(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 21)—A total of 13 McKendree University football standouts have received post-season accolades from the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The GLVC released its 2019 Football All-Conference Team along with major award recipients Thursday afternoon.
 
Senior wide receiver Matt Cole (Chicago, IL/Curie) and freshman quarterback Turner Pullen (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) brought home two major pieces of hardware for the Bearcats this season. Cole was a unanimous selection as the 2019 GLVC Special Teams Player of the Year, while Pullen earned accolades as the 2019 GLVC Freshman of the Year. Voting was conducted earlier this week by the head coaches of the eight GLVC football-playing institutions.
 
Cole was McKendree's lone first-team All-GLVC honoree in 2019. Six Bearcats picked up second-team All-GLVC mention: senior linebacker Ricco Gipson, Jr. (Godfrey, IL/Alton), senior defensive end Michael Smith (Smithton, IL/Freeburg), junior running back Jace Franklin IV (Sprinfield, IL/Williamsville), junior offensive lineman Jake Stevenson (Ludlow, IL/Paxton-Buckley-Loda), junior long snapper Caleb Shipley (Centralia, IL/Centralia) and sophomore defensive back Devon Myles (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep).
 
Six more McKendree players receiving honorable mention All-GLVC status this season: Pullen, senior offensive lineman Quinn Polaski (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township), senior linebacker Kennith Wilson (Chicago, IL/Simeon), junior defensive end Brandon Purnell (Chicago, IL/Simeon), sophomore wide receiver Steven Towns, Jr. (Normal, IL/Normal Community), and freshman quarterback/wide receiver Caleb Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington).
 
Cole put together perhaps the most prolific season by a McKendree skill position player in program history. He was one of the top return men in the league, leading the GLVC in kick returns at 27.2 yards per effort. Cole had a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown against Lindenwood University on Oct. 5, marking his third career kick return for a score. In the punt return game, Cole had just eight attempts, but averaged 26 yards per return, including a 74-yard return for a touchdown at William Jewell College on Oct. 19. He also had a 72-yarder on his final career punt return at Missouri S&T this past Saturday that set up a Bearcats' touchdown. Cole also set a new season record for McKendree with 1,832 all-purpose yards.
 
With four combined kick returns for touchdowns, Cole ranks second in program history to Brandon Murphy (7) in the category. In his four seasons at McKendree, Cole registered 1,400 kick return yards, which is also good for second on the Bearcats' all-time list. He was a two-time GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week honoree in 2019, and was an honorable mention All-GLVC choice last season.
 
Along with his prowess on special teams, Cole had a record-breaking season at wide receiver. He led the team with 43 receptions and set new program single-season marks with 939 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Nine of Cole's TD catches were for at least 40 yards and averaged 48 yards per touchdown receptions in 2019. His final touchdown grab, a 23-yarder at Missouri S&T, made Cole the Bearcats' career leader in TD catches with 17. He is also the program's all-time leader with 1,618 receiving yards, and is fifth in program history with 93 receptions.
 
In his first season as McKendree's top signal-caller, Pullen completed 169-of-280 pass attempts for 2,407 yards. Pullen threw 24 touchdown passes, which ranks second on the Bearcats' single-season chart. His longest TD pass of the 2019 campaign came during McKendree's season finale at Missouri S&T, when he connected with Towns on a 75-yard strike. Pullen had 12 touchdown passes of at least 40 yards this season, including nine that went for 50 yards or more. All of Pullen's passing statistics are records for a first-year McKendree quarterback.
 
In addition to his lofty passing numbers, Pullen was third on the Bearcats' squad with 301 rushing yards, and he led the team with eight rushing touchdowns in 2019. The eight TDs are the most for a McKendree quarterback since Isaac Fisher had nine during his GLVC Offensive Player of the Year campaign in 2015.
 
Cole becomes McKendree's first GLVC Special Teams Player of the Year, while Pullen is the Bearcats' first Freshman of the Year honoree.
 
Gipson led McKendree with 104 tackles this season, including 3 ½ for loss. The 106 tackles by Gipson rank seventh on the program's single-season list. He matched a career-high with 15 tackles in the Bearcats' win at home over Southwest Baptist University on Oct. 26. Gipson, who had a team-leading 106 tackles a year ago, finished his four-year McKendree playing career with 292 tackles, which is good for third on the Bearcats' career list. This is the second straight year that Gipson earned second-team All-GLVC honors after picking up honorable mention accolades in 2017.
 
Smith was tied for sixth on the team with 45 tackles this season. He also tied for the team lead with eight tackles for loss and was second overall with four quarterback sacks. Smith matched a career-best with nine tackles in the Bearcats' win over Southwest Baptist on Oct. 26.
 
Franklin rushed for a team-leading 732 yards this season, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He was second on the squad with seven rushing touchdowns in 2019. During the year, Franklin became the 22^nd player in program history to rush for 1,000 career yards and now sits at 1,393 yards overall. He piled up a career-high 185 yards on the ground in the Bearcats' win at Wheeling University on Oct. 12. Along with his rushing numbers, Franklin was tied for fourth on the team with 17 receptions. He was an honorable mention All-GLVC performer a year ago.
 
Stevenson completed his third year as a starter at center for McKendree, and has started all 33 games in his playing career. He helped anchor a young offensive line that produced nearly 400 yards per game in total offense this season.
 
This is the second consecutive year that Shipley has earned second-team All-GLVC honors as a long snapper. Shipley was a leader on the Bearcats' special teams unit. McKendree kickers combined to go 8-of-12 on field goal attempts and 41-of-44 extra point tries in 2019.
 
In his first season as a starter at safety for the Bearcats, Myles finished second on the team with 92 tackles, including 48 solos. Myles was second on the squad with two interceptions and also led the team with two forced fumbles. Myles had 10 or more tackles four times this season, including a season-best 16 stops against Southwest Baptist.
 
Polaski played all four seasons along the Bearcats' offensive line, and was a starter in each of the last three campaigns. He was the veteran along McKendree's front five and helped block for a team that averaged nearly 400 yards per game of total offense. Bearcat quarterbacks were sacked just 12 times this season.
 
Wilson was third on the 2019 team with 84 tackles, including 40 solos. It marked the second straight year that Wilson was third overall in tackles for McKendree. He had two tackles for loss along with a fumble recovery. Wilson registered a career-high 12 tackles in the Bearcats' Homecoming contest against Lindenwood.
 
Purnell picked up honorable mention All-GLVC honors for the second consecutive season after finishing the 2019 season with 42 tackles. He was eighth overall in stops, which included a career-best nine tackles in the Bearcats' season opener at Northern Michigan University on Sept. 7. Purnell led the team with five quarterback sacks and was tied for the team lead with eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
 
Towns had a breakthrough season in 2019, finishing second on the squad with 37 receptions and 564 receiving yards. He established new career-highs with seven catches for 110 yards in McKendree's Senior Day contest with Quincy on Nov. 9. Towns also had a 75-yard touchdown catch against Missouri S&T in the season finale, which marked the Bearcats' longest play from scrimmage in 2019.
 
Fisher earned honorable mention All-GLVC honors as a utility player. He filled several different roles for McKendree in his rookie season. Fisher was fourth on the team with 164 rushing yards, and was also 8-of-15 in the passing department for 45 yards. Fisher caught seven passes for 46 yards with one touchdown as well. On special teams, Fisher added four kick returns, and he also played several snaps at safety in the Quincy contest.
 
The McKendree football team finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 5-6 and a 3-4 mark in GLVC play.