Heinicke, Ximines top ODU’s all-decade team
Ten seasons of Old Dominion football are in the books, and three distinct groups of players have worn Monarch blue and silver.
There were the pioneers, who launched the modern program and spent their careers in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The next group bridged the transition between FCS and the Bowl Subdivision.
Finally, there were those who spent their entire careers in FBS.
It’s a bit of an apples-tooranges exercise to compare players from the program’s different phases, but football is football. And at the 10-year mark, someone might as well do it.
In that spirit, we present ODU’s All-Decade Team, a subjective list of the best at each position. Some choices were obvious. Others were more difficult to sort out. In the interest of consistency, only players who have completed their eligibility were considered. Performance over an entire career was valued more than one great season. Coaches and sports information staff were consulted.
In keeping with the airit-out ethos that prevailed for much of the program’s history, we opted to go with three receivers — at the expense of a tight end. On defense, our team has a traditional 4-3-4 alignment.
Offense
QB Taylor Heinicke (2011-2014): The greatest Monarch, Heinicke won the Walter Payton Award in 2012 and did more than any other player to put the fledgling program on the map. His 14,959 career passing yards are more than the next three Monarch QBs combined. He produced nine of the top 10 passing games in program history, including an FCS-record 730 yards against New Hampshire. Heinicke made his first NFL start last year with the Carolina Panthers and is preparing for his fifth season.
RB Ray Lawry (2014-17): The holder of all of ODU’s career rushing records, Lawry’s 4,080 yards are nearly twice as much as anyone else. He led the team in rushing all four years, ran for 45 TDs, had four games of 200 yards or more and averaged 6.2 yards per carry for his career.
RB Jeremy Cox (201518): Thunder to Lawry’s lightning, Cox ran for 2,175 yards in his career despite battling injuries. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry and also caught 75 passes.
WR Zach Pascal (201316): The program’s career receptions leader with 233, the versatile and physical Pascal was also a dangerous runner and kick returner. He enjoyed a breakout season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, catching 27 passes.
WR Antonio Vaughan (2010-14): Just 5-foot-8, Vaughan started 36 straight games over his final three seasons and finished his career as the program’s leader in receiving yards (3,267). He was second in receptions (230) and allpurpose yards (4,469) and remains the only ODU skillposition player to be voted first-team All-Conference USA.
WR Jonathan Duhart (2014-18): Duhart’s size and strength on the edge made him a matchup problem for most cornerbacks. After breaking his foot in the second week in 2017, he bounced back to lead CUSA in receptions with 74 in 2018. He finished his career fourth in program history with 183 catches and 2,644 yards and signed with the Detroit Lions last month as an undrafted free agent.
OL Jack Lowney (201013): The versatile and durable Lowney started 43 straight games at right guard, right tackle and left tackle and was named a second-team FCS AllAmerican by College Sports Madness in 2012.
OL David Born (20112013): A massive (6-8, 330) guard, Born started 32 straight games before a knee injury ended his career halfway through his final year. He was a secondteam All-CAA pick as a junior.
OL Josh Mann (2011-14): The anchor of the offensive line during the transition to FBS, Mann started 35 games at center and was voted All-Conference USA in 2014, ODU’s first season in the league.
OL Troy Butler (20122016): A second-team AllCUSA pick in 2016, Butler was part of the group that helped ODU lead the league in rushing. While he finished his career at right guard, he also played center, left guard and right tackle.
OL D.J. Morrell (201213): The definition of an impact junior-college transfer, Morrell started all 25 games he played for the Monarchs, at guard and right tackle.
PK Jarod Brown (201013): Brown holds program records for field goals (49) and points (382). His 54yard field goal at Pitt in 2013 set a stadium record for any kicker, college or pro. It was one of the four field goals of 50 yards or more he kicked in his career.
KR Isaiah Harper (2015-2018): Teams kicked to Harper at their own peril. In 2017, he scored on returns of 100 yards against North Carolina and 97 and 98 yards at North Texas. Voted C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year that season, he followed up in 2018 by being voted the league’s top kick returner.
LS Rick Lovato (2011-14): Four years with nary an errant snap. Lovato now makes his living with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Also considered: WRs Travis Fulgham, Nick Mayers and Larry Pinkard and OL Tobin Cameron, Tyler Fisher, Ryan Jensen and Jeremy Hensley.
Defense
DE Oshane Ximines (2015-18): The most dominant Monarch of the FBS era, Ximines is the career leader in sacks, tackles for loss, QB hurries and forced fumbles. He was first-team All-CUSA in 2017 and 2018. Not bad for an under-recruited player from tiny Ahoskie, N.C. Ximines capped it all by being the first Monarch drafted by the NFL, going in the third round to the New York Giants.
DT Rashaad Coward (2013-2016): The 6-6, 310pound Coward was immovable in the middle, occupying blockers and freeing teammates to make plays. He also made his own share with 97 tackles — including 10 for loss — over his final two years. Alas, if ODU had been able to redshirt him, it’s tempting to imagine what he could have done as a fifth-year senior. Instead, he moved on to the Chicago Bears, who moved him to offensive tackle.
DT Ronnie Cameron (2010-11): Hofstra’s loss was ODU’s gain. When the Pride dropped football, Cameron dropped into ODU’s lap. After a standout junior season, Cameron took it to the next level as a senior. He had 73 overall tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 6½ sacks and was voted an All-American by six organizations, as well as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
DE Bunmi Rotimi (201317): A former walk-on, Rotimi began his career at tackle before moving to end. He blossomed on the edge, finishing his career with 19 sacks and gaining All-CUSA honorable mention in 2016 and 2017.
LB Craig Wilkins (2009-2012): A tackling machine, the tireless Wilkins made a programbest 340 stops, is the coleader in interceptions with nine and ranks among the leaders in tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles. A third-team All-American in 2012, he was one of the last players cut by the Seattle Seahawks in preseason camp.
LB T.J. Ricks (2013-16): The first player in program history to have two 100tackle seasons, Ricks finished second behind Wilkins with 323 in his career. He was the first defensive player to make first-team All-CUSA, in 2016, after being voted to the second team in 2015.
LB John Darr (2010-13): Darr was in on the ground floor as a redshirt in 2009 and had a productive career with 232 tackles, which ranks fifth all-time and third among linebackers.
CB Brandon Addison (2015-2017): Despite weighing just 179 pounds, Addison was Mr. Durability, making 37 career starts after transferring from Division II Alderson Broaddus and rarely coming off the field. He’s ODU’s career leader in pass breakups with 24.
CB T.J. Cowart (200912): Cowart started 31 games in the program’s formative years and is third in program history with 18 pass breakups. He led ODU in solo tackles with 40 in 2010.
S Fellonte Misher (201215): Misher started 36 straight games and received All-CUSA honorable mention as a senior. He led the team with 95 tackles in 2013 and made 288 in his career, which ranks third in program history.
S Devon Simmons (2009-12): Simmons’ nine interceptions are tied for most in program history. He made an immediate impact, starting 11 games as a freshman and finished his career with 191 tackles.
P Jonathan Plisco (2009-12): A field-flipping weapon, Plisco was a threetime All-American from Woodside High who holds the FCS record for career punting average at 45.1 yards per kick.
PR Antonio Vaughan (2010-14): The dynamic Vaughan averaged 11.7 yards on 21 career returns, with two TDs.
Also considered: DL Chris Burnette, CB Eriq Lewis, CB Reggie Owens and CB Aaron Young. Ed Miller, 757-446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com