Who Are The Greatest Ferris State Football Players In History?
Who Are The Greatest Ferris State Football Players In History?
It takes talent to create a dynasty, but it also takes commitment and continuity. Here are some players who have helped Ferris State stay so successful.
For most of the last five decades, the Ferris State Bulldogs have been plying their trade on the gridiron as members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but the program’s history traces back to a five-game season in 1900.
In their most recent wave of success, the Bulldogs were the NCAA Division II runners-up in 2018 and national champions in 2021 and 2022, but they also find themselves in a perennial battle with Grand Valley State for control of the conference.
This weekend, they’ll meet for the 57th time in their history, and the winner of this edition of the Anchor-Bone Classic will sit alone atop the 2024 GLIAC standings. GVSU is looking to win the GLIAC title for the third consecutive season.
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Despite Grand Valley State’s recent reign, Ferris State has the most wins of any Division II team in the country over the last decade.
The Bulldogs are 114-14 with the two national titles and runner-up finish, five GLIAC championships, five undefeated seasons and six trips to the national quarterfinals, but none of that would’ve been possible without a replenishing supply of talented players and a dedicated head coach.
This surge has come under the guidance of Tony Annese, who took the helm in December 2011. He now is the program’s winningest coach at 129-21.
In 2014, Annese led Ferris State to an 11-1 overall record and the first conference championship of his tenure. It was the school’s first GLIAC football title since 1999, first 11-0 regular season in more than 100 years of FSU football and first time in the Division II playoffs since 1996.
That team, which also made the first of the program’s nation-leading nine consecutive appearances in the Division II postseason, was honored during this year’s homecoming festivities on Oct. 5.
How To Watch The Ferris State Vs. Grand Valley State Football Stream
Ferris State and GVSU will meet Saturday at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale, Michigan, for the next edition of the storied Anchor-Bone Classic. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern, live on FloFootball.
The Ferris State Bulldogs vs. Grand Valley State Lakers football game is streaming live on FloFootball and the FloSports app.
Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
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- How Ferris State Head Coach Tony Annese Has Done In The Anchor-Bone Classic
- How Many Times Did Former GVSU Head Coach Brian Kelly Win The Anchor-Bone Classic?
Who Are Some Of The Standout Ferris State Football Players From Over The Years?
Since 1990, the start of the postseason awards for the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference/GLIAC (more about the history below), the conference player of the year has been a Ferris Bulldog 10 times. The team also has reeled in a variety of other awards and accolades:
MIFC/GLIAC Player Of The Year
- 2022 – Caleb Murphy (defensive end)
- 2021 – Jared Bernhardt (quarterback)
- 2019 – Austin Edwards (defensive end)
- 2018 – Jayru Campbell (quarterback)
- 2015 – Jason Vander Laan (quarterback)
- 2014 – Jason Vander Laan (quarterback)
- 1999 – Matt McCarthy (quarterback)
- 1995 – Bill Love (quarterback)
- 1994 – Tyree Dye (running back)
- 1992 – Monty Brown (linebacker) (shared)
GLIAC Offensive Lineman Of The Year
- 2021 – Dylan Pasquali
- 2019 – Tyler Allison
- 2018 – Devon Johnson
- 2014 – Jacob VanderKlok
- 1999 – Dennis Strey
- 1993 – Larry Pearce
GLIAC Defensive Lineman Of The Year
- 2021 – Caleb Murphy
- 2017 – Zach Sieler
- 2016 – Zach Sieler
- 2008 – Jake Visser (shared)
- 2007 – Jake Visser
- 1996 – Kelly Chisholm
- 1995 – Mike Brooks
GLIAC Offensive Back Of The Year
- 2001 – Clarence Coleman (shared)
- 1999 – Mo Harris
- 1995 – Bill Love
- 1994 – Tyree Dye
GLIAC Defensive Back Of The Year
- 2023 – Shon Stephens
- 2019 – James Ceasar
- 2017 – Tavierre Thomas
- 1993 – Rich Eash
- 1992 – Monty Brown
Since the introduction of the GLIAC Freshman of the Year Award in 2001, Ferris State has earned the honor twice:
- 2022 – Carson Gulker
- 2012 – Jason Vander Laan
Other Awards For Ferris State Football Players
Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award
*Awarded to the best lineman, offensive or defensive, in Division II football since 2004.
- 2022 – Caleb Murphy
- 2021 – Dylan Pasquali
- 2019 – Austin Edwards
Harlon Hill Trophy
*Presented to the nation’s top performer/the most valuable player in Division II football since 1986.
- 2018 – Jayru Campbell
- 2015 – Jason Vander Laan
- 2014 – Jason Vander Laan
This And That About The Bulldogs
- Heading into the 2024 NFL season, six former Ferris State players were in preseason training camps – four veterans (Zach Sieler, Tavierre Thomas, Malik Taylor and Caleb Murphy) and two rookies (Shon Stephens and Mason Pline).
Sieler, when selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, became the first Ferris State player to be drafted.
In all, nearly 30 former Bulldogs have signed contracts with NFL teams, and more than a dozen have seen action in an NFL regular-season game.
As of 2023, 10 alums were playing professionally in NFL, XFL or USFL - In 2023, Shon Stephens tied the Division II record for longest kickoff return (100 yards).
- Also in 2023, Shon Stephens was named to the AFCA All-America team, which first was selected in 1945. A total of 23 Ferris State players have combined for 27 All-America selections.
- During the 2022-2023 season, quarterback Carson Gulker set the Ferris State record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 31, besting the previous mark of 24.
It also was the most in history by a Division II quarterback, making him the third consecutive Bulldog to own the record, following Jason Vander Laan and Jared Bernhardt.
Gulker also set the mark for most points scored by a quarterback in a season (186). - In 2022, Jason Vander Laan’s No. 15 was retired by Ferris State. He owns multiple Division II records:
Higher of the two players with more than 4,000 career rushing yards (5,953) and 5,000 passing yards (8,240), done from 2012-2015
- Most rushes by a quarterback (1,010)
- Most rushing touchdowns scored by a quarterback in a career (81)
- Most points scored by a quarterback in a career (486) - In 2022, Caleb Murphy set the Division II record for tackles for loss in a season (39) and pass sacks (25.5).
- Only 35 times in Division II history has a quarterback rushed for 1,000 yards and passed for 1,000 yards in a season, and three Ferris State quarterbacks are on the list: Jared Bernhardt (2021), Jayru Campbell (2018) and Reggie Bell (2016).
- On the way to the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2018, Jayru Campbell helped the Bulldogs to a 15-1 record, a school record for wins. The season, and perfect record, ended against Valdosta State in the Division II championship game.
The 16 games tied the Division II record for most games played in a season, now done three times and tied the national mark for wins in a season, now accomplished nine times. - Clarence Coleman has the most yards gained in a career (4,983) done from 1998-2001.
- David Nelson owns the record for most punt returns in a game with 12, done in 1993.
- Andre Johnson has the most yards gained in a game (525) and most yards gained per play in a game (30.9), done in 1989.
- In 1992, Monty Brown became the first Ferris State player to be named a first-team Academic All-American and first-team All-American.
About The GLIAC
Football debuted in the GLIAC in 1973, with three teams – Ferris State, Grand Valley State and Northwood – and expansion began the following year.
Teams came and went through 1989, when the conference dropped football as a sponsored sport, a separation that saw the creation of a new football-only conference, the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference.
After nine years of action and success, the MIFC teams rejoined the GLIAC and continued to bring the conference notoriety on the national level.
Since the turn of the century, Grand Valley State and Ferris State have proudly carried the GLIAC banner, combining for 16 conference championships and six Division II national titles. Their annual Anchor-Bone Classic has been what ultimately has decided the GLIAC champion for the last five seasons.
Since the inception of the GLIAC, they have hoisted the conference championship trophy a combined 30 times.
GVSU had a ridiculous run that included a national runner-up finish in 2001, championships in four of the next five years (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and another second-place effort in 2009, while Ferris State was the runner-up in 2018 and claimed national titles in 2021 and 2022.
With the addition of Roosevelt for the 2024 campaign, the GLIAC is back up to eight teams – Davenport, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Roosevelt, Saginaw Valley State and Wayne State.
AFCA Division II Football Rankings For Week 9
Oct. 21, 2024
- Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (27) - Prev. 2
- Valdosta St. (Ga.) (3) - Prev. 3
- Ferris St. (Mich.) - Prev. 4
- Kutztown (Pa.) - Prev. 5
- Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) - Prev. 9
- Pittsburg St. (Kan.) - Prev. 7
- Harding (Ark.) - Prev. 1
- Western Colorado - Prev. 8
- Central Oklahoma - Prev. 11
- Colorado School of Mines - Prev. 12
- Charleston (W.Va.) - Prev. 13
- Colorado St.-Pueblo - Prev. 14
- Minnesota St. - Prev. 15
- Emporia St. (Kan.) - Prev. 16
- Slippery Rock (Pa.) - Prev. 6
- Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) - Prev. 17
- Carson-Newman (Tenn.) - Prev. 18
- West Alabama - Prev. 10
- Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) - Prev. 20
- Central Washington - Prev. 21
- Indianapolis (Ind.) - Prev. 19
- Southern Arkansas - Prev. 24
- West Florida - Prev. 23
- Delta St. (Miss.) - Prev. NR
- Augustana (S.D.) - Prev. NR
Dropped Out: Frostburg St. (Md.) (22), Henderson St. (Ark.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Angelo St. (Tex.), 22; Findlay (Ohio), 22; California (Pa.), 21; Virginia Union, 20; Wayne St. (Neb.), 16; Wingate (N.C.), 10; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 8; Colorado Mesa, 7; Indiana (Pa.), 7; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Davenport (Mich.), 6; Frostburg St. (Md.), 6; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 4; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Emory & Henry (Va.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.
Watch Division II Football On FloFootball
There’s Division II action broadcasting live on FloFootball each week of the college football season, and that includes all of the GLIAC games. Subscribe to watch.
GLIAC Games For Week 9
Saturday, Oct. 26
All Times Eastern
- Northern Michigan Vs. Michigan Tech, Noon
- Saginaw Valley State Vs. Wayne State, 1 p.m.
- Davenport Vs. Roosevelt, 2 p.m.
- Ferris State Vs. Grand Valley State, 3 p.m.
What Teams Have Won The NCAA Division II Football Championship?
The first NCAA Division II national champion for football was crowned in 1973. Louisiana Tech took the title with a 34-0 win over Western Kentucky.
What teams have claimed the titles since? Who has the most titles?
Read more: All Champions | A Look Back At The First 50 Years
Recent Division II playoff brackets: 2023 | 2022 | 2021
Harding is the reigning Division II football champion. The Bisons defeated the Colorado School of Mines 38-7 last December for their first national championship.
Ferris State won the title consecutively in 2021 and 2022, while Grand Valley State won the championship game four times in five years from 2002-2006.
When Are The 2024 NCAA Division II Football Playoffs?
The 2024 playoffs begin on Nov. 23 and end on Dec. 21 at District Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
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