Weber State University Athletics
13 Wildcats earn Big Sky All-Conference honors
4/21/2021 10:54:00 AM | Football
Conner Mortensen named Defensive Player of the Year; Dontae McMillan named co-Freshman of the Year
Weber State led all schools with 13 players named to the Big Sky All-Conference team, the league announced on Wednesday. In addition, senior linebacker Conner Mortensen was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and running back Dontae McMillan was honored as the co-Big Sky Freshman of the Year.Â
The Wildcats had nine players named to the all-conference first team and four named to the second team. It is the third-straight year Weber State has led all teams in all-conference selections.Â
Conner Mortensen is the sixth player in Weber State history to be named the conference Defensive Player of the Year. During the five-game spring season, Mortensen leads the Big Sky in tackles for loss with 9.5, is sixth in passes defended and is 10th in the league in tackles at 8.8 per game. Mortensen was also selected to the all-conference first team.Â
Running back Dontae McMillan is just the second player in Weber State history to be honored as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, joining teammate Josh Davis. He shared this year's award with Chubba Ma'ae from UC Davis. In five games this spring season, McMillan is seventh in the conference in rushing and leads the league with five rushing touchdowns. He has 308 yards on the season for an average of 61.6 yards per game.
Weber State had nine players that earned first team all-conference honors with five selected as unanimous picks and three earning the honor for the third time in their career.Â
Junior running back Josh Davis was named to the first team for the third time in his career. The two-time All-American leads the Big Sky in rushing this season with an average of 96.5 yards per game in four spring games played this season.
Senior kick returner Rashid Shaheed earned first team honors as a punt returner and kickoff returner and earned first team honors for the third time in his career. Shaheed is fourth in the nation in kickoff returns at 29.4 yards per return. He had a 100-yard return for a touchdown in the win over Northern Arizona and is tied for the FCS career record with five career kickoff returns for touchdown.Â
Senior offensive guard Ty Whitworth also earned first team honors for the third time in his career.Â
Davis, Shaheed and Whitworth join Scott Shields, Treyn Smith and Brady Fosmark as the only players in Weber State history to earn first team All-Big Sky honors at least three times in a career. Shields and Smith both earned the honor four times.Â
Five other players joined Davis, Shaheed, Whitworth and Mortensen on the first team. Senior defensive tackle earned the honor for the second time in his career. Sophomore offensive lineman Noah Atagi earned the honor for the first time in his career.Â
Three players on the Wildcat secondary also earned first team honors in Eddie Heckard, Preston Smith and Desmond Williams. Heckard leads the conference in passes defended with nine this season and Smith leads the league with three interceptions. Williams is second in the Big Sky in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries and is second on the Wildcat team in tackles.Â
Davis, Mortensen, Schiess, Shaheed and Whitworth were all unanimous first team selections.Â
Four Wildcats were named to the second team, including McMillan. Senior defensive tackle Sione Lapuaho, junior defensive end George Tarlas and linebacker Sherwin Lavaka all earned all-conference honors. Â
The teams and individual awards are selected by the league's head coaches. Coaches can not vote for their own players. Â
Spring 2021 Weber State Big Sky All-Conference performers
Conner Mortensen - Defensive Player of the Year
Dontae McMillan - co-Freshman of the Year
FIRST TEAM
| Noah Atagi | OL | Sophomore |
| Josh Davis | RB | Junior |
| Eddie Heckard | DB | Sophomore |
| Conner Mortensen | LBÂ Â | Senior |
| Jared Schiess | DT | Senior |
| Rashid Shaheed | PR/KR | Senior |
| Preston Smith | DB | Senior |
| Ty Whitworth | OL | Senior |
| Desmond Williams | DB | Junior |
SECOND TEAM
| Sione Lapuaho | DTÂ Â Â Â | Senior |
| Sherwin Lavaka | LB | Senior |
| Dontae McMillan | RB | R-Freshman |
| George Tarlas | DE | Junior |
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