NORFOLK, Va. – Two former Norfolk State All-American football defenders, safety Terrell Whitehead and linebacker Lynden Trail, have been voted onto the MEAC's 50th anniversary all-time football team, the conference announced Friday.
Now in its 50th year of existence, the MEAC is using online fan voting to select its all-time teams in every sport. The football squad was the first to be released. Even though NSU's tenure in the MEAC encompasses only the last 23 years, the Spartans were still represented on the all-time gridiron squad.
Whitehead starred in the defensive backfield at NSU from 2006-09. Whitehead was the first Spartan at the Division I level to earn All-America honors in three years, accomplishing the feat his sophomore, junior and season campaigns. He was a third-team Sports Network All-America selection as a sophomore and junior, and a first-team honoree his senior year. Whitehead is tied for second in school history with 18 interceptions. He also amassed 248 tackles, 6.5 for loss, with 39 passes defended in his career. A three-time All-MEAC first-team pick, Whitehead helped the Spartans to their first two winning records as a Division I program, in 2007 and 2009.
A few years later, Trail became the second Spartan to earn FCS All-America honors in three seasons in addition to three All-MEAC first-team nods (2012-14). After earning honorable mention FCS All-America honors as a sophomore in 2012, Trail was a first-team selection by The Sports Network as a junior and was voted to the TSN second team as a senior. A two-time Buck Buchanan Award finalist as the top defensive player in the FCS, Trail compiled totals of 255 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, 18 passes defended and eight forced fumbles in his three-year Spartan career after transferring from the University of Florida. Trail also scored four touchdowns as a Spartan, three on receptions as a red-zone weapon.
Nearly 2,500 votes were cast for the football all-time team, with fans, media representatives, institution sports information contacts and others taking part. To be considered on the ballot, players must have been named to one of the following: first team All-MEAC, MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Offensive Lineman of the Year or be a MEAC, Black College Football or College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
