2007 bowl team’s center Paris leads ‘All-Owls 15’
Three-year starter helped protect FAU’s first NFL draft pick.
Offensive linemen don’t always get the attention they deserve, but the big men that have come through Florida Atlantic certainly all earned recognition throughout the years.
Being tasked with snapping a ball and immediately blocking a defensive lineman is a job that only a few select players can do. Still, the players on this list all took to the challenge and found success in the trenches.
The 2018 season will be FAU’s 15th in Division I (officially the Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS). During that time the program has experienced the highs of two conference championships and three bowl wins and plenty of lows. While the Owls have been inconsistent since 2004, the program has fielded plenty of talented players.
So who are the best players to wear an Owls uniform over the past 15 seasons?
Much like the annual All-American teams, The Post’s “All-Owls 15” list features three “teams” of FAU players from the past 15 years. With all of that said, who are the best centers to play for FAU in the past 15 years?
First team: Nick Paris (2004-08)
Paris joins the other four members from the 2007 New Orleans Bowl offensive line on the All-Owls list for good reason. An All-Sun Belt honoree in 2008, Paris was a major reason Rusty Smith became the first Owl taken in the NFL draft in 2010. Paris demonstrated brutal strength on the offensive line and was a threeyear starter at center. Paris and Smith later reunited in 2015, not in the NFL, but as high school coaches for Grace Christian Academy (Tenn.).
Second team: Dillon DeBoer (2012-16)
DeBoer was the Owls’ Swiss army knife in his final season, playing all around the offensive line as teammates constantly went down with injuries. An underrated lineman whose presence was missed early last season, DeBoer was the only Owls O-lineman to start all 12 games in 2016. DeBoer’s versatility and blocking allowed running backs Buddy Howell and Devin Singletary to combine for 1,849 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns that season.
DeBoer’s success earned him a tryout with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 and the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers this year.
Third team: Antonyo Woods (2013-17)
This came down to one simple, yet problematic question: Was one elite season for Woods in 2017 — his lone year as a center — enough to beat out Mustafa Johnson, who had strong seasons in both 2012 and 2013?
Johnson’s strength helped the 2013 Owls finish with four consecutive wins and their first non-losing season since 2008, but Woods’ dominance in the trenches last season cannot be overlooked. Playing center for the first time in his life, Woods overcame early snap issues to be named to the All-Conference USA First-Team and was recognized by several major outlets. The Athletic listed Woods as the starting center on its All-Group of 5 Team and Pro Football Focus’ advanced grading metrics had the Seminole Ridge alumnus as one of the nation’s top centers.
Johnson was a fine center for the Pelini-era Owls and nearly made the list, but Woods flourished under pressure and helped pave the way for over 4,000 team rushing yards last season.