If you lead your league in receiving yards and are second in receptions, earning first-team all-conference honors should be a no-brainer, right?
Not if you’re University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wide receiver Joel Bradford.
The Southern Conference announced the coaches’ postseason all-conference teams Tuesday and Bradford was voted to the second team, a snub that nearly overshadowed the fact that seven Mocs earned all-conference honors and cornerback Kadeem Wise was voted freshman of the year.
“With the year he had, I don’t know how it happened,” Mocs coach Russ Huesman said of Bradford winding up on the second team. “I guess people have their own personal preferences.”
Bradford led the SoCon and was second nationally in the FCS with 1,284 receiving yards – the sixth-highest total in league history. His 81 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns were second in the league.
The junior, who played safety in 2009 and had no career catches heading into this season, had the top two receiving performances in the FCS in 2010.
Bradford had 11 catches for 254 yards against Eastern Kentucky, setting a UTC single-game record, and he surpassed that a few weeks later with a 15-catch, 274-yard game at Furman.
“How do you have that kind of year and not make the first team?” Huesman said.
The first-team wideouts were Elon’s Aaron Melette, who led the league with 86 catches and 12 touchdowns, and Furman’s Adam Mims. A preseason all-conference pick by the coaches, Mims was fourth in the SoCon in receptions (55) and yards per game (72.4).
Wise started all 11 games and set a UTC freshman record, passing Huesman’s mark of four, with six interceptions.
The Mocs’ first-team players were all seniors: left tackle Chris Harr, tight end Garrett Hughes and cornerback Buster Skrine.
“The one that pleases me more than anything is Garrett Hughes, because I’ve been touting him,” Huesman said. “I thought he’d get snubbed, and thank goodness he didn’t.”
Quarterback B.J. Coleman, Bradford, defensive end Chris Donald and linebacker Ryan Consiglio – all juniors – made the second team. Coleman earned second-team honors because Appalachian State’s DeAndre Presley, the offensive player of the year, and Elon’s Scott Riddle tied for first-team honors.
The coaches voted six Mocs all-conference last season.
The Mocs also had five players voted to the all-freshman team: Wise, wide receiver Marlon Anthony, running back Keon Williams and linebackers Gunner Miller and D.J. Key.
The SoCon media all-conference teams will be released today.
Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mocsbeatCTFP.