Troy’s College Football 25 All-Time Roster, Part II: Defense

As many people load EA Sports College Football 25 for the first time, they will see the newest incarnation of Troy’s most powerful phase of the game: Defense.

Troy has always been known for their smothering defense. This defense helped Troy to solidify the three National Championships, 23 Conference Titles, and six bowl wins.

We’ve already brought you the players who stood out among Troy’s special teams.

Who were the standouts of the defense in Troy’s 115 years of football? Let’s find out.

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Defensive Ends

First Team

Demarcus Ware

Where you expecting someone else? DeMarcus Ware is without doubt the most storied player in Troy’s history.

First Round Draft Pick? Check.

Troy Athletics Hall of Fame? Check.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame? Check.

Super Bowl Winner? Check.

Pro Football Hall of Fame? Check.

He would be in the College Football Hall of Fame, but somehow, Ware was never named an All-American, probably due to Troy going 24-23 during his career from 2001-04.

No one had more tackles for loss (55) in Troy history than Ware. 27.5 of those were sacks, netting him a tie for #4 all time.

Osi Umenyiora

The man who brought DeMarcus Ware to Troy was quite the playmaker himself.

The future Super Bowl Winner is #17 all time with 278 total tackles. Breaking it down, he is #8 in assisted tackles (150) and sacks (24) and #4 in tackles for loss with 38.5.

Second Team

Rashad Dillard

Dillard was a multi-time Sun Belt All-Conference Selection and the 2nd Trojan to ever win the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year (2016).

Jonathan Massaquoi

Massaquoi totaled 32 tackles for loss in his career, 19 of which were sacks. He also was a two-time First Team All-Sun Belt.

Third Team

Brandon Lang

Lang was a two-time First Team All-Sun Belt selection. He racked up 38 tackles for loss, good for #5 in Troy history. He also ranks #8 in sacks with a whopping 24, tying him with Osi Umenyiora and Pratt Lyons.

Kenny Craik

Craik was a First Team All-Gulf South 1980, mostly on the back of his stellar tackling. He is #20 in total tackles with 271, #18 in assisted tackles with 132, and racked up 31 sacks, putting him solidly in third place all time.

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Defensive Linemen

Author’s Note: Interior Defensive Linemen don’t often have tons of stats due to often being double-teamed or having plays going away from them. For that reason, much like offensive linemen, if you know their names, then they were doing a great job.

First Team

Al Lucas

Very few in Troy’s history could play the interior of the defensive line quite like Al Lucas. He was responsible for 33 tackles for loss (#8 all time), accounting for 117 lost yardage for opponents.

Along with scoring 9 touchdowns in the goal line offense, Lucas was the 1999 Buck Buchanan Award winner, the FCS’s best defensive player.

If you would like to learn a lot more about Al Lucas, then you can check out of case for him to be in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Steve McLendon

Troy’s latest Super Bowl winner was an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention and ranks #3 all time in fumble return yards. While McLendon might not like up the all time stats, those that watched him play know how ferocious he could be to offensive linemen and anyone carrying the ball near him.

Second Team

Mario Addison

In 2010, Addison was a second team All-Sun Belt selection. That led to him getting picked up by the Colts in 2011.

This began a career he is still enjoying, which includes a trip to Super Bowl 50. Unfortunately for him, DeMarcus Ware was on the opposing side.

Marcus Spriggs

Marcus Spriggs was an All-American in 1998 and first team All-Southland in both 1997 and 1998. He was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft.

Third Team

Pratt Lyons

Pratt Lyons was named an All-American in 1996. He was actually the first Trojan Defensive Lineman to be named an All-American. Other laurels bestowed upon Lyons in 1996 were a First Team All-Southland selection and the Defensive Player of the Year.

He was drafted to the Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft.

In his career, he finished tied at fourth in fumble returns with two. He was responsible for 24 sacks during his time as a Trojan, tying him at eighth with other All-Time Team selections Brandon Lang and Osi Umenyiora

Tim Betts

Betts earned All-American honors in 2000, along with a First Team All-Southland Selection. He also earned a Second Team Selection in 1999.

Tim Betts is still seventh in tackles for loss with 33, tying him with Al Lucas.

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Linebackers

First Team

Carlton Martial

What else can be said about Carlton Martial that hasn’t been said already? He is without a doubt one of the two best defensive players I have ever seen in my life, the other being DeMarcus Ware.

He was the first four-time All-Sun Belt First Team selection. He was a three-time All-American (2018, 2021, 2022). He was also the 2022 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy.

In his career, tackling was the name of the game. He broke the career record for tackles at Troy, in the Sun Belt, and in the NCAA with his 577 total tackles. He ranks #3 in unassissted tackles with 255 and #1 in assisted tackles with 322.

He is #2 in tackles for loss with 50.5, just 4.5 behind DeMarcus Ware. He led Troy with tackles 2019-2022, with his lowest total for a single year being 113.

Boris Lee

Boris Lee, one half of the Killer B’s, earned an Honorable Mention to the All-Sun Belt team in 2006 and First Team selections in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

He returned two fumbles, fourth all time, and even scored a touchdown, tying him for second all time.

He is one of eight Trojans tied at second all time with 2 interception return touchdowns. He is sixth all time in total tackles with 349 and sixth in unassisted tackles with 203. He is ninth in assisted tackles with 146, tying him with Stewart Lowery.

He is fifteenth in tackles for loss with 29. He also led Troy in tackles from 2007-2009.

Anthony Rabb

Anthony Rabb earned an Honorable Mention in the All-Southland team in 1997 and First Team honors in 1998 and 1999. He was also the Southland Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.

His 23 tackles in a game in 1999 still stands as the most tackles in a single Troy game.

Rabb is fourth all time with 407 tackles and fourth in unassisted tackles with 235. He is fifth with 172 assisted tackles.

He ranks eighth in tackles for loss with 33.5

Second Team

Bear Woods

Bear Woods was a second team All-Sun Belt Selection in 2008 and a first team selection in 2009

He has the most unassisted tackles in a season with 79 in 2009.

Jimmy McClain

McClain was a two-time All-Southland Conference pick in 1999 and 2000. He has the most Interception Returns for TD in a game with 2 in 1999.

He ranks seventh in interception return yards with 219 yards on only 4 returns. He is tied with eight others at second with two interception return touchdowns.

McClain is 11th in total tackles with 325 and tied with Charles Pickett at tenth with 191 unassisted tackles. He ranks 16th with 134 assisted tackles.

Naazir Yamini

Naazir was a Honorable Mention for the All-Southland team in 2000.

He ranks fifth all time in total tackles with 374 and fifth all time with 221 unassisted tackles. he is sixth in assisted tackles with 153. Yamini and Kenny Mainor are tied for 16th all time in tackles for loss with 27.

Naazir Yamini led Troy in tackles in both 2000 and 2002.

Third Team

Richard Jibunor

Jibunor earned a first team, second team, and two third team All-Sun Belt selections in his time at Troy. From the end, he totaled 46 tackles for loss and 30 sacks, both put him fourth all time.

Garrick Pimienta

Pimienta was a three-time All-Gulf South team selection in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Before Carlton Martial, the Tackle King of Troy was Garrick Pimienta.

He still holds the record for the most tackles in a season with 198 in 1987. I would argue that his tackling in 1987 was the single best season of tackling in Troy history.

He is now second in total tackles with 563. He remains #1 in unassisted tackles with 307 and is second in assisted tackles with 256.

He led Troy in tackles in all seasons from 1986-88.

Javon Solomon

Javon Solomon was an All-American in 2021 and was an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention in 2020 and an All-Sun Belt First Team selection in 2021 and 2023 and Third Team in 2022.

No Trojan has ever had more tackles for loss than Javon’s five in 2021 vs Southern Miss.

Solomon is third all time in tackles for loss with 49.5 and sacks with 33.

He was one of the two most recent Trojans invited to the Senior Bowl, both of which were picked in last year’s NFL Draft. He’s currently playing for the Buffalo Bills, so look out for him in the other football video game.

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Cornerbacks

First Team

Leodis McKelvin

In 2008, the Bills helped Leodis McKelvin tied DeMarcus Ware as the highest drafted Sun Belt Player at 11th overall.

For all of his honors, McKelvin’s only All-Sun Belt selection as a defensive back was in 2007 on the Second Team.

Johnny Faulk

Johnny Faulk was a second team All-Sun Belt selection in 2004 and first team in 2005.

Faulk has the second most fumble return yards in a season with 79 in 2004. He also scored one fumble return TD in 2004, tying him for second overall.

For his career, Faulk had 11 interceptions, tying him at 13th with Freddie Thomas, Demetric Shipman, and Rayshun Reed. As a cornerback, Faulk was effective at getting big stops, clocking in at 19th in tackles for loss with 25, tied with Reggie Lowe, Stacy Murry, and Antjuan Marsh.

He led Troy in interceptions in 2002 (tie), 2004 (tie), and 2005 (tie).

Second Team

Rayshun Reed

Rayshun Reed earned an Honorable Mention for the All-Southland Conference Team in 2000 and an All-Independent Team selection in 2001 and 2003.

Reed’s 2001 season put him fourth in Interception Return Yards with 163. That same year, he tied Jimmy McClain, Doug Mims, and Jack Smith with two Interception Return Touchdowns in a season.

He ranks second in a large tie with a fumble return touchdown in 1999. In 2001, he led all Trojans with 6 interceptions.

He is 13th all time in interceptions with 11 in his career and third in interception return yards with 287. Only one Trojan has returned as many interceptions for touchdowns that Reed with his three.

Blace Brown

Blace Brown earned a First Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2017 and a Third Team in 2018.

Brown ranks ninth in career interceptions with 12, tying him with Tony Myrick, Sherman Wilkinson, and Cedrick Brooks. He is 12th in Interception return yards with 181, tying him with Derrick Ansley.

He led Troy in interceptions in both 2016 and 2017.

Third Team

Elbert Mack

Elbert Mack was a First Team All-Sun Belt Selection in 2007 and that season, he caught 8 interceptions. That is good for third in a season, tying him with Doug Mims, Jack Smith, Ronnie Shelley (1967), and Tyrone Ferguson.

Mack is tied for 17th in career interceptions with 10. He is joined by Cedarius Rookard, Tommy Groce, Todd Hutsko, and Chris Archie.

In the 2006 New Orleans Bowl, Mack caught two of Troy’s five interceptions. This was mere days after the death of his father in California.

Reddy Steward

Reddy earned an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention in 2021 and a First team selection in 2022 and 2023.

Reddy is the only other Trojan, alongside Rayshun Reed, to return three interceptions for touchdowns when he did it in 2022.

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Safeties

First Team

Derrick Ansley

Derrick Ansley was selected to the All-Independent Team in 2003 and the All-Sun Belt First Team in 2004.

His 9 interceptions in 2003 are good for the second best season.

Ansley is second in career interceptions with 19. and tied for 12th with Blace Brown in interception return yards with 181. He had 2 interception return touchdowns, good for the tie for second. He led Troy in interceptions in 2002 (tie), 2003, and 2004 (tie).

Derrick Ansley could tackle as well, ranking 14th in total tackles with 304 and unassisted tackles with 169. He is 15th in assisted tackles with 135. Ansley actually led Troy in tackles in 2003.

Ronnie Shelley

Ronnie Shelley was an All-American in 1969 and was Troy’s second NFL draftee in the 1970 NFL Draft, going to the Patriots.

Shelley is one of six players to intercept three passes in a single game. He is the only Trojan to ever have double digit interceptions with 15 in 1968.

Ronnie Shelley’s career interceptions mark of 36 is nigh impossible for anyone to break in my opinion. He should be in major record books, but Troy was NAIA at the time.

To bolster my point on Shelley’s prowess, he would hold the career interceptions record at the FBS level (29), FCS level (31), and D3 level (32). He was only one short of tying the D2 record.

He was responsible for 492 yards of returns on those interceptions, which ranks first in Troy history.

Second Team

Freddie Thomas

The original prototype for a walk-on at Troy, Freddie Thomas was a two-time All-American in 1986 and 1987. He also earned All-Gulf South First Team honors during both of those years as well as the Gulf South Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.

Thomas ranks 13th (tied) in career interceptions with 11. He is #19 overall in total tackles with 272, finishing one ahead of Kenny Craik and one behind Bernard Davis.

He also led Troy in interceptions with 5 in 1986, alongside Phyl Brown.

Brannon Condren

Condren was quietly a great player on the 2000s Troy defenses. A lot of attention was given to both DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora before him and Bear Woods and Boris Lee after him, but Brannon earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2006.

That helped land him with the Colts in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Condren has the third most unassisted tackles in a season with 86 from his 2006 season. He also led Troy in total tackles that year with 93.

Third Team

Dell Pettus

Dell Pettus earned an All-American selection in 2019, which is wild since he only garnered an Honorable Mention in the All-Sun Belt team that year. He was a third team selection in 2020 and Honorable Mention again in 2022.

Sherrod Martin

Sherrod Martin was a part of Troy’s Five-Peat and earned All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention (2007) and First Team (2008) selections. His 2008 was good enough to bolster his draft stock and earn him a second round selection to the Panthers in 2009.

Interestingly, he and Osi Umenyiora are Troy’s only second round draft picks.

He is one of six players with three interceptions in a single game. His came against Alcorn State in 2008. He also led Troy in interceptions with Johnny Faulk in 2005 with 2.

Martin ranks #16 in unassisted tackles for his career with 166.

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That wraps up the All-Time Defensive Team. Let us know what you think, check out our top special teams players and check back in a couple of days for the Offense.