The Missouri Valley Football Conference announced Tuesday that two SIU football players — Anthony Knighton and Raphael Leonard — were named to the league’s All-Newcomer Team.

Anthony Knighton

Redshirt freshman Anthony Knighton claimed his second All-Conference honor on Tuesday after he was selected as an All-MVFC Honorable Mention on Monday.

Knighton finished second in the race for the MVFC Freshman of the Year award to freshman linebacker Jabril Cox of North Dakota State. He was also a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

On the season, Knighton led all MVFC freshmen in sacks, tackles for loss and tackle for loss yardage. In his 11 starts, Knighton recorded 6. 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, both Saluki freshman records.

Raphael Leonard

Junior Raphael Leonard, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College, was an asset to the SIU receiving corps. He finished second on the team in yards per reception and receiving touchdowns.

His five touchdowns on the season ranked sixth in the MVFC. Leonard also hauled in 34 receptions for 530 yards.

Sports editor Nathan Dodd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @NathanMDodd.

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