NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State football team landed a school-record 13 players on the All-MEAC teams, which were announced by the conference on Tuesday.

Offensive lineman Kenneth Kirby, tight end Shawn McFarland, linebacker Nigel Chavis and safety Nhyre' Quinerly were voted to the All-MEAC first team. Quarterback Juwan Carter, offensive linemen Justin Redd and Dominic Jordan, and safety Bobby Price earned second-team honors. Running back Kevin Johnson, offensive lineman Jalen Powell, defensive linemen Chris Myers and De'Shaan Dixon and punter Ryan Richter picked up third-team accolades.

The 13 All-MEAC selections top the 2007 and 2011 Spartan teams, which both had 10, as the previous most in a season in NSU history. Only North Carolina A&T, with 16 All-MEAC performers, had more players honored than the Spartans this year.

Kirby, a redshirt junior, started all 12 games at left tackle, helping anchoring a resurgent NSU offensive front that landed a school-record four linemen on this year's all-conference team. Kirby and his line mates helped NSU finish third in the MEAC in rushing, at 144.7 yards per game – the most by a Spartan team since 2011. Kirby, who earned third-team honors in 2017, is NSU's first two-time All-MEAC offensive lineman since Blake Matthews (2011, 2013).

McFarland, also a junior, caught 15 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown this season. He served as a key blocker for NSU's offense and also made an impact on special teams, making 12 tackles on coverage units.

Chavis earned All-MEAC honors for the third season in a row and first-team accolades for the second straight season. He finished his senior year with a career-high 107 total tackles, second-most in the conference. He also recorded 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups and four QB hurries. He reached at least 10 tackles in a game on eight occasions.

Quinerly, a redshirt senior, ranks fifth in the MEAC with 103 tackles, which included three for lost yardage. Quinerly intercepted three passes and broke up five others, and he also forced one fumble. He ranked fifth in the MEAC in tackles, tied for seventh in interceptions and tied for 12^th in passes defended. Quinerly, who started all 34 games in his NSU career, was also MEAC Defensive Player of the Week after the Morgan State win.

Carter enjoyed one of the finest seasons by a Spartan quarterback, becoming NSU's first All-MEAC signal-caller since Chris Walley in 2011. Carter led the conference with 2,632 passing yards, 2,856 yards of total offense and a 60.6 completion percentage. A three-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, Carter tied with FAMU's Ryan Stanley for the conference lead in TD passes. Carter's 23 scoring passes are an NSU single-season Division I record and the third-most in a season in school history.

Jordan and Redd both provided strong interior line play for the Spartans. Jordan, who also served as the short-snapper for NSU's extra points and field goals, started 10 times at center as a senior in 2019 and served as the signal-caller for the unit. Redd, a redshirt sophomore, started all 11 contests at right guard and was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week following NSU's 649-yard day in the win at Howard.

Price, a senior, picked up All-MEAC accolades for the second year in a row. His 73 total tackles were third-most on the team. He also registered 2.5 tackles for loss, a team-high eight pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one interception. That lone pick resulted in an 84-yard touchdown return at Delaware State, which earned him MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

After walking onto the team as a defensive back prior to the season, Johnson burst onto the scene as a true freshman running back. He led NSU with 468 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on just 86 carries, a 5.4-yard average. Johnson also caught 13 passes for 200 yards and three more scores. His 11 total touchdowns are the most by a Spartan since Chris Bell's 13 TDs in 2009. A three-time MEAC Rookie of the Week, Johnson ranked fourth in the MEAC in scoring and eighth in all-purpose yards (959 yards).

Powell, a junior, was another key cog in the Spartans' offensive line success. Powell started all 12 games this season, two at center and 10 at left guard. He was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week after the Morgan State win, one of three games in which the Spartans topped the 40-point mark. He has started all 34 games in his Spartan career.

Myers left his mark in his first season as a Spartan. A redshirt junior and transfer from Middle Tennessee, Myers tied for the MEAC lead with 9.0 sacks in 2019 – the most by an NSU defender since Deon King's 9.5 in 2013. Myers also recorded 36 total tackles, a team-high 10.0 for loss, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and five quarterback pressures.

Dixon teamed with Myers to form a strong duo of pass-rushing ends for the Spartans this season. The junior was fourth on the team with 61 tackles, which included seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a team-high seven quarterback hurries. He also deflected three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown at N.C. Central, one of two games in which Dixon notched two sacks this year.

Richter ranked third in the MEAC in punting average, at 39.7 yards per attempt. That ranks as the fourth-best single-season average in school history. Richter landed 14 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and 16 were fair-caught. As a team, NSU led the MEAC in net punting, at 36.3 yards.

North Carolina A&T's Marcus Pettiford was voted the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, while South Carolina State's Corey Fields and Buddy Pough were chosen Rookie and Coach of the Year, respectively. The league's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year will be announced in conjunction with the National Football Foundation's annual awards ceremony on Dec. 10 in New York City.