AZUSA, Calif. -- Senior WR Jon Davis has been named team MVP the 2008 season of Azusa Pacific football, head coach Victor Santa Cruz announced.

Davis, who was an All-American in 2007, heads a parade of 5 individual Cougars who were honored during the team’s season-ending banquet. Junior RB Chris Brown was named team offensive MVP, while senior LB Brian Casey was voted defensive MVP. Senior WR James Burke was tabbed as the team’s most inspirational player, and senior OT Ben Winslow was honored with the Peder Moore Teleo Award, given to the player who best epitomizes Cougar football and what it stands for.

A 4-year Cougar, Davis fashioned another fine season in which he led the team in receptions with 49 and touchdowns scored with 5 despite while adjusting to 3 underclassmen quarterbacks who filled roles under center throughout the season. His best outing came in the season-opener against the NAIA’s top-ranked Carroll College when he tallied 8 grabs for 97 yards and a TD. He concludes his career as one of Azusa Pacific’s all-time finest receivers with 155 catches for 2,244 yards, numbers that are both third on Cougar career list. His 30 career TD receptions are a school record.

Brown resumed his football career after a 4-year layoff, and after working on the rust, he came on strong over the second half of the season, finishing with a team-high 793 rushing yards on 169 carries (4.7 avg.) to go along with 5 TDs. It was the most rushing yards by a Cougar back in 3 years. Brown registered 4 100-yard rushing games, rushing for a career-high 148 yards on 20 carries vs. Dixie State College and tallying 144 yards and a TD on 32 carries in a Cougar victory over Wisconsin-La Crosse.

A 4-year Cougar, Casey spearheaded the defense with his 55 tackles, second best on the squad. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception, a TD-saving pick vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse. He recorded a career-high 12 tackles vs. Dixie State and concluded his career with 10 more take-downs in the season finale vs. East Texas Baptist University.

Burke put together the finest season of his 4 years as a Cougar despite enduring the death of his mother just 3 months prior to the start of the season. Burke finished second to Davis on the team with 43 receptions for 431 yards. The always upbeat Burke caught at least 1 pass in all 10 games, including a career-high 8 vs. the University of San Diego. He also had 7 grabs vs. Humboldt State.

A 3-year starter on the Cougar offensive line, Winslow was a team-leader throughout the off-season and during the 2008 campaign. His work ethic and integrity made him an easy choice for the Peder Moore Teleo Award, named in honor of Azusa Pacific’s 2004 NAIA All-American defensive lineman.