Texas A&M-Commerce’s Richard Cooper and West Texas A&M’s Hunter Streuling were named Lone Star Conference Football Preseason Players of the Year for the 2016 season league officials announced Thursday.

      A&M-C’s Cooper was tabbed Offensive Player of the Year, while WT’s Streuling claimed the Defensive Player of the Year award. 

      The league’s preseason awards were selected by a vote of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.

      Cooper, a 5-9, 185-pound senior running back from Angleton, Texas, led the Lions with 1,331 rushing yards and 110.9 yards per game last season. He was the first Lion running back to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a single-season since 2005. Cooper opened the 2015 season with six straight 100-yard rushing games to set a new school record and finished the season with nine games over 100-yards.  The reigning LSC Offensive Back of the Year had a season-best 158 yards on 28 carries at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

      With 15 votes, Cooper was the top choice in front of Eastern New Mexico’s Kamal Cass (10 votes) and three others who each received one vote.

      Streuling, a 6-0, 168-pound junior defensive back from Austin, Texas, earned first team All-LSC honors after leading WT with 89 tackles including 46 solo stops.  He recorded three interceptions, which tied for the LSC and team best, along with three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble starting all 10 games.

      Streuling received seven votes to edge Angelo State’s Fred Lawrence (six votes) along with eight others receiving votes.