earned the Al Bovard Award as Michigan Tech football’s most valuable player and 11 other student-athletes were honored yesterday as the team announced its 2009 awards.
Slowik finished the year with 53 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns. The All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection led the Huskies in all-purpose yards (92.0 per game) and scoring (36 points). He also took home the outstanding offensive player award.
Senior linebacker John van der Laan (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian) gained the Fred Baird Memorial Award as the outstanding defensive player. The three-year starter posted 51 tackles including two for loss in 2009 to finish his four-year career with 212 tackles. Van der Laan also earned the Omer LaJeunesse Scholar-Athlete Award with his team-leading 3.97 cumulative grade point average in electrical engineering.
Senior free safety David Carmody (Newberry, Mich.) became the inaugural recipient of the Ted Kearly Award, which is given to a player “who played and practiced with great passion, pride and integrity for Michigan Tech football.” Carmody was also named the defensive back of the year after registering 46 tackles and an interception.
The freshman of the year award was presented to Bryan LaChappelle (Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park). The 6-3, 230-pound tight end caught 29 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns.
The offensive back of the year was senior tailback Marvin Atkins (Chicago, Ill./Walther Lutheran), who rushed for a team-high 675 yards and four touchdowns on 164 carries. Atkins also caught 12 passes for 73 yards.
Junior defensive tackle Justin Blake (Bessemer, Mich.) earned the defensive lineman of the year award after posting 26 tackles including five for loss. The offensive lineman of the year went to senior left tackle Josh Frantti (Laurium, Mich./Calumet).
Sophomore Chad Ellis (Petoskey, Mich.) earned the Daniel Dopp Memorial Award as the outstanding special teams player. Senior fullback Mike Macpherson (Dearborn, Mich./Edsel Ford) was given the Iron Man Award, while senior linebacker Matt Carothers (Edgerton, Wis.) was named the recipient of the Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award.
The scout team players of the year were freshman offensive lineman Buddy Poljan (Hillsdale, Mich.) and freshman defensive end David Russek (Ovid, Mich./Ovid-Elsie).
