Howard Named First Team All-Southwest Region
by Don Hansen's Football Gazette
Quigley and Touchstone Chosen for Second Team

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University senior linebacker Jeff Howard (6’2”, 220 lbs., Portales, NM/Portales HS) has been named First Team NCAA Division II All Southwest Region for 2004, as chosen by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. Howard led the ENMU defense in tackles each of the past two seasons, with 85 tackles in 2003 and 115 tackles in 2004. Strong safety Adrian Quigley (Sr., 5’9”, 185 lbs., Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) and free safety Ty Touchstone (Sr., 5’11”, 190 lbs., Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) were Second Team All-Southwest Region selections.

A total of 82 players were named First Team, Second Team or Third Team All-Southwest Region by the Football Gazette. At least one player was selected from 25 of the 36 colleges and universities in the Region competing in NCAA Division II football.

Howard, Quigley and Touchstone helped the Greyhounds achieve a 6-5 overall record in 2004, including 4-2 and a third place finish in the Lone Star Conference South Division. It was ENMU’s seventh consecutive winning season. Eastern has earned a combined record of 48-27 since 1998, including 26-17 the past four years.

Football Gazette First Team All-Southwest Region

Howard was named to the Football Gazette All-Southwest Region team for the first time. This season, he was chosen First Team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association, earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from D2Football.com and was a Third Team Little All-American as selected by the Associated Press (A.P.). He is now eligible for All-America honors from the Football Gazette. In addition to receiving national awards, Howard was chosen Second Team Daktronics All-Southwest Region in voting by sports information directors, and was named First Team All-LSC South in 2003 and 2004. He concluded his four-year collegiate career with 248 total tackles. He recorded 133 unassisted tackles and 115 assists.

In 2004, Howard led the Hounds with 67 unassisted tackles and 48 assists on his way to ranking first on the team in total tackles. He registered 9.0 tackles for losses and 4.5 sacks. He picked off three passes and returned two of the interceptions for touchdowns (48 yards vs. SW Oklahoma and 41 yards vs. Abilene Christian). He ranked first in the LSC and tied for 18th in the nation with 6.1 solo tackles per game. He finished fourth in the LSC and tied for 35th in NCAA Division II with 10.5 total tackles per contest.

This past fall, Howard was selected First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All District VI for the second straight year. He also was named to the LSC South All Academic Team for the second year in a row, and gained a spot on the LSC South Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the third consecutive season. He is majoring in Biology (Pre-Medicine) and has a 3.69 cumulative GPA.

Howard’s 248 career tackles included 29 tackles for losses of 98 yards, and 7.5 quarterback sacks for 48 yards lost. He intercepted four passes, forced four fumbles, recovered four fumbles and broke up three passes. He led the Hounds with 85 total tackles in 2003, as he provided 39 solo tackles and 46 assists. Including his 115 tackles in 2004, Howard registered 200 tackles during his last two seasons at Eastern. He is the son of ENMU Offensive Coordinator Mike Howard.

Football Gazette Second Team All-Southwest Region

Quigley was named to the Football Gazette All-Southwest Region team for the first time. In 2004, he also earned Second Team All-LSC South accolades for the second consecutive season, after receiving Honorable Mention status in 2001 and 2002. This season, he was credited with 81 total tackles (46 solo) and trailed only Howard on the ENMU tackle chart. He led the Greyhounds with 16.0 tackles for losses (78 yards) and 8.5 quarterback sacks (53 yards). He registered four pass break-ups and had three hurries. He recovered one fumble.

For his career, Quigley earned 276 total tackles with 177 unassisted tackles and 99 assisted stops. He accumulated an impressive 50 tackles for losses of 242 yards, including 24.5 sacks for 176 yards lost. He forced seven fumbles, recovered five fumbles, broke up 14 passes and blocked three kicks.

Touchstone was selected to the Football Gazette All-Southwest Region team for the first time. He was named College Division Football Academic All-America of the Year in 2004 in voting by the All-America selection committee of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He was chosen as a First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America selection by CoSIDA in 2003 and 2004, after earning Second Team Academic All-America honors in 2002. He was a First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District choice for the third consecutive season.

He was one of 15 players from all collegiate divisions chosen as a 2004 National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation. Touchstone will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a result of his selection to the National Scholar-Athlete list.

Touchstone was named to the 2004 LSC South All-Academic Team and was chosen LSC South Academic Player of the Year. He previously was named to the All-Academic Team in 2002 and 2003.

On the field, Touchstone was chosen Second Team All-LSC South in 2004. He earned First Team All-LSC South honors in 2002. He accumulated 300 total tackles during his four seasons at ENMU, including 187 solo tackles. He intercepted eight passes and broke up nine pass attempts. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. He played in all 43 games, including 31 starts, from 2001-04.

In 2004, he ranked third on the ENMU team with 78 total tackles and was second on the squad with 53 unassisted stops. He recorded one tackle for loss and one-half of a quarterback sack. He led the Hounds with three blocked field goals — all on kicks in the fourth quarter of games ENMU won. One of the blocked field goals was a 19-yarder with 3:20 left in Eastern’s 21-20 Homecoming victory over arch rival West Texas A&M.

This past fall, Touchstone also broke up three passes and intercepted three passes. He recorded a season-high 15 tackles (10 solo) against nationally-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville. He returned 11 punts for 112 yards during the season, an average of 10.2 yards per return.