Full ASC Release
Belton, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football player
Teidrick Smith has been voted the 2016-17 American Southwest Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday (June 29
th). Smith becomes UMHB's tenth ASC Athlete of the Year, more than any other conference school.
Smith, a senior defensive end from Hallettsville High School, earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the Cru to a 15-0 record and the NCAA Division III National Championship. He was named All-America by four different publications after recording 15.5 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and 60 sacks on the season. Smith became the first player in ASC history to win league Defensive Player of the Year honors in three consecutive seasons and is the only player in conference history to win both Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year honors in consecutive years. He was a four-time ASC All-Conference selection and played for four ASC Champions and four NCAA postseason qualifiers during his career. Smith finished his career as the ASC and UMHB career and single-season leader in sacks and tackles for loss and the Cru was 50-4 in his four seasons on the team. Smith signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams this summer, but was released following organized team activities.
"This is a tremendous honor for Teidrick and we are very excited for him." UMHB Vice-President for Athletics
Randy Mann said. "Teidrick is an outstanding football player and was a force on our defensive unit, as well as a team leader. He was a huge part of the success of our program, on and off the field, and all of the accolades he has received are indicative of his hard work and dedication. He is very deserving of this honor and it is wonderful to see him earn more recognition for an outstanding season and career at UMHB."
Smith is the eighth UMHB student-athlete to win ASC Male Athlete of the Year honors and the Cru has produced two ASC Female Athletes of the Year. He joins the following UMHB student-athletes as ASC Athletes of the Year: Robert Moore – 2000-01 and 2001-02, Preston Meyer – 2002-03, Cody Fredenburg – 2003-04, Holly Glover – 2004-05, Josh Kubiak – 2006-07, Jerrell Freeman – 2007-08, Javicz Jones – 2012-13 and Mackenzie Ralston – 2014-15.
U.T.-Tyler track and field standout Whitney Simmons won ASC Female Athlete of the Year honors. Softball player Leah Brown was UMHB's nominee. Brown, a senior third baseman from Crawford High School, became Cru softball's first two-time All-American this season. She batted .379 with 10 home runs and a school record 56 RBI in leading UMHB to the ASC Championship Tournament.
The ASC Athlete of the Year award recognizes a male and a female student-athlete whose athletic accomplishments best contributed to their sport, their institution's overall athletic program and to the conference during the past athletic year and is presented for the 18th time in 2016-17. Selection is made from campus nominees with the recipients chosen by vote of the conference sports information directors.
