Thomas Mayo emerged as one of the top wide receivers in NCAA Division II early in the 2009 season, and he’s got another award to prove it.
A threat to score every time he caught the ball, Mayo has earned a spot on d2football.com’s All-American team.
The Liberty, MO-based website named Mayo to its 2nd Team, just reward for a season in which Mayo led the nation in receiving and gave the Mountain Lions a big-play threat on the way to a surprising 6-5 record.
The All-American honor is the latest in a series of accolades for Mayo in the wake of the 2009 campaign.
The sophomore from Reston, VA became Concord’s first-ever Harlan Hill Award regional finalist and was named 1st Team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Mayo set a Concord record and led the nation with 1368 Total Receiving Yards and 124.4 Receiving Yards Per Game. It was the fifth-best season for a receiver in WVIAC history.
In Concord’s electrifying 52-45 overtime victory over Lenoir-Rhyne (NC) on September 5, Mayo tied a school record with 16 receptions and set a new record with 253 receiving yards. He caught three touchdown passes, including the game-winner in overtime.
Mayo becomes Concord’s first All-American since TE/WR Kory Wright in 2002.
Mayo opened the 2009 season with three catches for 152 yards – that’s 5O.7 yards per reception – and two touchdowns in Concord’s 63-10 victory at Southern Virginia on August 29. His TD catches covered 66 and 77 yards, respectively.
The week after his record-setting showing against Lenoir-Rhyne, Mayo caught seven passes for 165 yards and two TDs in the ‘Rotary Bowl’ against West Virginia Wesleyan on September 12. His second touchdown covered 86 yards; it was Concord’s longest play from scrimmage for the season, and it put the Mountain Lions ahead to stay in a 35-26 victory.
Against Shepherd on October 3, Mayo caught nine passes for 120 yards and drew four pass-interference penalties for another 60 yards against the Rams’ secondary.
The following week, Mayo hauled in six receptions for 200 yards, among them a 67-yard touchdown, at Glenville State.
Mayo gave Concord’s traditionally spirited Homecoming crowd reason to roar against Seton Hill on October 17, making five catches for 154 yards, including a an 80-yard touchdown.
In Concord’s visit to WVIAC champion West Liberty State in the season finale on November 7, Mayo befuddled the Hilltoppers with 11 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Mayo ended with 2009 season with 72 receptions, 11 of them for touchdowns. He averaged 19.0 yards per catch and went over 100 yards in seven of Concord’s 11 games. He also rushed seven times for 66 yards, an average of 9.7 yards per carry.
Mayo was the WVIAC and d2football.com Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against L-R September 5.