Murray State University Athletics
Ehrhardt Named OVC Freshman of the Year; Four Racers Honored
11/20/2007 6:00:00 AM | Football
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt was named the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and three other players earned all-conference honors .Sophomore tight end DeAngelo Nelson earned first-team honors, while Ehrhardt, wide receiver Rod Harper and cornerback Derrick Parrott garnered second-team accolades. Ehrhardt was also named to the all-newcomer team. The team's were voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Ehrhardt (St. Louis, Mo.) finished his first season by going 236-for-393 for 2,567 yards and a MSU freshman-record 21 touchdowns. He also rushed for 375 yards and five touchdowns. His 2,567 passing yards ranks fifth on the single-season passing list, while ranking second on the single-season list for completions and attempts.
He was named the OVC Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 4 after becoming the fifth player in the FCS this season to pass for over 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. He also established a new record with 36 completions in that game against Tennessee State.
Nelson (Memphis, Tenn.) becomes the first Racer tight end since Xavier Shepherd in 1993 to earn first-team all-OVC honors after leading all tight ends in the conference with 34 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns. His best performance of the season came against Tennessee Tech where he hauled in six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. He added a career-best seven catches for 83 yards against Eastern Illinois.
Harper (Bradenton, Fla.) garnered second-team accolades after catching 57 balls for 779 yards and tied for the OVC lead with 10 TD receptions. His 2007 season was one of the best by any Racer receiver as tied for sixth in receptions (Deandre Green) and ninth in yards on the all-time single-season lists. He also climbed into third on the MSU all-time receptions list with 128 and sixth in yards with 1,653. Harper was the go-to-guy in the Racers' receiving corps as he caught a touchdown pass in each of the last six games of the season and caught at least one pass in 26-straight games. He began a stretch of three-straight 100-yard receiving games with nine catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Lambuth and followed it up with 124 yards on nine grabs against Tennessee Tech and seven catches for 114 yards against Jacksonville State.
Parrott (Mayfield, Ky) finished his senior season with 62 tackles (52 solo), three sacks and two interceptions. He tied for the team lead in interceptions and pass breakups (4), while ranking second with two fumble recoveries. His second interception of the season sealed came in the fourth quarter and sealed the victory over Southeast Missouri State.
The Racers have already begun preparations for the 2008 season which is set to kickoff on Aug. 30.
