BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell's
Carlos Merritt and
Emmanuel Olenga were named First Team All-Conference, highlighting 10 Camels honored on the 2017 All-Pioneer Football League teams.
Merritt, a redshirt senior safety, and Olenga, a redshirt sophomore defensive end, took first team nods, while redshirt sophomore quarterback
Daniel Smith, redshirt junior wide receiver
Aaron Blockmon and redshirt junior offensive tackle
Shuler Littleton were tabbed Second Team All-PFL.
Mitchell Brown (K, Sr.),
Ray Miller (LB, So.),
Jack Ryan (LB, R-Jr.),
Tyler Shirley (LS, R-Sr.) and
Dante Simmons (CB, R-Sr.) were also named honorable mention All-PFL for the Camels.
A two-time PFL Player of the Week, also receiving a STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week honorable mention in 2017, Merritt led the PFL and tied a Campbell single-season record with six interceptions. The redshirt senior tallied 94 total tackles, including 50 solo stops, adding 3.0 tackles for loss on the year. He tacked on two fumble recoveries, while scoring two defensive touchdowns, recovering a fumble for a TD in Campbell's season opening win against Methodist, and adding a pick-6 in the Camels' win at Stetson.
Olenga led all PFL defensive linemen in tackles with 74, finishing second in the conference with a Campbell single-season record 8.5 sacks. The Charlotte, N.C. native tacked on 15.0 tackles for loss, also forcing and recovering two fumbles. He was named honorable mention STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week, as well as PFL Defensive Player of the Week following Campbell's 2017 opener, notching a CU single-game record 4.5 sacks with 10 total tackles against Methodist.
Smith, named the
PFL's 2017 Offensive Freshman of the Year on Monday, is Campbell's first quarterback to be named All-PFL in the program's 10 seasons in the league. Smith finished the 2017 regular season with the fourth-most rushing yards in the country, with his 1,272 yards on the ground leading all FCS freshmen and quarterbacks. He set Campbell single-season records for rushing yards, total offense (3,161), all-purpose yards (1,272) and touchdowns responsible for (30). After just one season, Smith is already Campbell's career leader in touchdown passes with 18. Smith is a finalist for the
STATS Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the FCS freshman player of the year.
Blockmon was Campbell's leading receiver for the third consecutive season with 576 yards on 27 catches with five touchdowns. A First Team All-PFL honoree last season, Blockmon played in seven games in 2017 after being sidelined due to injury in week two. The Sanford, N.C. native still posted a pair of 100 yard receiving games, including a 128 yard performance on seven catches with a TD at Butler.
Littleton helped the Camels rank among the national leaders in first down offense (8th), scoring offense (21st), rushing offense (13th) and total offense (24th) at the conclusion of the regular season. The redshirt junior helped Campbell rank second in the PFL in scoring offense, total offense and rushing offense.
Campbell finished 2017 6-5 overall and 5-3 in PFL play, matching the program's best overall and conference records in its 10 year history. Campbell will join the Big South Conference in football beginning with the 2018 season.
