SRU lands 4 on All-American football teams
With the midsummer morning sun beating down and fatigue taking over, one half of a voluntary workout group faced an unenviable task. Weeks still separated the Slippery Rock University football team from true competition, but in the muggy haze at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium a daunting opponent stood.
Faceless, vinyl-encased foam had never appeared so ominous.
“You’d be lucky if you got the sleds out of the way the first time and then you could do the conditioning,” said junior defensive back Eddie Faulkner IV, who was recently named as a first-team Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-American.
The other way around? Much less ideal.
“Those days were definitely the toughest,” senior offensive tackle Yuriy Hryckowian and first-team Associated Press (AP) All-American added. “I think one aspect of this season was us being unbreakable — and I think it started from those sleds. Everyone was having a tough time with those sleds and pushing them. Everyone was gassed. Everyone on their last effort.
“But, we were able to stay together as a team and motivate people to finish, even when they were crawling to finish. I think that really set the tone for our season.”
The rounds of shoving the weighted faux adversary across the field gave a good indication of who would guide SRU through the successful schedule to follow. Senior wideout Kyle Sheets and junior defensive back Josh Stokes also garnered nationwide nods for their roles in a season in which the team went 12-2 and reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
“That’s when you get to see who the leaders are going to be and who’s going to play huge roles on the team at that point,” said Sheets, who finished third in all of Division II with 17 touchdown grabs. “Not only that, but who wants to be there when things are tough, because it’s summer.
“You can go vacation and you can go out and do all these things, but to see guys stick around and put the work in and be away from family ... it was just an everyday battle.”
By being named to the first team of both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and AP All-American squads, Sheets followed the acts of former SRU standout receivers Henry Litwin, Cinque Sweeting, and Jermaine Wynn — all of whom have had their stays on the professional level.
“I’d like to find a better receiver in the country than Kyle Sheets,” Rock coach Shawn Lutz said. “I think he has a shot at the National Football League. He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s fast, he high-points the ball. ... He was our go-to guy.”
Sheets rounds out his collegiate career ranked fourth in the program all-time in receiving yards (2,440) and third in touchdown catches (29). He was quicker to validate the acclaim his teammates earned.
“They’ve earned it, too,” Sheets said. “I was in the weight room with them every day, I was in the summer workout group with them every day, so I’m super proud of those guys, as well.”
For Hryckowian, who was also listed as a D2CCA second-teamer, it was the culmination of 34 career starts for the program. He didn’t allow a sack this go-round.
“Putting in all the hard work over the past five years led to something individually,” he said. “I think it’s really cool to finish my college career getting this recognition.”
Yards mimicked miles dancing with that sled, but good days stacked up for the guys who made it a point to be there.
“Once you get out there, you can’t dwell on how hot it is, how early it is, how tired it is — because then you’re not really getting anything out of the workout,” said Faulkner, who had 63 total tackles and four interceptions on the year. “Regardless of what the case or circumstances may be, you’ve just got to go out there and work.”
Stokes, who wasn’t initially a starter coming out of camp, benefited from the toil. He wound up with the last laugh after being named to the second team of both the AP and D2CCA teams — that after he was snubbed on the All-PSAC team.
“It was like I had to break myself to retake myself,” said Stokes, who had five picks and a team-high 52 solo stops. “Those summer workouts just pushed me to do more than I thought I could. They really paid off.”
SRU is one of six programs in the nation to boast at least three AP All-Americans and one of five to have at least two first-teamers. Colorado School of Mines led all teams with six AP All-Americans, including five first-teamers.
“Having these guys around, it shows what a Rock Boy is and kind of adds on to the culture and the legacy,” Hryckowian said. “All four of us were here from the beginning and we’ve seen success. That only proves how good the coaching staff is.”
It also serves as a reminder of what a player can become by deciding to call The Rock its gridiron home.
“It’s great credibility,” Lutz said. “I think it just shows you that we’ve got people’s attention. I think it says a lot about the program. You come here, you’re not only going to win, but you’re going to get individual success.”
