INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The McKendree University football team had 14 players earn postseason accolades from the Great Lakes Valley Conference on Tuesday as the league unveiled the 2022 All-GLVC Teams and the conference's major award winners.
 
Four of those 14 Bearcats selected All-GLVC selections were recognized as first team selection from voting conducted by the league's seven head coaches. In addition to the four First-Team selections, two were named second-team honorees and eight earned Honorable Mention accolades. The 14 selections by McKendree were sixth most among the league's schools.
 
Along with having 14 All-GLVC selections, redshirt junior quarterback Turner Pullen caps off his collegiate career by becoming the second-ever Bearcat football player to be named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year. Along with being the Offensive Player of the Year, Pullen is the third player in league history to be a unanimous selection and first since UIndy's Jake Purichia was a unanimous selection in 2017. Pullen is also just the third player in league history to earn both the Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in their careers. The other GLVC players to earn both accolades in their career were UIndy's Al McKeller (Freshman in 2017, Player of Year in 2018) and Southwest Baptist's TJ Edwards (Freshman in 2015, Player of Year in 2016).

"I couldn't have asked for a better recognition for all the hard work Turner's done over the years as a Bearcat football player," McKendree head coach Mike Babcock. "One of the toughest and most competitive workers around. I am extremely happy for him."
 
Pullen becomes just the eighth player in school history to receive conference Player of the Year honors. Pullen joins Ricardo Harris (Mid-States Football Association-Midwest League Defensive Player of the Year in 2002), Byron Gettis (MFSA-Midwest League Offensive Player of the Year in 2009), Lucky Baar (GLVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014), Isaac Fisher (GLVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2015), AJ Wentland (GLVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016), Austin Weltha (GLVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2017), and Matt Cole (GLVC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2019).
 
Pullen is joined on the All-GLVC First Team by redshirt junior receiver Jacob Bachman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka), sophomore receiver Yogi Flager, Jr. (Belleville, Ill./Butler University) and sophomore running back Narkel Leflore (Chatham. Ill./Glenwood). Second-Team All-GLVC honorees for McKendree are sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Johnson (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) and redshirt sophomore defensive back Andrew Sherry (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West).
 
The Bearcats had eight players earn Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors as those honorees were sophomore long snapper Wyatt Hall (Maynardville, Tenn./Union County), junior defensive back Drew Crooks (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington), redshirt junior linebacker Luca Gualdoni (Johnston City, Ill./Johnston City), sophomore defensive lineman Jacob Stoneburner (Effingham, Ill./Effingham), sophomore tight end Jordan Sprycha (Oak Lawn, Ill./Oak Lawn Community), sophomore receiver Diontay Griffin (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington), redshirt senior offensive lineman Kenny Thomason (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Jake Rich (Paxton, Ill./Paxton-Buckley-Loda).
 
Pullen, who was the GLVC Freshman of the Year in 2019 and is a candidate for the 2022 Harlon Hill Award, earns the 2022 GLVC Offensive Player of the Year accolade after having one of the finest seasons in school history at the quarterback position as he led the league in passing yards (3,541), completions (329), attempts (469), completion percentage (70.1 percent), passing touchdowns (30), points responsible for (216) and total offense (341.0). In addition, he leads all Division II quarterbacks in both total offense (341.0) and completions per game (29.91) and is third in both passing yards and completion percentage and fifth nationally in touchdown passes. He holds McKendree's single season marks for total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, touchdowns responsible for (36) and is the school's career leader in passing yards (8,761), passing touchdowns (77), touchdowns responsible for (103), 300-yard passing games (13) and he closed his collegiate career by tossing at least one touchdown pass in 26 consecutive games, including all 11 games in 2022. He is also second in school history in total offensive yards (9,627), third in career rushing touchdowns (26) and the only quarterback in school history to record three seasons of 2,000 or more passing yards and the only quarterback in school history to pass for 3,000 or more yards in a season.
 
Bachman repeats as a First-Team All-GLVC selection at receiver after catching a single season school record 100 passes for 837 yards and had seven touchdown receptions. The 100 catches bettered Bachman's old school record of 80 set during the 2021 season. The 100 receptions were tied for third-most in Division II, while his 9.1 receptions per game led the GLVC and is second nationally in Division II. Bachman closed his Bearcat career as the school's all-time leader in receptions (216), receiving yards (2,177) and was tied for third in touchdown catches with 15 and is ninth in all-purpose yards (2,540). Additionally, Bachman set a new single game record in 2022 with 18 pass receptions against NCAA Playoff participant University of Indianapolis. Along with earning back-to-back First-Team All-GLVC accolades, Bachman earned Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors in 2020. Bachman was also named McKendree's James R. Spalding All-Sportsmanship Team for Football for the second consecutive season.
 
Flager, Jr., had a record setting first season as a Bearcat in 2022 as he earns his First-Team All-GLVC honor at receiver after leading the league in receiving yards (1,144), receiving yards per game (104.0) and receiving touchdowns (10) and was third in all-purpose yards per game (125.36) and second in receptions per game (6.6). The Butler University transfer set new single season school records for receptions, receiving yards and was second in receiving touchdowns and fifth in all-purpose yards. On the season, Flager, Jr., recorded a team-best seven 100-yard receiving games, including a high of 152 yards receiving on eight receptions at Lake Erie. He is the first receiver in school history to record 1,000 or more yards receiving in a season. His 75 receptions are third-most on the school's single season chart as Bachman owns the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the chart. 
 
Leflore earns his first career All-GLVC selection in 2022 as he was selected to the All-GLVC First Team after finishing the season with a team-best 703 yards rushing on 117 carries as he averaged 6.0 yards per carry and 70.3 yards per game, which was fifth-best in the league. Leflore was also a threat in the passing game as he was third on the team in receptions with 47 for 418 yards and one touchdown catch. He averaged 8.9 yards per reception and 41.8 yards per game and was third in the league in receptions per game at 4.7 and led the league in all-purpose yards (1,590) and all-purpose yards per game (159.0), which was seventh-best in Division II football. Leflore also led the team in kickoff returns with 22 for 469 yards and averaged 21.3 yards per return and led the team with two forced fumbles and recovered a fumble. During the 2022, he became the 23rd member of the school's 1,000-Yard Rushing Club and currently sits 20th in career rushing with 1,209 yards. Leflore is sixth in career all-purpose yards (2,838) and fifth in both career kickoff returns (44) and career kickoff return yards (1,147).
 
Johnson earns his first All-GLVC accolade as he was named a Second-Team All-GLVC honoree after playing in and starting all 10 games this season at left guard. He helped anchor an offensive line that helped McKendree set a school record with 5,005 yards of total offense – including a school record 3,541 passing yards. The Bearcats also set new single season marks for points (394), total touchdowns (54), and first downs (268).
 
Sherry, who was one of three Bearcat defensive players to earn GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors during the season, earns his Second-Team All-GLVC selection as a defensive back after leading the team in tackles with 68, including 51 solo stops and added one tackle for a loss, had two pass break-ups, forced one fumble and was tied for the team lead in interceptions with two, including returning one of those interceptions 34 yards for a touchdown against Walsh. That marked the first interception return for a touchdown since the 2017 season.
 
Hall earns Honorable Mention honors as a long snapper after playing in all 11 games this season and 22 games over the past two seasons as the long snapper. One the season, he had one tackle and recovered one fumble. He helped sophomore punter Kaleb Barry (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) average 34.6 yards per punt and did not have a punt blocked, while junior kicker Ryan Kastl (Washington, Ill./Washington Community) was 7-for-15 on field goals and 47-for-51 on extra point attempts. Kastl led the team in scoring with 68 points and was sixth in the league in scoring at 6.2 points per game.
 
Crooks earns his third straight Honorable Mention All-GLVC selection after recording 35 tackles, including 28 solo stops and added one tackle for a loss, had two pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and one interception. He has recorded 18 pass break-ups in his career, which is tied for seventh on the school's career list.
 
Gualdoni, who was another of the Bearcats' three defensive players to earn GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season, earns his Honorable Mention All-GLVC nod at linebacker after being third on the team in tackles with 49, including 31 solo stops. He was tied for third on the team in tackles for a loss with 4.5 and added a team-leading 2.5 quarterback sacks. Gualdoni, who played in all 11 games this season, also had three pass break-ups, one forced fumble and an interception.
 
Stoneburner earns his Honorable Mention All-GLVC accolade as a defensive lineman after tallying 24 total tackles, including 12 solo stops and added 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass break-ups and a team-best three quarterback hurries.
 
In his first season as the team's starting tight end in 2022, Sprycha earns Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors after catching 22 passes for 178 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per reception and was third on the team in touchdown receptions with five. He caught at least one pass in nine games, including a high of four receptions three times. Over the past two seasons, Sprycha has caught 32 passes for 327 yards and has had eight touchdown receptions.
 
Griffin was another important receiver for the Bearcats offense in 2022 as he earns his first career Honorable Mention All-GLVC honor after catching 41 passes for 516 yards and averaging 12.6 yards per reception and 51.6 yards per game. Griffin had four touchdown receptions in 10 games. He was sixth in the league in receiving yards (516), sixth in receiving yards per game (51.6) and was seventh in receptions per game at 4.1. Griffin caught four or more passes in four games, including a career-best eight receptions for 138 yards against Quincy.
 
Thomason, who played his sixth season as a Bearcat in 2022, earns his first career All-GLVC honor as he earned Honorable Mention accolades after starting all 11 games at right tackle for the Bearcats. In fact, he ended his McKendree career having started 35 consecutive games at right tackle. Thomason, who is nominated for Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year, helped anchor an offensive line that helped McKendree set a school record with 5,005 yards of total offense – including a school record 3,541 passing yards. The Bearcats also set new single season marks for points (394), total touchdowns (54), and first downs (268).
 
Rich, who played for center and right guard on the season, earns his Honorable Mention All-GLVC selection as an offensive lineman after playing nine games and making five starts. He opened the season as the team's starting center in the season opener, but then missed the next two games due to injury, before playing the final nine games of the season. He was a member of a McKendree offensive line that helped the Bearcats set a school record with 5,005 yards of total offense – including a school record 3,541 passing yards. The Bearcats also set new single season marks for points (394), total touchdowns (54), and first downs (268).
 
Along with Pullen's Offensive Player of the Year accolade, the league named Missouri S&T senior linebacker Ben Straatmann as the Defensive Player of the Year, Missouri S&T junior kick/punt returner Gideon Niboh was named the Special Teams Player of the Year and Missouri S&T running back Cameren Smith was named the Freshman of the Year. Additionally, Truman State's Gregg Nesbitt and Indianapolis' Chris Keevers shared the GLVC Coach of the Year honor.
 
Bachman was one of seven players to be named to the GLVC's James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Individual Honorees. The other players recognized were UIndy's JaQuan Buchanan, Missouri S&T's Parker Boyce, Quincy's Joseph Webb, Southwest Baptist's Cooper Callis, Truman State's Justin Watson and William Jewell's Carson Anderson.
 
The league also named Truman State as the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team Award winner for the 2022 season.  

McKendree closed the 2022 season with a 5-6 overall record and went 2-4 in the GLVC. The five wins are the most for the program since also going 5-6 during the 2019 season.