EIU's Fanti Named Co-OVC Defensive Player of Year

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois senior defensive lineman Dino Fanti helped push the Panthers into the FCS playoffs with his inspired play over the past two weeks in wins over UT Martin and Eastern Kentucky.  On Tuesday he was named the co-Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year as the league announced its All-Conference selections.   Fanti was one of three Panthers to earn first team All-OVC honors as EIU will be making its 16th FCS playoff appearance this Saturday at Northern Iowa.  Kickoff is 4 p.m. on ESPN3.
 
A total of six Panthers earned All-OVC honors with two players being named to the All-OVC Newcomer team.   Fanti was the co-Defensive Player of the Year with Eastern Kentucky defensive tackle Noah Spence.   Quarterback Eli Jenkins of Jacksonville State was the OVC Offensive Player of the Year with Southeast Missouri quarterback Dante Vandeven earning OVC Freshman of the Year honors.   John Grass was named the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year after leading Jacksonville State to a number one national ranking.
 
Fanti become the fourth EIU player to earn OVC Defensive Player of the Year honors joining Nick Ricks (2002), Clint Sellers (2005) and Donald Thomas (2006).   He is the seventh EIU defensive player to win a conference award with John Jurkovic (1988, 1989), Tim Lance (1990) and Tim Carver (1995) winning Defensive Player of the Year honors when EIU was a member of the Gateway Football Conference.
 
Fanti was joined on the OVC first team by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and safety Jourdan Wickliffe.   The Panthers second team All-OVC selections included running back Devin Church, offensive tackle Jimmy Lowery and defensive back Dylan Chatman.   Church and Chatman were both selected to the OVC All-Newcomer team.   All four EIU selections on defense keyed a unit that ranked third nationally in turnovers gained (29), fourth in pass efficiency defense (97.67) and eighth in red zone defense.
 
Fanti set the EIU record for tackles for loss for both a career (54) and season (21) during the 2015 season.  He finished the year with 60 tackles, 7.5 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass break-up.   Nationally he ranked second in forced fumbles, seventh in tackles for loss and 26th for sacks.  He played his best down the stretch helping EIU win seven of its last eight games.  He was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week the final two weeks of the season and the National Defensive Player of the Week after the Panthers win at UT Martin.  Fanti was a second team All-OVC selection in 2013 and 2014.
 
Grugier-Hill earned first team All-OVC honors for the second consecutive year despite missing the final two games of the season.  The senior linebacker was third on the Panthers team with 62 tackles including 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and one interception.   During the season he was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week following the Panthers Oct. 24 win over Tennessee Tech.
 
Wickliffe made his third appearance on the All-OVC first team after missing the first three games of the season.  His impact in the defensive backfield was evident as he ended the season with a conference high five interceptions as EIU ranked second in the nation in interceptions with 19.  Wickliffe moved into second on the EIU career interceptions list in the final game with two picks against Eastern Kentucky.  He ended the regular season with 58 tackles and five tackles for loss.
 
Church was named to the All-OVC second team and All-OVC Newcomer teams as the junior transfer from Illinois was a versatile piece of the EIU offense.   Church led the team in both rushing and pass receptions while opening the year as the Panthers kickoff return specialist.  He had two 100-yard rushing games and finished the season with 708 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.   Church hauled in a team high 26 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Lowery was named to the All-OVC second team after making the All-OVC Newcomer team as a redshirt freshman in 2013.   He is part of an offensive line that currently ranks fifth in the nation for fewest number of sacks allowed.  EIU enters the playoffs with a seven game streak of not allowing a quarterback sack.  Lowery graded out over 90 percent for the season as the junior started all 11 games at offensive tackle.
 
Chatman was named to the All-OVC second team and All-OVC Newcomer team as he played football for the first time in his college career.  A May graduate of EIU that was a two-year starter on the Panthers basketball team, Chatman joined the football team for his final season of eligibility.  He finished the season tied for second on the team with four interceptions adding seven pass break-ups.  Chatman finished the year with 29 tackles.