Lincoln's Sterile named to ECAC All-Star team

Sterile named to ECAC All-Star team

January 17, 2011

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. — Lincoln University linebacker Brucelee Sterile was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II All-Star Team, the conference announced on Friday.

The distinction is the latest for the 5-foot-10 junior from Miami, Fla., that spurned Division I-FBS opportunities to come to the nation's oldest historically black college. Last month, he was named to the Daktronics, Inc., All-Super Region 1 Second Team. In November, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) also placed him on its second team.

Sterile is the first CIAA player to be named to the ECAC squad in at least five years as Lincoln is the lone CIAA school of the 312-institution ECAC.

The prestigious squad included members representing four Division II athletic associations: the CIAA, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Northeast-10. Head coaches from each school voted on ballots comprised of the all-conference teams from each league.

A deserving winner, Sterile's 90 tackles ranked fourth in the CIAA, and the 9.0 stops-per-game average was 30th in the nation. His 14 tackles for loss were fifth in the CIAA. He also matched a career-high with three sacks.

By season's end, he had five double-digit tackle games bringing his career total to 13 en route to leading the Lions in tackling in each of the program's three seasons. Twice Sterile was named CIAA Linebacker of the Week, first coming against Howard University on Oct. 2 and most recently on Oct. 30 against Saint Paul's College.

Anchoring one of Division II's premiere defenses, Lincoln finished 2010 ranked seventh in the nation in passing defense and 15th in total defense, allowing 143.3 and 270.5 yards per game, respectively. Those figures also ranked third and first in the CIAA.

With a year of eligibility remaining, Sterile, who owns the single-season tackle record with 97 as a freshman in 2008, has 275 career stops including 38 for losses and seven sacks.