JACKSON, Miss. - Delta State University linebacker Marvin Terry was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 C Spire Conerly Trophy, which annually honors the top college football player in the Magnolia State, by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. 

Terry is joined by Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, Southern Miss defensive back Malik Shorts, Mississippi Valley State running back Caleb Johnson, Mississippi College linebacker Jonathan Jones, Alcorn State defensive back Juwan Taylor, Millsaps College wide receiver Moïse Tezzo, Belhaven University running back Brad Foley, and Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

The product out of Dallas, Texas, has had a banner year for the Statesmen, positioning himself as a top candidate for Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-GSC honors. The 2019 Second-Team All-GSC selection, is among the GSC and national leaders in several defensive categories. Terry led the GSC with 18.5 tackles for loss (16th in NCAA), 10 sacks (8th NCAA), 1.0 sacks per game, and 16 solo tackles for loss while ranking second in the league with 47 solo tackles. Terry rounded out his defensive prowess with 62 total tackles.

Terry posted 11 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks against Jackson State in week three of the season, while his four sacks against Shorter University were tied for the second-most in a game in school history.

Terry has been a key part of a DSU defense that ranks first in Interceptions (13), tackles for loss per game (8.2), turnovers gained (26) and fumbles recovered (13) The Statesmen also are third in the GSC in third-down defense conversion percentage (30.5), 2.5 sacks per game and 8.2 tackles for loss per game lead the GSC (15th NCAA).

The 2021 C Spire Conerly Trophy finalists, in alphabetical order by school, include:
 

• Alcorn State University – Senior defensive back Juwan Taylor, the SWAC defensive player of the year in 2019 and product of Provine High School in Jackson, made 58 tackles and recorded one interception for the Braves, who are 5-4 overall and 4-2 in SWAC league play.
• Belhaven University – Senior running back Brad Foley from Memphis led the Blazers in all-purpose play with 1,035 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He completed three of his four passing attempts on the season, caught 15 passes and scored two more touchdowns and returned two punts. The Blazers finished with a 7-3 record, the best single-season win percentage in program history.
• Jackson State University – Freshman quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of former NFL great and Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders, completed 220 of 322 passes for 2,674 yards and 25 touchdowns. His longest completion was for 74 yards. Sanders also ran for three touchdowns with a long run of 30 yards.
• Millsaps College – Junior wide receiver Moïse Tezzo led the Majors and the conference in receiving with 36 receptions for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. Tezzo's longest catch was 63 yards and he rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, tallying 1,067 all-purpose yards with 223 kickoff return yards and 69 punt return yards, including one for a touchdown.
• Mississippi College – Linebacker Jonathan Jones, a graduate transfer from Southern Mississippi, is a Charleston, Mississippi native who led the Choctaws defense with 58 solo tackles and 19 assisted tackles. Jones also recorded three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss during the season.
• Mississippi State University – Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers, a Brandon High School product, has led the Bulldogs and Coach Mike Leach's "Air Raid" offense with 407 completions in 538 attempts, accounting for 3,722 yards passing and 29 touchdowns. He was named Walter Camp offensive player of the week for his weekend performance against Auburn.
• Mississippi Valley State – Running back Caleb Johnson, a Memphis native, led the Delta Devils in rushing – averaging 4.1 yards per carry and totaling 786 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught eight passes and scored another touchdown.
• University of Mississippi – Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Corral, who has received national attention as a Heisman Trophy candidate, has led the Rebels to an 8-2 record and completed 206 of 309 passes for 2,774 yards and 17 touchdowns. Corral is the team's third-leading rusher with 523 yards and 10 touchdowns.
• University of Southern Mississippi – Redshirt sophomore defensive back Malik Shorts, a Bassfield native, leads the Golden Eagles in tackles with 81, including 41 solo tackles, two tackles for a loss and two interceptions on the season.

Past winners of the C Spire Conerly Trophy have included such former and current prominent NFL standouts as Evan Engram, Dak Prescott, Deuce McAllister, Eli Manning, Jerious Norwood, Michael Boley, Patrick Willis, Anthony Dixon and last year's winner, Elijah Moore. Prescott and Manning are the only two-time winners of the award.   
 
The C Spire Conerly Trophy presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 30 at the Country Club of Jackson, 345 Saint Andrews Drive, in Jackson. A 5:30 p.m. reception will be followed by the 6:30 p.m. dinner program and trophy presentation. Coaches and finalists from all the schools are expected to attend. For ticket availability or more information, go to msfame.com or call 601.982.8264. CBS football analyst Charles Davis will be the master of ceremonies for the awards program.
 
Now in its 26th year, the C Spire Conerly Trophy is named after the late Charlie Conerly – the only football inductee in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame who was an All-American at a Mississippi university, an NFL rookie of the year, and NFL All-Pro member and quarterbacked a team to a world championship. C Spire has sponsored the outstanding player awards program for football in Mississippi since 1998.
 
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class, customer-inspired wireless communications, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, wireless, IP Voice, data and cloud services for businesses.  This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.
 
About The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame exists to promote, preserve and protect Mississippi's rich sports heritage for this and generations to come. The Museum serves as a destination for sports legends to live forever through interactive displays and exhibits where visitors can play, live and dream. The 501(c)(3) organization recognizes excellence in athletics and contributions to sports. For more information about the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, visit msfame.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mssportshofandmuseum or Twitter at www.twitter.com/mssportshof.