Southern Miss' Allenzae Staggers receives multiple preseason honors
|David Cohen, Southern Miss Athletics' Director of Communications
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Three preseason nods have been given to Southern Miss senior receiver Allenzae Staggers in the last two days, with the Biletnikoff Award (best pass-catcher in college football) coming on the heels of his All-Conference USA and Hornung Award recognitions.
Staggers last year led the team last year with 63 catches, 1,165 yards, 18.5 yards per catch and seven touchdowns. He also owns two of the five all-time 200-yard receiving games in Southern Miss history and earned an ESPN Helmet Sticker for his All-Star performance against Rice, catching six passes for a program-record 292 yards and three touchdowns as Southern Miss broke its own record with 702 yards of offense.
Staggers, a transfer from East Mississippi CC, was also brilliant in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, shattering its records of 11 catches and 230 yards (the latter also being the most in Southern Miss bowl history).
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-America receiver at Florida State University, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.
Season tickets and flex plans are currently on sale through the Southern Miss ticket office. Fans can either visit SouthernMissTickets.com, call 1-800-844-TICK, or stop by the Pat Ferlise Center during normal business hours.
Southern Miss Football Watch List honorees
Maxwell Award (most outstanding player) - Ito Smith, Sr.
Lou Groza Award (best kicker) - Parker Shaunfield, RJr.
John Mackey Award (best tight end) - Julian Allen, RSr.
Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) - Allenzae Staggers, Sr.
Preseason All-Conference USA - Ito Smith and Allenzae Staggers
Biletnikoff Award (best receiver) - Allenzae Staggers