HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall University’s football team selected its four team captains by player vote this weekend and in overwhelming numbers the team chose seniors Brian Anderson and Lee Smith to serve as offensive captains and senior Mario Harvey and junior Omar Brown to represent the defense.

“All four of these young men set the standards for the rest of the team to follow and they were elected by their teammates by a large margin,” Marshall University Head Coach Doc Holliday said.

Anderson, a senior quarterback from Louisville, Ky., started all 13 games under center for Marshall in 2009 and led the Thundering Herd to a 7-6 overall record and a win over Ohio in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. He completed 231 passes for 2,646 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago.

“It is very humbling to be voted a team captain by your teammates and I am looking forward to a fun year leading this team back to where it belongs,” Anderson said.

Smith, a senior tight end from Powell, Tenn., was elected as a team captain for the second consecutive year. Smith is a preseason All-Conference USA selection and on the John Mackey Award Watch List. Last season, he recorded 23 catches for 335 yards while sharing time with Mackey Award Semi-finalist Cody Slate.

“This is humbling, because it comes from my teammates,” Smith said. “It feels great to know that the 60 to 80 guys I take the field with on game days think enough of me and trust me to do my job that they would give me this honor.”

Harvey, a senior from Forsyth, Ga., is also a repeat captain’s choice. The preseason All-Conference USA selection and All-America candidate is coming off of a tremendous 2009 campaign where he recorded 117 tackles and seven sacks. He is a candidate for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lombardi Award.

“It is an honor to be a captain and be to be selected by your peers,” Harvey said. “I am going to give it my all and try to lead this team to a championship.”

Brown, a junior from Moncks Corner, S.C., saw action in all 13 games last year and was thrust into a starting role when senior John Saunders suffered a season-ending injury. Brown excelled and finished third on the team in tackles with 73 and recorded two interceptions with 10 pass break ups.

“This means a lot to me,” Brown said. “This means that my team believes in me and has a great deal of faith and trust that I will lead them the right way on and off the field.”