SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Elon senior quarterback Scott Riddle and Samford senior linebacker Bryce Smith have been named Southern Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, in voting by the league's head football coaches.

Riddle, the second-leading passer in league history, was also named the first-team preseason all-conference quarterback.  As a junior he led the conference and ranked seventh in the nation with 279 yards passing per game.  Riddle helped the Phoenix earn the program's first berth in the NCAA playoffs last year with a mark of 9-2 in the regular season, including a 7-1 record in league play.  Riddle completed 23.75 passes per game, good for tenth best in the nation in 2009.

One of just three players to average more than 10 tackles per game in the SoCon last season, Smith averaged 10.2 stops per contest, good for 22^nd in the nation as a junior.  He tallied 67 solo tackles, the fifth-highest total in the nation last year and earned first team all-conference honors at linebacker.   

Appalachian State led the way with 13 total selections, including ten on the first team and four on the second team.

Samford had seven players honored followed by Chattanooga, Elon, Furman and Wofford which had six apiece.  All nine teams had at least one first and second team selection.

The 2010 Southern Conference football season begins on Saturday, September 4 when eight of the league's nine teams will be in action.  Defending champion Appalachian State visits Chattanooga at 3:00 p.m. as part of the league's SoCon Saturday television package on SportSouth.

2010 Southern Conference Football
Preseason All-Conference Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Scott Riddle, Sr., QB, Elon
Defensive Player of the Year: Bryce Smith, Sr., LB, Samford
First Team Offense
QB    Scott Riddle, Sr., Elon
RB     Devon Moore, Sr., Appalachian State
RB     Chris Evans, Sr., Samford
OL     Brett Irvin, Sr., Appalachian State
OL     Pat Mills, Sr., Appalachian State
OL     Thomas Gray, Sr., Samford
OL     Chris Harr, Sr., Chattanooga
OL     Pat Illig, Sr., Wofford
TE     Ben Jorden, Jr., Appalachian State
WR    Adam Mims, Sr., Furman
WR    Brian Quick, Jr., Appalachian State

First Team Defense
DL     Jabari Fletcher, Sr., Appalachian State
DL     Lanston Tanyi, Jr., Appalachian State
DL     Brandon Ward, Sr., Elon
DL     Brent Russell, So., Georgia Southern
LB     D.J. Smith, Sr., Appalachian State
LB     Bryce Smith, Sr., Samford
LB     Kadarron Anderson, Jr., Furman
DB    Mark LeGree, Sr., Appalachian State
DB    Cortez Allen, Sr., The Citadel
DB    Buster Skrine, Sr., Chattanooga
DB    Mitchell Bell, Sr., Western Carolina

First Team Specialists
PK     Jason Vitaris, Sr., Appalachian State
P       Bob Hooper, Sr., Samford
RS     Adam Mims, Sr., Furman

Second Team Offense
QB    B.J. Coleman, Jr., Chattanooga
RB     Tersoo Uhaa, Jr., Furman
RB     Mike Rucker, Sr., Wofford
OL     Daniel Kilgore, Sr., Appalachian State
OL     Clark Bishop, Sr., Wofford
OL     Matt Ruff, Jr., Appalachian State
OL     Rodney Austin, Jr., Elon
OL     Ryan Lee, Jr., Furman
TE     Alex Sellars, Sr., The Citadel
WR    Riley Hawkins, Jr. Samford
WR    Marquell Pittman, Sr., Western Carolina

Second Team Defense
DL     Jordan Gibson, Sr., Elon
DL     John Michael Clay, Jr., Samford
DL     Josh Williams, So., Chattanooga
DL     (tie) Ameet Pall, Jr., Wofford
DL     (tie) Eric Eberhardt, Jr., Wofford
LB     Joshua Jones, Jr., Elon
LB     Ryan Consiglio, Jr., Chattanooga
LB     Mike Niam, Jr., Wofford
DB    Terell Wilson , Sr., Elon
DB    Max Lerner, Sr., Furman
DB    Ed Gainey, Jr., Appalachian State
DB    Laron Scott, Jr., Georgia Southern

Second Team Specialists
PK     Blake Bostic, Sr., Western Carolina
P       Mike Hammons, Jr., Chattanooga
RS     Richie Fordham, Jr., Samford

NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.