SouthtownStar Athletes on Campus: Rich South grad Darius Wilson honored
By Mike Walsh For Sun-Times Media December 14, 2012 11:14PM
Darius Wilson
Updated: January 17, 2013 6:34AM
Central State University senior linebacker Darius Wilson has concluded his collegiate playing career by earning a pair of honors.
Wilson, who prepped at Rich South, was chosen to the 2012 Daktronics Division II All-American Football Team’s Second Team on defense. In addition, the Matteson resident was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
In 11 games this season, Wilson finished with 135 tackles (75 solos), 19 tackles for 50 yards in losses, five sacks for 24 yards in losses, two pass breakups and one interception.
Wilson recorded 17 or more hits in a game on four occasions this year. He posted NCAA single-game highs for the season with 16 solo stops and 22 total tackles against St. Joseph’s on Sept. 22, one week after setting the previous GLVC-record of 17 tackles against Urbana on Sept. 15.
In Central State’s 23-21 victory over William Jewell on Sept. 29, Wilson contributed eight tackles and three sacks. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder tallied 19 tackles against Missouri S&T on Oct. 6 and 17 tackles against Quincy on Oct. 27.
In the Marauders’ final game of the season, a 17-6 loss at Kentucky State on Nov. 17, Wilson finished with nine tackles and one tackle-for-loss covering four yards.
Special Spartans
Two Southland residents on Aurora University’s football team have been recognized for their performances during the 2012 season by the Northern Athletics Conference.
Senior tight end Ryan Mizgate (T.F. South) was named to the All-NAC First Team on offense. The Lansing native finished with 28 catches on the season for 325 yards and five touchdowns.
Junior kicker Fernando Albarran (Reavis) was named to the All-NAC Second Team on special teams. The Oak Lawn resident was 4-of-8 in field goals this season with a long of 41 yards. He was 39-of-44 in PATs and had 11 touchbacks on 57 kickoffs.
Good to be King
Princeton’s Tim Kingsbury (Marist) has been named to the 2012 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention Football Team on defense.
The senior linebacker, a three-year starter for the Tigers, was second on the team in tackles with 72. The Palos Park resident had three tackles for six yards in losses and two pass breakups in earning postseason honors from the Ivy League for the first time in his career.
