Salter Named CUSA 2023-24 Michael L. Slive Athlete of the Year
6/26/2024 12:58:00 PM | Football
After leading the Flames to a CUSA Championship and earning top Group of Five Player of the Year honors, Liberty's Kaidon Salter has been named the 2023-24 Michael L. Slive Male Athlete of the Year.
This year's CUSA top student-athlete honorees were Salter and MTSU women's basketball player Savannah Wheeler.
The 2023-24 award winners marked the 21st season that CUSA honored Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and the seventh that the awards have been named in remembrance of CUSA's founding commissioner Mike Slive following his passing. The winners are determined by a vote of the conference's athletics directors.
Salter is the first Liberty student-athlete to earn Male Athlete of the Year honors and is the fourth CUSA quarterback all-time to achieve this feat. Bailey Zappe (WKU/2021-22), Brandon Doughty (WKU/2015-16) and Case Keenum (Houston/2011-12) were among the other quarterbacks selected.
Salter was the 2023 HERO Sports Group of Five National Player of the Year after throwing for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 additional scores.
The native of Cedar Hill, Texas, received numerous honors from Conference USA during the Flames' inaugural season in the league. He was named the CUSA Most Valuable Player and was selected to the CUSA first-team all-conference listing. He was also a four-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Week.
Salter led the Flames to an undefeated CUSA 8-0 conference record. The quarterback also guided the Flames to its first conference title at the FBS level with a 49-35 win over New Mexico State in the CUSA Football Championship game.
He finished the title game completing 20-of-25 passing attempts for 319 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 165 yards and another touchdown. Following the game, he was named the CUSA Football Championship MVP.
Salter received several other national honors during his redshirt sophomore season. He was named to the Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2023, was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.
Statistically, Salter was one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He ranked No. 3 in the country in passing efficiency (176.6) and passing yards per completion (16.25), No. 5 in passing touchdowns (32), No. 5 in points responsible for per game (18.9), No. 8 in rushing yards per carry (6.68) and No. 22 in total offense (283.2 yards per game).
Conference USA Michael L. Slive Athletes of the Year
2023-24 - Kaidon Salter, Liberty football/Savannah Wheeler, MTSU women's basketball
2022-23 - Victor Kibiego, UTEP track & field/Lauren Matthews, WKU volleyball
2021-22 - Bailey Zappe, WKU football/Grace Forbes, Rice cross country and track & field
2020-21 - Vitor Dias, Marshall men's soccer & Kigen Chemadi, MTSU track & field/Anastasia Hayes, MTSU women's basketball
2019-20 - Javion Hamlet, North Texas men's basketball/Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2018-19 - Jake Sanford, WKU baseball/ Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2017-18 - Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss baseball/Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU volleyball
2016-17 - Emmanuel Korir, UTEP track & field/Morgan Zerkle, Marshall softball
2015-16 - Brandon Doughty, WKU football/Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic softball
2014-15 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Miranda Kramer, WKU softball
2013-14 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Ebony Rowe, MTSU basketball
2012-13 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Aurieyall Scott, UCF track & field
2011-12 - Case Keenum, Houston football/Camilla Carrera, UTEP softball
2010-11 - Chad Zurcher, Memphis baseball/Tori Bowie, Southern Miss track & field
2009-10 - Anthony Rendon, Rice baseball/Blessing Okagbare, UTEP track & field
2008-09 - Jason Colwick, Rice track & field/ Toni Paisley, ECU softball & Sara Radosevic, Tulane volleyball
2007-08 - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis basketball/Angel Shamblin, Houston softball
2006-07 - Joe Savery, Rice baseball/Ebonie Floyd, Houston track & field
2005-06 - Brad Lincoln, Houston baseball & DeAngelo Williams, Memphis football/Jillian Robbins, Tulsa basketball
2004-05 - Lance Broadway, TCU baseball/Sandora Irvin, TCU basketball
2003-04 - Michael Kogan, Tulane tennis/Chandi Jones, Houston basketball
2024 Liberty Football Season Tickets Information
Season tickets for the 2024 Liberty Football season are on sale now! Starting at just $120, members of Flames Nation can secure their spot at Williams Stadium this fall to watch the Flames defend their CUSA conference title and earn their way into the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Liberty's exciting 2024 slate includes home games against AAC foe East Carolina (Sept. 21) and CUSA home games against UTEP (Sept. 14), FIU (Oct. 8), Jax State (Oct. 30) and WKU (Nov. 23).
You can purchase your 2024 Liberty Football season tickets now at www.LUFootball.com or call/text (434) 592-5015.
This year's CUSA top student-athlete honorees were Salter and MTSU women's basketball player Savannah Wheeler.
The 2023-24 award winners marked the 21st season that CUSA honored Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and the seventh that the awards have been named in remembrance of CUSA's founding commissioner Mike Slive following his passing. The winners are determined by a vote of the conference's athletics directors.
Salter is the first Liberty student-athlete to earn Male Athlete of the Year honors and is the fourth CUSA quarterback all-time to achieve this feat. Bailey Zappe (WKU/2021-22), Brandon Doughty (WKU/2015-16) and Case Keenum (Houston/2011-12) were among the other quarterbacks selected.
Salter was the 2023 HERO Sports Group of Five National Player of the Year after throwing for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 additional scores.
The native of Cedar Hill, Texas, received numerous honors from Conference USA during the Flames' inaugural season in the league. He was named the CUSA Most Valuable Player and was selected to the CUSA first-team all-conference listing. He was also a four-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Week.
Salter led the Flames to an undefeated CUSA 8-0 conference record. The quarterback also guided the Flames to its first conference title at the FBS level with a 49-35 win over New Mexico State in the CUSA Football Championship game.
He finished the title game completing 20-of-25 passing attempts for 319 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 165 yards and another touchdown. Following the game, he was named the CUSA Football Championship MVP.
Salter received several other national honors during his redshirt sophomore season. He was named to the Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2023, was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.
Statistically, Salter was one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He ranked No. 3 in the country in passing efficiency (176.6) and passing yards per completion (16.25), No. 5 in passing touchdowns (32), No. 5 in points responsible for per game (18.9), No. 8 in rushing yards per carry (6.68) and No. 22 in total offense (283.2 yards per game).
Conference USA Michael L. Slive Athletes of the Year
2023-24 - Kaidon Salter, Liberty football/Savannah Wheeler, MTSU women's basketball
2022-23 - Victor Kibiego, UTEP track & field/Lauren Matthews, WKU volleyball
2021-22 - Bailey Zappe, WKU football/Grace Forbes, Rice cross country and track & field
2020-21 - Vitor Dias, Marshall men's soccer & Kigen Chemadi, MTSU track & field/Anastasia Hayes, MTSU women's basketball
2019-20 - Javion Hamlet, North Texas men's basketball/Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2018-19 - Jake Sanford, WKU baseball/ Erica Ogwumike, Rice women's basketball
2017-18 - Nick Sandlin, Southern Miss baseball/Alyssa Cavanaugh, WKU volleyball
2016-17 - Emmanuel Korir, UTEP track & field/Morgan Zerkle, Marshall softball
2015-16 - Brandon Doughty, WKU football/Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic softball
2014-15 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Miranda Kramer, WKU softball
2013-14 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Ebony Rowe, MTSU basketball
2012-13 - Anthony Rotich, UTEP track & cross country/Aurieyall Scott, UCF track & field
2011-12 - Case Keenum, Houston football/Camilla Carrera, UTEP softball
2010-11 - Chad Zurcher, Memphis baseball/Tori Bowie, Southern Miss track & field
2009-10 - Anthony Rendon, Rice baseball/Blessing Okagbare, UTEP track & field
2008-09 - Jason Colwick, Rice track & field/ Toni Paisley, ECU softball & Sara Radosevic, Tulane volleyball
2007-08 - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis basketball/Angel Shamblin, Houston softball
2006-07 - Joe Savery, Rice baseball/Ebonie Floyd, Houston track & field
2005-06 - Brad Lincoln, Houston baseball & DeAngelo Williams, Memphis football/Jillian Robbins, Tulsa basketball
2004-05 - Lance Broadway, TCU baseball/Sandora Irvin, TCU basketball
2003-04 - Michael Kogan, Tulane tennis/Chandi Jones, Houston basketball
2024 Liberty Football Season Tickets Information
Season tickets for the 2024 Liberty Football season are on sale now! Starting at just $120, members of Flames Nation can secure their spot at Williams Stadium this fall to watch the Flames defend their CUSA conference title and earn their way into the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Liberty's exciting 2024 slate includes home games against AAC foe East Carolina (Sept. 21) and CUSA home games against UTEP (Sept. 14), FIU (Oct. 8), Jax State (Oct. 30) and WKU (Nov. 23).
You can purchase your 2024 Liberty Football season tickets now at www.LUFootball.com or call/text (434) 592-5015.
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