PSAC Release
EAST STROUDSBURG – Seven players from the East Stroudsburg University football team were honored with PSAC Eastern Division All-Conference honors on Wednesday, headlined by First Team selections Jordan Walters, Andre Eldridge and Jameer Brooks, with Walters earning both Offensive and Defensive First Team honors as a kicker and punter. Devante Robinson, Joseph Odebode, Andre' Gray and Rece Bender earned All-Conference Second Team selections to round out the honors for the Warriors.
Walters, who was named to the PSAC East All-Conference Offensive and Defensive First Teams for his dual kicking and punting duties, placed top-four in the PSAC in both field goal percentage and yards per punt. He tied the ESU single-season program record with 16 made field goals on the year, finishing 16-for-19 to place fourth among PSAC kickers with an 84.2-percent conversion rate. He rounded out his career with 188 points, good for fourth-most by a kicker in program history. Walters set a new ESU and PSAC record by drilling a 56-yard field goal at West Chester in late October. As a punter, Walters averaged 41.2 yards per punt, which was third-highest in the PSAC. He pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line a league-high 17 times on the season.
Eldridge was key for the Warriors along the defensive front, finishing the season with 48 tackles, including 27 solo, to go along with 2.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss en route to earning a spot on the All-Conference Defensive First Team. The junior from South Brunswick, New Jersey ranked second on the team in tackles for loss, third in sacks, and fourth in total tackles. Eldridge registered a season-high nine tackles in back-to-back games against Bloomsburg and West Chester.
Brooks joined Eldridge on the All-Conference Defensive First Team after a strong season at linebacker for the Warriors. The sophomore from Philadelphia led the team with 69 tackles on the year, while ranking second with 37 solo tackles and fifth with 5.5 tackles for loss. Brooks notched five or more tackles in each of the last eight games of the season, including a season-high 10 at Kutztown
Robinson was the lone Warrior named to the All-Conference Offensive Second Team after tallying 855 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns on the year. Robinson went for 646 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, while adding 27 receptions for 209 yards and one score. His eight rushing touchdowns led the Warriors and ranked eighth overall in the PSAC. Robinson closed out the year with a career-high 177 rushing yards in a victory over Clarion.
Odebode was one of three Warriors to be named to the All-Conference Defensive Second Team. A team captain, Odebode posted 29 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks on the year. The redshirt senior from Toms River, New Jersey led the squad in tackles for loss and ranked second in sacks, while placing among the top-20 in the PSAC in both categories. Odebode was key in ESU's upset victory over Division I FCS opponent Wagner in the 2019 opener, registering a season-high three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Gray joined Odebode on the Defensive Second Team after helping shutdown opponent's air attacks throughout the season, as he matched up with the other team's best receiver over much of the year. The defensive back posted 29 tackles on the season, and ranked third on the team in both interceptions (2) and passes broken up (5). Gray helped lead ESU to a win over Clarion in the season finale, registering an interception and a blocked field goal that got returned for a touchdown.
Bender was electric on kick and punt returns all season for the Warriors, as he earned a spot on the Defensive Second Team as a return specialist. The sophomore led the PSAC with 28.0 yards per kick return, and also averaged 15.44 yards on punt returns. Bender took back a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown at Shepherd, and also scored on a 95-yard kickoff return in the season finale against Clarion, which was tied for the fourth-longest kick return in program history.
The Warriors closed out the 2019 season at 6-5 overall, marking the team's first six-win campaign since 2015.
