DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman's Darnell Deas has been named by Phil Steele as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Special Teams Player Of The Year.

A sophomore from Pompano Beach, Fla., Deas was the only player to find the end zone twice on special teams returns. He ranked atop the conference with 745 return yards, including a conference-long 98- yard return for a touchdown. Deas averaged 26.6 yards per return, also the best in the conference.  

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Also named:

Kemari Averett (1^st Team): A graduate student tight end from Atlanta, Ga., Averett caught 39 passes for 445 and seven touchdowns, the third highest total in the SWAC this season. He caught at least one pass in all 22 games he played at B-CU.
Marcus Riley (2^nd Team): The junior from Tallahassee enjoyed one of the best receiving seasons in the SWAC, with 39 catches for 563 yards and five touchdowns. One of Jalon Jones' favorite targets, Riley caught a pass in all 11 games on the year.

Omari Hill-Robinson (2^nd Team)  The junior cornerback from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.finished tied for the second in the SWAC with four interceptions. His 97-yard pick six against Mississippi Valley State tied for the third-longest return in B-CU history. He also finished with five pass breakups.

Que'Shaun Byrd (3^rd  Team) : The senior from Palm Coast, Fla. finished his B-CU career with one of the best rushing seasons of his Wildcats tenure. He posted 647 rushing yards, averaging an even six yards per carry – the second best mark in the conference among players with triple-digit rushes. He found the endzone six times on the ground.Byrd also caught 24 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.