Four Pioneer football players earn Academic All-OAC honors in 2006
Meyers and Vrable pick up honor for second straight season

Dec. 1, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) announced the 2006 Football Academic All-OAC winners Friday (Dec. 1) morning and four Pioneers earned Academic All-OAC honors. A trio of seniors—safety Lonnie Meyers (Cumberland, Md./Fort Hill), quarterback Jason Vrable (South Park, Pa.) and corner back J.J. Wheeler (Zanesville/Maysville)—was awarded first team honors, while junior linebacker Carter Shaver (Trotwood/Waynesville) received honorable mention. Since 1985, Marietta has now had 46 players earn Academic All-OAC honors.

Meyers, a 2005 Academic All-OAC honorable mention selection, capped off a solid career by making 49 tackles, which ranked fourth on the team and 30th in the Conference. He also added two tackles for loss and one interception. Meyers finished the year tied for third in the OAC with 12 passes defended. In the classroom, the sports medicine major carries a 3.57 grade point average.

Vrable, a second team All-OAC selection this season, earned Academic All-OAC honorable mention in 2005. Vrable, who will be playing in the All-American Bowl on Dec. 9 in Minneapolis, Minn., closed out his career by moving into sixth place on the OAC's single-season passing attempts list (375) and ninth on its single-season passing yards list (2,845). Vrable, the single-season and career record holder in every Pioneer passing category, went 202-of-375 (.539) and threw for 2,845 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions this season. He led the league and was fourth in the nation in both passing yards per game (284.5) and total offense per game (312.3). In his career, Vrable completed 495-of-902 passes for 6,102 yards and 41 touchdowns. In the classroom, the sports medicine major carries a 3.29 grade point average.

Wheeler, also a second team All-OAC honoree in 2006, finished third on the team in total tackles (59). He also added two interceptions—both against Wilmington—to go along with five pass break ups on the year. In the classroom, the education major carries a 3.36 grade point average.

Shaver made the most of his first extended opportunity in 2006, making 48 stops, which ranked fifth on the team. Shaver also added five tackles for loss, a half-sack and one fumble recovery this year. In the classroom, the petroleum engineering major carries a 3.82 grade point average.

The Pioneers (6-4, 5-4 OAC) set five single-season team records in 2006 and finished in at three-way tie for fourth place in the OAC. Marietta set a new passing standard for attempts (380), completions (203), yards (2845), touchdowns (20) and first downs (119).