WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Five Otterbein University football players landed spots on the 2021 All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Team Monday morning, as recently voted on by coaches across the league.

A trio of Cardinals graced the second team; tight end Jeb Jones, inside linebacker Greg Nolder and running back Siraj Muhammad. Helping solidify the representation, center Zack Martin and quarterback Bryce Hall received honorable mention status. Nolder and Martin are repeat selections.

Jones (Coal Grove/Dawson-Bryant) led the OAC tight ends in receiving by a wide margin, ultimately finishing ninth among all players with 602 receiving yards. His 46 catches were good enough to rank sixth in the league, going along with four touchdowns. The team captain had a pair of 100-yard games and exploded for a career-high 180 vs. Wilmington in his final college outing.

Nolder (Zanesville/Tri-Valley) ranked second in the OAC with 86 total tackles, and tied atop the league in solo stops at 42. The do-it-all captain had a career-best 14 wrap-ups against nationally-ranked John Carroll, finished with five tackles for loss, and also made two interceptions in pass coverage. He has decided to use a final/extra year of eligibility and play next fall.

Muhammad (Whitehall-Whitehall-Yearling) served as Otterbein's workhorse on the ground, rushing 144 times and ranking fourth among OAC backs in total yards (726) and average per game (80.7). The shifty ball-carrier had consecutive 100-yard performances against Muskingum and Capital, while also posting 127 receiving yards throughout the schedule.

Martin (Galena/Olentangy) was a large part of Muhammad's rushing success, starting all 10 games over the ball once again and directing his unit up front. The junior team captain also provided depth at long snapper when necessary and has 22 career starts under his belt.

Hall (Jackson/Jackson) started every game and kept slinging that pigskin across the entire schedule, leading the OAC with 366 passing attempts while ranking second in completions (208) and third in yards (2,541). All three of those marks settle top-three in a single season for the program.

Hall threw 17 touchdowns and had a pair of 400-yard passing games, earning OAC Player of the Week honors after a new Otterbein single-game record through the air (428) in a wild come-from-behind victory across town at Capital.

See below for the 2021 OAC special award winners:

Offensive Back of the Year - Braxton Plunk (Mount Union)
Offensive Lineman of the Year - John Valentine (Mount Union)
Wide Receiver of the Year - Wayne Ruby (Mount Union)
Co-Defensive Linemen of the Year - Drake Neuberger and Kyle Gallagher (Marietta)
Co-Defensive Backs of the Year - Malik Britt (Mount Union) and Griffin Pendry (Heidelberg)
Linebacker of the Year - Mason McMillen (Mount Union)
Coach of the Year – Jim Hilvert (Baldwin Wallace)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Daryl Ely (Mount Union)