Edgefield Native Raleigh Yeldell Named ECAC Offensive Player of The Year

2017 Mar 1

Raleigh Yeldell's final season captaining the Newberry offense allowed him to become one of the most decorated players to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray.

The senior from Edgefield traveled to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with head coach Todd Knight to accept one of his most significant honors this season, the Division II Offensive Player of the Year award from the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

"I'm so honored to have won this award," Yeldell said. "It's a great privilege to share this trophy with some of those who have won it in the past, and especially to be the second Newberry player in a row. But it's not just me-this award was a total team effort. I couldn't have done it without everyone else around me."

Yeldell gave the Wolves two consecutive Offensive Players of the Year after running back Romelo Doctor took home the honors last season, while Newberry won the organization's Division II Team of the Year in 2015 as well.

"It was a great experience to be at the banquet to accept the award in person," Yeldell said. "It was a chance to meet great players from around the country. Going to an event like this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

For Yeldell, the trip to the banquet put the perfect finishing touch on a stellar senior campaign, one of the best individual seasons in South Atlantic Conference history. He became the Newberry single-season record-holder and ranks eighth in SAC history with 3,418 yards of total offense and led the nation by completing over 70 percent of his passes.

Yeldell was a major contributor to Newberry's historic season. The Wolves captured their third South Atlantic Conference championship by becoming the 16th team in league history to finish the season undefeated in conference play. Newberry matched its school record with 10 consecutive wins and earned a bid to the Division II Football Championship for the second time.

In contributing heavily to the team's accomplishments, the list of Yeldell's personal accolades is practically interminable.

• Newberry's first-ever Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, given to the most outstanding player in Division II
• Honorable Mention All-American
• Second team all-Super Region 2
• Offensive Player of the Year (SAC and ECAC)
• First-team all-conference quarterback (SAC and ECAC)
• Five Offense Player of the Week awards (four SAC, one ECAC)
• Division II Play of the Week by HERO Sports for game-winning touchdown at North Greenville
• Single-season leader in nearly every major passing category
• First in Newberry, eighth in SAC single-season history with 3,418 yards of total offense
• Division II leader in completion percentage (70.3)
• First-ever Newberry player to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 1,500 in a career

Congratulations to Raleigh for all of his accomplishments, both during the 2016 season and throughout his illustrious career.