By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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A sweet 16 style bracket of the best Southern Conference players since 1980.

The following list is comprised of players who played in the Southern Conference since 1980. Future voting will determine the winner.

1. Armanti Edwards, QB, Appalachian State – The most decorated quarterback in FCS history. Won the Walter Payton Award twice, the national championship twice and the SoCon title four times. He is the only player in NCAA history with 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards for a career.

2. Adrian Peterson, RB, Georgia Southern – Finished his career with a Division I record 6,559 rushing yards, winning the Walter Payton Award in 1999. Each of his four seasons he was a top three finisher for the honor.

3. Randy Moss, WR, Marshall – Some consider Moss to be the most talented receiver in the history of the college game. In his record-setting only season in the SoCon, Moss had 1,709 yards, 28 touchdowns and the Herd won the national title.

4. Terrell Hudgins, WR, Elon – Holds the NCAA Division I record with 395 career catches and 5,250 career yards, among many other marks. Statistically, the most productive receiver in D-1 history. A four-time All-SoCon performer.

5. Jayson Foster, QB, Georgia Southern – Dynamic playmaker won the Walter Payton Award in 2007 and earned first-team all-league honors throughout his career as a quarterback, receiver and return specialist.

6. Dexter Coakley, LB, Appalachian State – He twice won the Buck Buchanan Award given to the nation’s top defensive player. He was a three-time All-American and SoCon Defensive Player of the Year.

7. Michael Payton, QB, Marshall – Won the Walter Payton Award in 1992 and finished his career as the league’s all-time leader passer. Led the Herd to two national title games, winning one.

8. Louis Ivory, RB, Furman – Rushes for over 2,000 yards in 2000, a stunning accomplishment, winning the Walter Payton Award. The following year he averaged 1,1719 more rushing yards for the Paladins.

9. Scott Riddle, QB, Elon – Holds more records than you can count, including the most career complections in a career for a FCS signal caller. Is the Southern Conference’s all-time leader passer.

10. Corey Lynch, S Appalachian State – A three-time All-American for the Mountaineers. Lynch made history when he blocked Michigan’s potential game-winning field goal try in ASU’s historic win over the Wolverines.

11. Andre Roberts, WR, The Citadel – All-American as a receiver and return specialist, Roberts finished his career with 286 catches for 3,743 yards. He earned All-American honors three times.

12. Stump Mitchell, RB, The Citadel – Compiled 4,062 yards during his career with the Bulldogs. Mitchell was the conference’s player of the year in 1980 with a school-record 1,647 yards that season.

13. Will Bouton, LB, Furman – A three-time all-league linebacker and the 2000 and 2001 Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Bouton started every game of his career with Paladins.

14. Chad NKang, LB, Elon – Totaled 414 tackles in three seasons as a defensive player for the Phoenix. Led the nation in tackles as a junior and was a two-time consensus All-American at linebacker.

15. Mark Legree, S, Appalachian State – A three-time All-American for the Mountaineers, Legree recorded a national-best ten interceptions in his junior season. Legree followed Lynch for ASU.

16. Chris Evans, RB, Samford – Three-time All-SoCon runner for the Bulldogs; was the team’s star player as they transitioned from the OVC. Had 3,583 rushing yards in three seasons in the league.