National Champion EMCC Lions land Wallace and Autry on 2011 NJCAA All-America First Team

SCOOBA – The NJCAA National Champion Lions of East Mississippi Community College have earned individual national honors on both sides of the line of scrimmage for their collective efforts this football season.  EMCC's record-setting freshman quarterback Bo Wallace and sophomore defensive end Denico Autry have been named to the 2011 NJCAA Football All-America First Team, as announced Monday by the NJCAA's national office headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The standout Lion tandem capped EMCC's undefeated national championship campaign by collecting Offensive Game MVP and Defensive MVP honors, respectively, following East Mississippi's 55-47 El Toro Bowl victory over previously unbeaten Arizona Western College in this year's NJCAA Football Championship Game played Dec. 3 in Yuma, Ariz.

The most prolific quarterback in NJCAA single-season history, Wallace paid immediate dividends for the 12-0 EMCC Lions by establishing new NJCAA single-season standards for most passing yards (4,604), most yards of total offense (4,810) and most touchdowns thrown (53).  Most recently in the Lions' El Toro Bowl win over host AWC, the former Arkansas State University redshirt eclipsed the NJCAA season mark for touchdown passes by tossing seven scoring aerials in a game for the fourth time on the year.

For the season, Wallace achieved his national-record 4,604 yards through the air on 336-of-502 (67%) passing with only 14 interceptions in a dozen contests.  The Pulaski, Tenn., native also ran for 206 yards (on 61 carries) and five scores to account for an all-time, NJCAA-best 4,810 yards of total offense as well as 58 touchdowns on the year.

A three-time NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week this season, Wallace was previously chosen the NJCAA Region 23 Most Valuable Player and the Offensive Back MVP of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College's (MACJC) North Division.  In addition, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound signal-caller looks to be a leading contender for the 2011 NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year honor.

A destructive force all season long on East Mississippi's talent-laden defensive line, Autry led all Lion defensive linemen with 81 total stops (54 solos and 27 assists), including a team-high 11 sacks for 71 yards lost and club-most 13 other tackles for loss for an additional 37 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  The Albemarle, N.C., native was also credited with 41 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles on the season.

Credited with 141 total tackles (97 solos & 44 assists) during his two-year EMCC stint, including 16.5 career sacks (for -113 yards) and 24 other tackles for loss (-60 yards), Autry was previously selected as this year's Defensive Line MVP of the MACJC's North Division.  The 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive stalwart also received NJCAA All-Region 23 honors this season.

This season marks the fourth straight year that East Mississippi Community College has had at least two NJCAA All-Americans during the same season under the leadership of fourth-year head football coach Buddy Stephens.  A season ago, former EMCC defensive lineman Quinton Dial (Clay, Ala.) was named to the 2010 NJCAA All-America Second Team prior to signing with the University of Alabama.  In addition, former Lion quarterback Brad Henderson, of Starkville, was an honorable mention selection last year before signing with Northwestern State (La.) University.

Following East Mississippi's state championship campaign of 2009, quarterback Randall Mackey was tabbed NJCAA All-America First Team before moving onto the University of Mississippi.  Mackey, a native of Bastrop, La., also earned honorable mention accolades as a collegiate freshman for the Lions in 2008.

In Stephens' first year at the EMCC helm, wide receiver/kick returner Leon Berry, of Griffin, Ga., made the 2008 NJCAA All-America Second Team before lettering two seasons at Mississippi State University.  That same year, former University of Florida transfer Jamar Hornsby (Jacksonville, Fla.) was named NJCAA All-America Second Team as a defensive back for the Lions.

The 75 student-athletes awarded NJCAA All-America football honors this season were nominated by their respective conference and then selected by the NJCAA football committee.