BROOKFIELD, Ill. --- Tusculum College defensive back was named the Region Freshman of the Year, while defensive end Brandon Williams garnered All-Region third team honors with the release of the 2016 Don Hansen Football Gazette NCAA Division II All-Super Region Two squad.
Boyd, a 6-0, 190-pound native of Viera, Florida, was also named the to the All-Region second team both at safety and return specialist.
Boyd, the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year, led the league with five interceptions, which are tied for the second most in school history and matches teammate's Martez Thompkins' 2015 total for the most picks by a Tusculum rookie. In his 10 games, Boyd posted 44 tackles, including six for loss, with three pass break-ups, forced a fumble and recovered another.
On special teams, he paced the Pioneers on kickoff returns, averaging a SAC-best 25.95 yards per return (37th in NCAA II), including his 95-yard return for a touchdown in Tusculum's 38-28 road win over Catawba. His 95-yard return is the third longest in program history and for his effortswas named the SAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Boyd, who garnered All-SAC accolades on both defense and special teams, was a national finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, which honors the small college defensive player of the year.
Williams, a 6-1, 275-pound sophomore from Morrow, Georgia, led the SAC with his 22 tackles for loss, which were 16th in the country. His 22 hits behind the line of scrimmage ties a school single-season record, matching the total established by All-American Justin Scott in 2008. Williams' 78 tackles are third on the roster, while also posting four sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a pass break-up.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Illinois, started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen's Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2016 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named in February.
