Morrissey And Elder Tabbed All-Americans By AFCA

WACO, Texas – Sr., LB Tyler Morrissey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield-DELCO) and Jr., DB Jarey Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) were each named All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association it was announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
The appointment of both Morrissey and Elder to one of the two AFCA All-America teams marks the first time in school history that the Golden Rams have had two players honored in the same season. Morrissey was a first-team All-America selection while Elder landed on the second team. It is also the first All-Americans recognize by the coaches association since Rondell White in 2013.
 
"This is a well-deserved honor for both these young men," WCU head coach Bill Zwaan said. "We had a great defense this year, which was led by Tyler up front and Jarey in the back."
 
Morrissey becomes the third linebacker honored by the AFCA and first since Ronell Williams in 2012. Former NFL linebacker, Lee Woodall, was the other honoree in 1992. All three linebackers were coached by long-time defensive coordinator and linebacker's coach, Mike Furlong, at West Chester University.
 
Morrissey, a preseason All-America selection and Little AP All-America pick one year ago, finished 2018 with a team-best 86 tackles, including 10 of those for a loss and 8.5 of those counting as a sack. He also forced three fumbles and recovered one while coming up with a clutch blocked field goal in the final five minutes of the Golden Rams' win at Bloomsburg that preserved a 17-14 victory. He is the most decorated linebacker to come out of West Chester since Williams in 2013.
 
"(Morrissey and Elder) are two great players, and I am excited for both of them," Furlong said. "Tyler's numbers didn't stand off the page as much as they did a year ago. But, that's just a product of the team that he had around him being much, much better. I was hoping people would still see what an impact he made on our defense, and obviously, they did that."
 
Elder burst onto the scene with a spectacular season at free safety for the Golden Rams. He finished 2018 third on the team in tackles with 46 (31 solo; 15 assisted). He intercepted seven passes, which marked the most in a single season by a Golden Rams player since 1983 and also tied him for the second most in a single season all-time. Elder was credited with three more pass breakups and one forced fumble. He is also the first defensive back in school history to be named an All-American by the AFCA.
 
"Jarey is a football mind," associate head coach and defensive backs coach Gerald Toney said. "He understands what we want to do, and he can play all four positions in the secondary. He just seems to always be in the right place at the right time."
 
West Chester finished the 2018 season at 10-1 with the school's first outright Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship since 1971 in tow. Along the way, the Golden Rams won the Eastern Division of the PSAC and qualified for the NCAA II Playoffs.