RICHMOND, Ky. -- Captains for the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels' 1998 football season were announced at the recent EKU football banquet.
Named to lead the EKU offense were senior guard Tyrone Hopson and senior wide receiver Brian Brenneman and chosen to direct the Colonel defense were senior tackle Justin Ernest and senior linebacker Charles Tinsley.
Hopson, 6-3, 309, who hails from Owensboro, was a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and third-team NCAA Division I-AA All-American choice in 1997, while Brenneman, 6-0 1/2, 195, from Lakeland, FL, was EKU's third-leading receiver last season with 13 catches for 159 yards and a TD.
Ernest, 6-3, 271, from Orange, CA, led the team in sacks last season with 5.5 for negative 45 yards and also totaled 33 solo tackles, 26 assists and 13.5 tackles for loss (minus 62 yards). Tinsley, 6-0, 213, from Cumberland, had 46 solo tackles, 25 assists , caused two fumbles and collected five tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
"Our players are chosen by a vote of the players and this year's voting was as close as any time I've seen, " said EKU head football coach Roy Kidd. "All four of these guys are quality football players and will do a good job, I'm sure, in their roles as captains."
Eastern finished the '97 season with an 8-4 record, participated in the I-AA playoffs for an unprecedented 17th time and won the Ohio Valley Conference with a spotless 7-0 record. The Colonels finished ranked No. 15 in both The Sports Network and the ESPN/Sportsticker final
I-AA polls.
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