Golden Eagles get eight on PhilSteele.com All-OVC teams
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the 2021 football season is closing the books, another postseason squad was announced as Phil Steele.com announced its All-Ohio Valley Conference team. Tennessee Tech earned eight selections on its all-conference picks as senior defensive lineman Chris Tucker and freshman defensive lineman Devin Squires was named to the first-team roster, junior running back David Gist on the second team, sophomore wide receiver Quinton Cross, senior offensive lineman Kurt Huff, junior defensive back Josh Reliford and freshman returner Tanner Shiver on the third team and sophomore defensive lineman Kail Dava on the fourth team.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the 2021 football season is closing the books, another postseason squad was announced as Phil Steele.com announced its All-Ohio Valley Conference team on Tuesday.
Tennessee Tech earned eight selections on its all-conference picks as senior defensive lineman Chris Tucker and freshman defensive lineman Devin Squires were named to the first-team roster, junior running back David Gist on the second team, sophomore wide receiver Quinton Cross, senior offensive lineman Kurt Huff, junior defensive back Josh Reliford and freshman returner Tanner Shiver on the third team and sophomore defensive lineman Kail Dava on the fourth team.
Tucker recorded 29 tackles, three sacks, nine quarterback hurries and forced a fumble. He helped anchor a defensive front that was second in the OVC in rush defense, allowing an average of 142.7 yards per game.
Squires finished the season with 30 total tackles, including 8.5 for-loss for 38 yards and 2.5 sacks for 22 yards. He also had four QB hurries and a 19-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Gist, a local product from Cookeville, was fourth in the conference in rushing. After missing the vast majority of the Spring 2021 campaign from an injury in the second game at Jacksonville State, Gist returned with a vengeance. He became the first Golden Eagle to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games since Derek White in 2007. Gist ended the campaign with 901 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 81.9 yards per game. He ran for a career-high 143 yards against NC Central. He was also Tech's second-leading receiver with 220 yards and another touchdown on 37 catches. Gist led Tech in all-purpose yardage with 1,139 yards, standing in third in the OVC.
Cross had a breakout season in the spring campaign but flourished in the fall season. The Clarksville native scored three touchdowns – including one against his hometown Austin Peay squad – as he hauled in 41 catches for 574 yards. Cross averaged 14.0 yards per catch and 52.2 yards per game. Cross had two 100-plus-yard receiving games in Fall 2021, collecting a career-high 140 yards on seven catches and a score against Eastern Illinois, then 106 yards on seven catches at Murray State.
Huff has been a crucial member of the Tech offensive front, helping the Golden Eagle offense compile 1,605 rushing yards, 1,760 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns this season.
Reliford finished the season with a team-best 69 tackles with 4.0 for-loss for seven yards, while the Fitzgerald, Ga., native also broke up six passes and had a quarterback hurry. Reliford tied his career-high 11 tackles three times in the fall 2021 season, tallying that mark at Samford, at Tennessee and against Southeast Missouri.
Shiver returned 13 punts for the Golden Eagles for 117 total yards, averaging nine yards per return and recording 25 yards as his longest. He also caught three passes for 70 yards.
Dava finished the season with 22 total tackles, including eight for-loss for 28 yards and two sacks for 12 yards. He also broke up a pass, had one quarterback hurry, forced a fumble and recovered another.
