Central Michigan Chippewas running back Lew Nichols III runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the first half in Columbia, Missouri, Sept. 4, 2021.
The Mid-American Conference announced its football awards for the 2021 season Wednesday, and there were plenty of athletes honored from the directional Michigan schools.
Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III, the nation’s leading rusher, was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Nichols, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound redshirt freshman from Detroit Cass Tech rushed for 1,710 yards on 311 carries (5.5 yards per carry) with 15 touchdowns, and caught 38 passes for 300 yards and two scores. Nichols is the sixth Chippewa to win the award and the first since Dan LeFevour in 2009. Nichols was the MAC Freshman of the Year last season during the COVID-19 shortened season.
Western Michigan senior defensive end Ali Fayad was selected as Defensive Player of the Year, and Central Michigan junior receiver Kalil Pimpleton was named Special Teams Player of the Year.
Fayad (Dearborn) led the league in sacks with 11½ sacks — seventh in the nation — and tackles for loss with 15 — 21st in the FBS.
The speedy Pimpleton (Muskegon) averaged 20.3 yards per punt return and returned two for touchdowns this season, both against WMU, including a CMU-record 97 yards for the third-longest punt return in MAC history. He is the first Chippewa to win the award since Antonio Brown did so in 2008-09.
The full list of CMU, WMU and EMU players honored by the MAC (full list here):
First Team
Offense: Offensive line: Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan, Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan, Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan, Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan; Receiver: Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan, Skyy Moore, Western Michigan; Running back: Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan.
Defense: Defensive line: Troy…
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