RICHMOND, Va. – Emory & Henry College junior linebacker Devan Sproles has been named a finalist for the Willie Lanier Award, Richmond Times-Dispatch officials announced Monday. The Lanier Award honors the top player from Division II, III or NAIA teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Sproles will learn on Wednesday evening if he is the best in the state at the Dudley/Lanier Award presentation at the Hilton Richmond Hotel.

The Norton, Virginia native and J.J. Kelly HS graduate has also been selected as Virginia's top college division linebacker by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.

Additionally, it was announced Monday that Sproles has been selected to the D3football.com All-South Region First Team and is now eligible for All-America honors from D3football.com.

Sproles, the Lou Wacker ODAC Defensive Player of the Year, started all 10 games for the Wasps at linebacker and finished the season with a league-high 107 tackles, including 40 solo and six interceptions. He recorded a season-high 15 tackles at UVA-Wise (Sept. 17) and picked off three passes at Guilford (Nov. 12), the first ODAC player to accomplish the feat since 2007.

For his efforts, Sproles was named ODAC Defensive Player of the Week for Weeks Five and Eleven and was also selected as a BSN Defensive Player of the Week by the Beyond College Sports Network.

The Emory & Henry football team completed the 2011 season with a 5-5 record and was fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. In 2009, then-junior running back Caleb Jennings won the Lanier Award after putting up 1371 yards and 14 touchdowns.

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