On Thursday, the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) released its postseason awards with Cade Brister named GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, while Drew Seers earned GLVC Defensive Player of the Year honors.  Lindenwood football head coach Jed Stugart was named GLVC Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to a perfect 7-0 in conference play.
 
GLVC Offensive Player of the Year
Cade Brister, QB
GLVC Defensive Player of the Year
Drew Seers, LB
GLVC Coach of the Year
Jed Stugart, Head Coach
First-Team All-GLVC
Jaylen Flye-Sadler, OL  |  Blake Rogenhofer, OL  |  Cade Brister, QB  |  Nash Sutherlin, RB  |  Payton Rose, WR  |  Erik Henneman, TE  |  Tayvian Weary, DL  |  Drew Seers, LB  |  Grady Daniels, DB
Second-Team All-GLVC
Najee Jackson, WR  |  Uchenna Egwuonwu, DL  |  Drew Harlow, DL  |  Ricky McCoy, DB
Honorable-Mention All-GLVC
Evan Pumphrey, OL  |  Spencer Redd, KR
 
GLVC Offensive Player of the Year | Cade Brister
A native of O'Fallon, Mo., Brister led the Lions offense to big numbers in 2019, helping the Lions end the regular season on a seven-game winning streak.  Brister has thrown for 3,301 yards and 36 touchdown passes so far this year.  The Fort Zumwalt North product added 445 yards on the ground and six more scores with his legs to reach record-book numbers.
 
Brister currently holds three single season records from 2019, and is tied for the top spot in passing touchdowns (36), and most touchdowns responsible for (42).  The sophomore quarterback ranks second in NCAA Division II with 25.18 completions per game, third in the nation with 36 passing touchdowns, and fifth in the country with 340.5 total yards of offense.  Brister set the new school record with 541 passing yards against No. 8 UIndy, while tallying 554 total yards of offense.
 
GLVC Defensive Player of the Year | Drew Seers
The third year linebacker had a big season for the Lions, posting one of the best seasons in Lindenwood history since former Lion Connor Harris.  Seers currently ranks second in NCAA Division II with 14.0 tackles per game.  The St. Louis, Mo. native racked up 5.6 solo tackles per game, ranking 15th in the country.
 
Seers has compiled 154 tackles in 2019, standing just 30 tackles behind the Lindenwood single season record.  The Parkway West product has tied his career-high of 12.5 tackles for loss this season, while registering three quarterback hurries.  Seers tallied 20 tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss in a thrilling victory over Saginaw Valley.
 
GLVC Coach of the Year | Jed Stugart
Head coach Jed Stugart took the Lions to their first conference championship since 2009, when Lindenwood was in the NAIA and won the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).  After going undefeated in conference play (7-0 GLVC) and posting a season record of 8-3, the Lions will compete in the 2019 NCAA Division II Football Playoffs.  Lindenwood will head to Arkadelphia, Ark. on Saturday to take on No. 5 Ouachita Baptist in the first round of the tournament.  Stugart and the Lions tallied two victories over top-25 teams, including an upset victory over No. 8 UIndy on November 2.
 
First-team all-GLVC linemen Jaylen Flye-Sadler and Blake Rogenhofer, along with honorable-mention offensive lineman Evan Pumphrey provided protection for one of the most explosive offenses in the nation.  The Lions currently rank sixth in NCAA Division II with 312.4 passing yards per game, while ranking 11th in the country with 262 first downs.  The offensive line gave Brister time to set a new school record for passing yards in a game, against one of the nation's top defenses at the time in UIndy.
 
Nash Sutherlin was a threat in both the running game and the passing game, as he made his presence known each week.  Sutherlin compiled 740 rushing yards, with 477 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns.  The Columbia, Mo. native had two games with over 100 yards receiving, and had two games with over 100 yards rushing, while tallying 231 yards on the ground against Southwest Baptist.
 
Payton Rose has posted one of the best receiving performances in school history, by breaking the single-season record for most receiving touchdowns with 15.  Rose has compiled 1,075 yards through the air this season, including three-straight games with more than 100 yards receiving yards.  The Cumberland, Wis. native scored at least one time in every game except for one, including a three-score performance against Quincy.
 
Even with the extra attention after an All-American season in 2018, Erik Henneman posted similar numbers while playing in one less contest.  Henneman hauled in 52 passes for 573 yards and eight touchdowns this season.  The 6-3 senior had one of the most impressive performances against Truman State, when he hauled in 11 passes for 64 yards and three touchdowns.  A native of Gretna, La., Henneman was the only Lindenwood player to be unanimously selected as a first-team all-GLVC performer.
 
Tayvian Weary had a slow start to his sophomore season, but after seeing an increase in snaps the production quickly followed.  Weary ended the regular season with 25 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.  In the final five games of the regular season, the Vianney product registered at least one tackle for loss in each game, and tallied 8.0 in that span.  Weary posted 4.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 3.0 sacks in the regular season finale to earn GLVC Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
 
Grady Daniels flew around the field all season, racking up 96 tackles and breaking up six passes.  Daniels came up big in the final home game of the regular season, posting 17 tackles and breaking up three passes in the 37-31 overtime victory.  A product of Timberland, Daniels had a key interception against Quincy to help the Lions earn a road victory.
 
Najee Jackson has posted quite the career, as his senior season could potentially be capped off with holding the single-season record for most catches.  Jackson currently has 62 catches on the year, just seven behind the single-season record of 69.  The Lincoln, Neb. native has compiled 669 yards and four touchdowns this season, including the game-winning touchdown against Saginaw Valley State.
 
Uchenna Egwuonwu has been a quality component to the Lindenwood defensive line.  The Union, N.J. native has tallied 43 tackles this year, including 2.5 sacks.  A product of Union High School, Egwuonwu made six tackles and picked up 0.5 sacks in the upset win over UIndy in early November.
 
Fellow defensive lineman Drew Harlow found his stride as the season went on, ending the regular season with 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks.  Harlow made a career-high 11 tackles and 2.0 sacks against Missouri S&T.  The strip sack on the opening drive against the Miners led to the first score of the game for the Lions, helping earn Harlow the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Ricky McCoy has posted one of his best seasons as a Lion, snagging three interceptions to set a new career high.  McCoy has broken up six passes this season, while adding 191 yards in the punt return game.  The St. Louis, Mo. native currently has nine interceptions in his career, and now holds to career record for most punt returns with 38.
 
The Lindenwood kick return game has created a spark for the Lions all season, as freshman Spencer Redd has set a new single-season mark with his 730 yards this year.  Redd has tallied a school-record 30 kickoff returns this season, averaging 24.3 yards per return.  A native of Springfield, Ill., Redd ranks third on the squad with his 743 all-purpose yards this season.