Nine Butler Players Earn Pioneer Football League All-Conference Honors

Nov. 22, 2002

Butler placed nine players on the Pioneer Football League North Division All-Conference Team, selected by a vote of league coaches. The nine honored Bulldogs included six first team all-league picks.

Earning first team All-PFL North Division honors from Butler were senior offensive lineman Carl Erickson, senior running back Dale Jennings, senior defensive lineman Tim Lytle, junior linebacker Parker Smith, senior defensive back Russ Mann and sophomore return specialist Justin Campbell. Erickson and Mann each earned honorable mention all-conference recognition a year ago.

Three additional Bulldogs, senior wide receiver Adam Lafferty, junior defensive lineman John Leininger and senior linebacker Lou Capizzi, were honorable mention picks on the all-league squad. Lafferty also earned honorable mention All-PFL recognition in 2001.

Jennings led the PFL in scoring (12.0 ppg) this season, while Campbell topped the circuit in kickoff returns (26.2 ypr). Smith ranked second in the PFL in tackles (10.20 pg), Capizzi finished third in the league in tackles (10.00 pg), and Mann wound up ninth in the conference in tackles (7.70 pg). Lafferty wound up sixth in the PFL in receiving yards (657). Erickson, Lytle and Leininger all played key roles as linemen for the 4-6 Bulldogs.

PFL North Division champ Dayton led the all-league team with 10 first team selections, while Drake joined Butler with six first team picks. San Diego had four players named first team All-PFL and Valparaiso earned one first team spot.