Oilers Land Two on D2CCA All-Region Teams | Jefferson Earns Defensive Player of the Year
Findlay, Ohio – On Friday, Dec. 6, the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association announced their 2019 football all-region teams for Super Region 1. Findlay placed a pair of players on the list as sophomore Christopher Jefferson earned Defensive Player of the Year and first team honors while junior Logan Bailey earned a spot on the second team.
Jefferson, who just two weeks ago became the first conference Defensive Player of the Year in the NCAA era of Findlay football, made history again, becoming the first player in program history to earn D2CCA Player of the Year honors. He also was the top-vote getter among the region's safeties, receiving ten first place votes, six more than the next closest selection. With his first team selection, Jefferson will now move on to the all-American ballot where his numbers will be tested against the best defensive players in the country.
The Euclid, Ohio native made big strides this season and that was evident in the first game of the year when he finished with five tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and an incredible leaping interception against the second-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs.
His season went from good to great midway through the year when he went on a stretch of seven interceptions over a four-game stretch to burst onto the national scene. Jefferson, a two-time recipient of the league's Defensive Player of the Week honors, would end the year with nine interceptions, tying the Findlay school record. Those nine picks are also tied for the most in the country, regardless of NCAA division, and helped the Oilers defense to a turnover margin that ranked seventh in the country.
Jefferson, who was also named first-team all-conference, rounded out his year with 62 tackles, fourth on the team, and recorded one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a conference-leading 1.4 passes defended per game.
Earning his first all-region honor is offensive lineman Logan Bailey. A first team all-G-MAC selection, as well, blocked for one of the top offenses in the country. He was a staple for an offensive line that thrived on protecting their backfield, allowing just 1.36 sacks per game and 4.6 tackles-for-loss per game, both tops in the conference. He also helped paved the way for a rushing offense that ranked second in the conference at 221.4 yards per game and was key to Findlay's offense that scored 37.7 points per game, second in the league and 27th in the country.
Super Region 1 includes the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and the Northeast 10 (NE10).