SIAC KICKS OFF FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY WITH 2022 FOOTBALL PRESEASON HONORS

ATLANTA, GA. (July 13, 2022) - This year's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) preseason team features 29 returning players from the 2021 SIAC Football All-Conference team, led by Dionte Bonneau of Albany State University who was selected as this year's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year alongside Andrew Farmer, Lane College, who was tabbed as the 2022 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year announced Wednesday during the league’s media day presented by Cricket Wireless in Atlanta, Ga.

All nominations and votes are submitted by head coaches and sports information directors.

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Dionte Bonneau, Albany State

Quarterback

Bonneau, the junior quarterback, was the starting quarterback for the Golden Rams and was tabbed as this year’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after helping the Golden Rams to a 10-2 (7-0 in the SIAC). The Atlanta, Ga. native led the Golden Rams to an appearance in the 2021 NCAA Division II Playoffs. Bonneau finished the season with 1,896 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns. Bonneau had three games in which he passed for at least three touchdowns. Bonneau will be vital to the Golden Rams' offense as they seek back-to-back SIAC Championships in 2022.

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Andrew Farmer, Lane

Defensive Lineman

Farmer, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., was a second-team All-SIAC performer last season and was a key element in the Dragon defense. Farmer led the Lane defense to a 6-4 overall and 3-3 in conference record and topped the league in sacks with 11.5 and finished with 54 total tackles from the defensive end position.

Preseason Rankings

In the East Division, reigning champions Albany State was picked to dominate the Eastern Division and potentially face Miles, picked West Division favorite for the third year, in the championship game scheduled for November 12 hosted by the Eastern Division Champion.

Led by Gabe Giardina, Albany State snapped their championship game losing streak by defeating Miles College during the 2021 championship game in a 31-0 fashion. The Golden Rams finished with a perfect 6-0 conference record last season boasting the top defense in the nation, locking up six shutouts, and collecting their 11th championship game title since 1990 and ASU's first since 2013.

Miles, under new leadership of head coach Sam Shade, inherited a Golden Bears team that posted a 6-4 overall record in 2021 (4-2 in SIAC) and looks to continue the legacy that they’ve been building.

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About the SIAC The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors eight men's and six women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST: https://thesiac.com/news/2022/7/7/general-siac-kicks-off-football-media-day-with-2022-football-preseason-honors.aspx