1
2
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FCS AWARDS SUPPORTERS
WELCOME
STATS PERFORM FCS AWARDS BANQUETAwards Committee: Steve Xeller, Brian Orefice, Dennis Dougherty, Charles Lucterhand, Lori Xeller, Kevin Chroust, Wendy Lucas, Gary Reasons, Philip Sokol, Craig Haley, Mary-Kate House and Juliet SigmannNational Awards Show Host: Gary ReasonsAwards Program Editor/Writer: Craig Haley Awards Program Graphic Designer: Jeffrey ReitzesAwards Designers: Vicki Davila, Don Dyen and Katie FogelAdvertising: Mike McNamara
Stats Perform FCS Coverage: www.theanalyst.com
For future FCS business and advertising inquiries, please contact Lori Xeller at [email protected].
Stats Perform Global Headquarters203 North LaSalle St.Suite 2200Chicago, IL 606011-847-583-2100www.statsperform.comwww.theanalyst.com (FCS)
To say that the 2020-21 FCS season has been like no other would be akin to saying North Dakota State has a decent football program. In other words, a massive understatement. Yet as college athletics – and, more generally, the world – fought through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that affected every facet of life, we were reminded that extreme circumstances have a tendency to bring out the best in people. Don’t be distracted by the unorthodox nature of a season that began in late August with a scattershot fall schedule and will conclude in mid-May following a 16-team spring playoff. Focus instead on the patience, resilience and passion of a group that, against all odds, fought through unprecedented challenges to ultimately crown a champion while still bearing witness to stellar performances from student-athletes across the subdivision. The past year also resulted in an incredible expansion to the exposure Stats Perform provides for the FCS. In addition to our typical unparalleled coverage which we ported over to a broader and upgraded platform called The Analyst (theanalyst.com), we pushed into the realm of broadcast by producing “NDSQBU: The Emergence of Trey Lance in an Unlikely College Football Dynasty,” the first installment of our new FCS docuseries. Similarly, Bally Sports Regional Networks will air our annual awards show featuring the handout of our esteemed Payton, Buchanan, Rice and Robinson Awards. As we hope for a return to normalcy this summer, we are happy to report that not only did we just get through the last 14 months, but we found creative ways to thrive and push the ball forward. Just like Stats Perform, there is little doubt the FCS will come out of this pandemic stronger than ever, and we are thrilled to continue to collaboratively drive that partnership forward.
Brian OreficeVice President, Global Operations
PageWalter Payton Award Finalists 4Buck Buchanan Award Finalists 6Jerry Rice Award Finalists 8Eddie Robinson Award Finalists 10Doris Robinson Award Finalists 12Stats Perform FCS Awards Namesakes 14-152020-21 FCS Award Results 16Past FCS Awards Recipients 18FCS Awards Host Gary Reasons 20FCS Awards Voting Panel 20
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Front InsideSouthland Conference 2Big Sky Conference 5Northeast Conference 5 Pioneer Football League 7Southwestern Athletic Conference 7University of the Incarnate Word 9Southern Conference 11Virginia Military Institute 11Missouri Valley Football Conference 13Stats Perform 17CAA Football 19Eastern Washington University 19Big South Conference 20Sacred Heart University Back InsideThe Analyst Back
4
WALTER PAYTON AWARD FINALISTSThe Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award, in its 34th season, is presented to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision
Percy Agyei-Obese James Madison (CAA) Running Back, Senior
Tyler Hudson Central Arkansas (Southland) Wide Receiver, Sophomore
Juwon Farri Monmouth (Big South) Running Back, Junior
Pierre Strong Jr. South Dakota State (Missouri Valley) Running Back, Junior
Tim DeMorat Fordham (Patriot) Quarterback, Junior
Keith Pearson Presbyterian (Pioneer) Wide Receiver, Senior
Quay Holmes ETSU (Southern) Running Back, Junior
DeAngelo Wilson Austin Peay (Ohio Valley) Wide Receiver, Senior
Walter Payton Award Top-3 Finalist Eric Barriere Eastern Washington (Big Sky) Quarterback, Senior
Walter Payton Award Top-3 Finalist Cole Kelley S. Louisiana (Southland)Quarterback, Senior
Aqeel Glass Alabama A&M (SWAC) Quarterback, Senior
Otis Weah North Dakota (Missouri Valley) Running Back, Sophomore
Walter Payton Award Top-3 Finalist Julius Chestnut Sacred Heart (Northeast)Running Back, Junior
Dejoun Lee Delaware (CAA) Running Back, Senior
Jakob Herres VMI Wide Receiver, Junior
Liam Welch Samford (Southern) Quarterback, Grad
5
6
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD FINALISTSThe Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, in its 26th season, is presented to the national defensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
Bryson Armstrong Kennesaw State (Big South)Linebacker, Senior
Kordell Jackson Austin Peay (Ohio Valley)Nickelback, Senior
Chris Edmonds Samford (Southern) Free Safety, Sophomore
Buchanan Award Top-3 Finalist Jordan Lewis Southern (SWAC) Defensive End, Junior
Isaiah Chambers McNeese (Southland) Defensive End, Grad
Jahari Kay Sam Houston (Southland)Defensive End, Senior
Titus Leo Wagner (Northeast)Linebacker, Junior
Nicario Harper Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley) Free Safety, Sophomore
Tre Walker Idaho (Big Sky) Linebacker, Junior
Tristan Wheeler Richmond (CAA) Linebacker, Sophomore
Jared Brinkman Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley)Nose Tackle, Senior
Storey Jackson Prairie View A&M (SWAC)Linebacker, Senior
Mike Greene James Madison (CAA) Defensive End, Senior
Robert Rochell Central Arkansas (Southland) Cornerback, Senior
Buchanan Award Top-3 Finalist Colby Campbell Presbyterian (Pioneer) Linebacker, Senior
La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis Southern Utah (Big Sky) Linebacker, Junior
Ryan Greenhagen Fordham (Patriot) Linebacker, Junior
Buchanan Award Top-3 Finalist Stone Snyder VMI (Southern) Linebacker, Sophomore
7
8
JERRY RICE AWARD FINALISTSThe Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award, in its 10th season, is presented to the national freshman player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
Bronson Barron Weber State (Big Sky)Quarterback
Tony Muskett Monmouth (Big South) Quarterback
Ty French Gardner-Webb (Big South)Defensive End
Devon Starling Tennessee State (Ohio Valley)Running Back
Draylen Ellis Austin Peay (Ohio Valley)Quarterback
Matthew Sluka Holy Cross (Patriot) Quarterback
Seth Morgan VMI (Southern) Quarterback
Jerry Rice Award Recipient Cameron Ward UIW (Southland) Quarterback
Quinton “Pig” Cage Nicholls (Southland) Nickelback
Ryan Nettles Alabama State (SWAC) Quarterback
Mark Gronowski South Dakota State (Missouri Valley) Quarterback
Keyon Turner Valparaiso (Pioneer) Cornerback
Isaac Dowling Mercer (Southern) Linebacker
Tommy Schuster North Dakota (Missouri Valley)Quarterback
Billy Lucas Duquesne (Northeast) Running Back
Jared Verse Albany (CAA) Defensive End
9
10
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD FINALISTSThe Stats Perform FCS Eddie Robinson Award, in its 34th season, is presented to the national coach of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
Scott Abell Davidson (Pioneer)
Dean Hood Murray State (Ohio Valley)
Bryan Collins LIU (Northeast)
Bobby Petrino Missouri State (Missouri Valley)
Curt Cignetti James Madison (CAA)
Rod Milstead Delaware State (MEAC)
Jay Hill Weber State (Big Sky)
Eddie Robinson Award Recipient Scott Wachenheim VMI (Southern)
Kevin Callahan Monmouth (Big South)
K.C. Keeler Sam Houston (Southland)
Landon Fox Valparaiso (Pioneer)
Danny Rocco Delaware (CAA)
Dave Cecchini Bucknell (Patriot)
Connell Maynor Alabama A&M (SWAC)
Charles “Doc” Gamble Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC)
Kyle “Bubba” Schweigert North Dakota (Missouri Valley)
11
12
DORIS ROBINSON AWARD FINALISTSThe Stats Perform FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, in its sixth season, is presented to a student-athlete in college football’s Division I subdivision who excels in the classroom as well as in the community and beyond.
Drayton Arnold Chattanooga (Southern) Quarterback, Senior
Gavin Landry Northwestern State (Southland) Wide Receiver, Senior
Bennett Dondoyano San Diego (Pioneer) Wide Receiver, Junior
Dean Sise Eastern Washington (Big Sky) Defensive Back, Junior
Eric Wilson Harvard (Ivy) Offensive Lineman, Senior
Justin Covington Villanova (CAA) Running Back, Senior
Doris Robinson Award Selection Jessie Malit North Carolina Central (MEAC) Defensive End, Senior
ZeVeyon Furcron Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley) Offensive Lineman, Senior
K.J. Smith North Alabama (Big South) Quarterback, Senior
Spencer DeMedal Duquesne (Northeast) Strong Safety, Senior
Rick Mottram Bucknell (Patriot) Linebacker, Senior
Ezra Gray Alabama State (SWAC) Running Back, Senior
Jamaal Thompson Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley) Defensive Back, Junio
13
14
WALTER PAYTON AWARDFCS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, 1971-74CHICAGO BEARS, 1975-87PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 1993COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 1996
The Walter Payton Award, established by The Sports Network in 1987 and now presented by Stats Perform, honors the outstanding offensive college football player on the FCS level. The winner is chosen by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
When the Payton Award was established, it was the only such award to be presented to an individual player in the FCS. Payton, who played collegiately at Jackson State, set the NCAA record for points scored in a career with 464. He scored 66 touchdowns and rushed for 3,563 yards at the Southwestern Athletic Conference school, also serving as a place-kicker. He set nine school records during his career.
But Payton’s collegiate accomplishments pale in comparison to the numbers he posted with the Chicago Bears. He set the NFL career rushing record with 16,726 yards (later bested by Emmitt Smith) and scored 750 points in his career. He was a two-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl XX champion and a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named to the NFL’s prestigious 75th anniversary team.
As dynamic as he was on the field, Payton was equally active in charitable work off the field. He was honorary chairman for the 1983 Heart Association Jump Rope for Health, and for the Illinois Mental Heath Association from 1978-80. He also was involved with the Boy Scouts, March of Dimes, Brian Piccolo Research Fund, United Way and Peace Corps.
In 1999, the NFL renamed its annual humanitarian award the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Payton was the 1977 recipient.
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARDFCS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, 1959-62KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 1963-75PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 1990COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 1996
The Buck Buchanan Award, established by The Sports Network in 1995 and now presented by Stats Perform, honors the outstanding defensive college football player on the FCS level. The winner is chosen by a national panel of sports
information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
At 6-foot-7, 287 pounds, Junious “Buck” Buchanan was the prototype for future NFL defensive linemen. He combined size, speed and outstanding strength, along with an intense work ethic, to become one of the great defensive tackles of all time.
He entered Grambling State on an “if” scholarship, which meant he would receive financial aid if he played well. After a season of playing both varsity football and basketball, he decided to concentrate on football. By the end of Buchanan’s All-America career, Grambling coach Eddie Robinson called him “the finest tackle I have ever seen.”
The American Football League’s Dallas Texans, who would become the Kansas City Chiefs, orchestrated a 1963 draft day trade to select Buchanan with the No. 1 overall pick. The Chiefs went on to join the NFL in 1970, and Buchanan had a streak of eight straight selections to either the AFL All-Star Team or the NFL Pro Bowl. His teams won two AFL championships and Super Bowl IV, and he missed only one game due to injury in his 13-year career.
JERRY RICE AWARDFCS FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE, 1981-8449ERS, RAIDERS, SEAHAWKS, 1985-2004COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 2006PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, 2010
The Jerry Rice Award, established by The Sports Network in 2011 and now presented by Stats Perform, honors the outstanding college football freshman on the FCS level. The winner is chosen by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
If you thought Jerry Rice’s style of play was different from anything you had ever seen before, you weren’t alone. “Jerry Rice is on a whole other planet,” said former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter. “We’re on earth; he’s somewhere else.”
A “blue ribbon” panel assembled by the NFL Network in 2010 agreed with Carter, voting Rice as the greatest player of all time. But before he embarked on his Hall of Fame career, Rice refined his skills at Mississippi Valley State on the FCS (then Division I-AA) level. It was in the Southwestern Athletic Conference that he was a two-time first-team All-American, finishing his career with 310 receptions for 4,851 yards and 50 touchdowns. It included 27 TD receptions in 1984 – the record for all NCAA divisions.
STATS PERFORM FCS AWARDS NAMESAKES
15
STATS PERFORM FCS AWARDS NAMESAKESThe San Francisco 49ers traded up in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft to select Rice and he rewarded them with a record-setting career while they won three Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIV and XXIX). He was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl XXIII MVP. His many records include NFL career marks for receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), touchdown receptions (197) and touchdowns scored (208).
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARDFCS COACH OF THE YEAR
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY, 1941-77FCS’ ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACHCOLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The Eddie Robinson Award, established by The Sports Network in 1987 and now presented by Stats Perform, honors the outstanding college football coach on the FCS level. The winner is chosen by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
Coach Robinson’s 408 career victories are the most among FCS schools and only one less than Joe Paterno’s Division I-record total at Penn State. In 1997, Robinson retired at Grambling State with a 408-164-15 record over 57 years (55 seasons). His teams won nine black college football national championships.
He arrived at Grambling in 1941 and took the program from an obscure level to international popularity, playing in many major U.S. cities as well as in the first game in Japan to involve college teams (versus Morgan State in 1976).
More than 200 of Robinson’s players went on to NFL careers. They included Paul “Tank” Younger, the first player from a predominantly black college to be taken by the NFL (Los Angeles Rams, 1949), and Pro Football Hall-of-Famers such as Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis and Charlie Joiner. His pupils also included Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, who succeeded Robinson as Grambling’s coach in 1998.
DORIS ROBINSONSCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDFCS SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by Stats Perform since 2015, honors an FCS student-athlete who excels not only in the
classroom, but in the community and beyond. He is selected from 13 finalists – one from each FCS conference. Doris Robinson was the wife of legendary Grambling State football coach Eddie Robinson, for whom the FCS coach of the year award is named. Mrs. Robinson spent her life dedicated to educating young people. Known as the “Eternal First Lady of GSU Football,” and called “Miss Doris” by everyone on the Grambling campus, she was a former school teacher in the local Louisiana community. Eddie’s college sweetheart, she stood by his side throughout a career at Grambling that spanned 57 years from 1941 to 1997. They were married for 66 years until Eddie died in 2007. Doris passed in 2015.
MICKEY CHARLESFCS LEGACY AWARDS
Mickey Charles is the former CEO and President of The Sports Network who created the FCS Awards, starting with the Walter Payton and Eddie Robinson awards in 1987. He recognized a gap
in national coverage of the former Division I-AA level of college football, and his company also created a weekly Top 25 media poll ranking the best teams across the nation.
Raised in New York, Charles graduated high school when he was 15 and went on to Columbia University for two years of studies and basketball before he transferred to Division III Kalamazoo College, where he was a basketball captain and earned an appreciation for the smaller levels of college athletics. He went on to Brooklyn Law School.
His background included a wide range of interests and accomplishments, including newspaper syndication, national sports talk shows, features writing, seminar speaking and consulting. He was a pioneer in the audiotex industry, forming a sports telecommunications group originally focused on telephonic-delivered sports information, which evolved into the Computer Information Network, the international wire service that came to be known in the industry as The Sports Network. Stats Perform purchased The Sports Network from Charles in February 2015.
16
2020-2021 FCS AWARDS RESULTS
1. TBA, May 152. TBA May 153. TBA May 154. Jakob Herres WR VMI 1-4-5-2-4-445. Otis Weah RB North Dakota 1-1-5-2-5-33 6. Aqeel Glass RB Alabama A&M 1-1-2-4-7-307. Dejoun Lee RB Delaware 0-4-1-1-1-228.(tie) Juwon Farri RB Monmouth 0-2-1-2-5-208.(tie) Pierre Strong Jr. RB South Dakota State 0-2-1-3-3-2010. Liam Welch QB Samford 0-1-3-1-4-1911.(tie) Percy Agyei-Obese RB James Madison 1-0-2-1-1-1411.(tie) Tyler Hudson WR Central Arkansas 0-1-1-2-3-1413. Quay Holmes RB ETSU 0-1-2-1-1-1314. Keith Pearson WR Presbyterian 0-0-0-4-1-915. DeAngelo Wilson WR Austin Peay 0-1-1-0-1-816. Tim DeMorat QB Fordham 0-0-0-1-0-2
1. Cameron Ward QB UIW 19-9-4-1-2-1472. Mark Gronowski QB South Dakota State 10-11-6-1-1-1153. Seth Morgan QB VMI 3-4-5-8-6-684. Isaac Dowling LB Mercer 3-2-6-1-7-505. Tony Muskett QB Monmouth 1-1-4-8-5-426. (tie) Draylen Ellis QB Austin Peay 0-5-1-4-2-336. (tie) Tommy Schuster QB North Dakota 1-2-3-5-1-338. Ty French DE Gardner-Webb 0-0-5-2-4-239. Devon Starling QB Tennessee State 1-1-1-3-1-1910. Keyon Turner DE Valparaiso 0-3-0-2-1-1711. Jared Verse DE Albany 1-1-1-1-2-1612. Bronson Barron QB Weber State 1-1-0-2-1-1413. Ryan Nettles QB Alabama State 0-0-2-0-4-1014. Quinton “Pig” Cage NB Nicholls 0-0-1-1-3-815. Matthew Sluka QB Holy Cross 0-0-1-1-0-516. Billy Lucas RB Duquesne 0-0-0-0-0-0
Jessie Malit of North Carolina Central was chosen as the 2020-21 award recipient by a Stats Perform selection committee. Each FCS conference had a finalist.
1. Scott Wachenheim VMI 22-6-3-2-1-1482. K.C. Keeler Sam Houston 4-6-2-4-8-663. Danny Rocco Delaware 1-7-7-4-1-634. Bubba Schweigert North Dakota 1-3-10-5-2-595. Scott Abell Davidson 1-4-3-4-5-436. Doc Gamble Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-6-2-3-1-427. Curt Cignetti James Madison 3-0-6-3-2-418. Jay Hill Weber State 1-5-2-1-2-359. Bobby Petrino Missouri State 2-2-0-6-4-3410. Connell Maynor Alabama A&M 1-1-1-2-5-2111.(tie) Kevin Callahan Monmouth 1-0-2-3-3-2011.(tie) Dean Hood Murray State 2-0-1-2-3-2013. Dave Cecchini Bucknell 0-0-1-0-1-414. Rod Milstead Delaware State 0-0-0-1-1-315. Bryan Collins LIU 0-0-0-0-1-116. Landon Fox Valparaiso 0-0-0-0-0-0
1. TBA May 152. TBA May 153. TBA May 154. Isaiah Chambers, DE, McNeese 4-2-5-6-7-625. La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, LB, Southern Utah 2-3-4-5-1-456. Nicario Harper, S, Jacksonville State 4-0-3-4-5-427. Jared Brinkman, NT, Northern Iowa 6-0-0-1-1-338. Jahari Kay, DE, Sam Houston 0-4-4-1-1-329. Mike Greene, DE, James Madison 3-1-3-1-0-3010. Tre Walker, DE, Idaho 0-2-2-3-2-2211. (tie) Storey Jackson 0-4-0-1-2-2011.(tie) Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas 1-2-1-1-2-2013. Kordell Jackson, NB, Austin Peay 0-1-4-1-1-1914. Tristan Wheeler, LB, Richmond 0-0-0-5-2-1215. Bryson Armstrong, LB, Kennesaw State 0-2-0-1-1-1116. Chris Edmonds, CB, Samford 0-0-1-2-1-817. Ryan Greenhagen, LB, Fordham 0-0-0-0-1-118. Titus Leo, DE, Wagner 0-0-0-0-0-0
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point.
17
18
PAST FCS AWARDS RECIPIENTSWALTER PAYTON AWARDFCS Offensive Player of the Year
Year Player School Position 1987 Kenny Gamble Colgate Running Back1988 Dave Meggett Towson State Running Back1989 John Friesz Idaho Quarterback1990 Walter Dean Grambling State Running Back1991 Jamie Martin Weber State Quarterback1992 Michael Payton Marshall Quarterback1993 Doug Nussmeier Idaho Quarterback1994 Steve McNair Alcorn State Quarterback1995 Dave Dickenson Montana Quarterback1996 Archie Amerson Northern Arizona Running Back1997 Brian Finneran Villanova Wide Receiver1998 Jerry Azumah New Hampshire Running Back1999 Adrian Peterson Georgia Southern Running Back2000 Louis Ivory Furman Running Back2001 Brian Westbrook Villanova Running Back2002 Tony Romo Eastern Illinois Quarterback2003 Jamaal Branch Colgate Running Back2004 Lang Campbell William & Mary Quarterback2005 Erik Meyer Eastern Washington Quarterback2006 Ricky Santos New Hampshire Quarterback2007 Jayson Foster Georgia Southern Quarterback2008 Armanti Edwards Appalachian State Quarterback2009 Armanti Edwards Appalachian State Quarterback2010 Jeremy Moses Stephen F. Austin Quarterback2011 Bo Levi Mitchell Eastern Washington Quarterback2012 Taylor Heinicke Old Dominion Quarterback2013 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois Quarterback2014 John Robertson Villanova Quarterback2015 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver2016 Jeremiah Briscoe Sam Houston State Quarterback2017 Jeremiah Briscoe Sam Houston State Quarterback2018 Devlin Hodges Samford Quarterback2019 Trey Lance North Dakota State Quarterback
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARDFCS Defensive Player of the Year
Year Player School Position 1995 Dexter Coakley Appalachian State Linebacker1996 Dexter Coakley Appalachian State Linebacker1997 Chris McNeil North Carolina A&T Defensive End1998 James Milton Western Illinois Linebacker1999 Al Lucas Troy State Defensive Tackle2000 Edgerton Hartwell Western Illinois Linebacker2001 Derrick Lloyd James Madison Linebacker2002 Rashean Mathis Bethune-Cookman Cornerback2003 Jared Allen Idaho State Defensive End2004 Jordan Beck Cal Poly Linebacker2005 Chris Gocong Cal Poly Defensive End2006 Kyle Shotwell Cal Poly Linebacker2007 Kroy Biermann Montana Defensive End2008 Greg Peach Eastern Washington Defensive End2009 Arthur Moats James Madison Defensive End2010 J.C. Sherritt Eastern Washington Linebacker2011 Matt Evans New Hampshire Linebacker2012 Caleb Schreibeis Montana State Defensive End2013 Brad Daly Montana State Defensive End2014 Kyle Emanuel North Dakota State Defensive End2015 Deon King Norfolk State Linebacker*2015 Tyrone Holmes Montana Defensive End2016 Karter Schult Northern Iowa Defensive End2017 Darius Jackson Jacksonville State Defensive End2018 Zach Hall Southeast Missouri St. Linebacker
2019 Dante Olson Montana Linebacker*- Stats Perform FCS Defensive Player of the Year
JERRY RICE AWARDFCS Freshman Player of the Year
Year Player School Position 2011 Terrance West Towson Running Back2012 John Robertson Villanova Quarterback2013 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington Wide Receiver2014 Chase Edmonds Fordham Running Back2015 Case Cookus Northern Arizona Quarterback2016 A.J. Hines Duquesne Running Back2017 Bryson Armstrong Kennesaw State Linebacker2018 Josh Davis Weber State Running Back2019 Trey Lance North Dakota State Quarterback
EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD FCS Coach of the Year
Year Coach School1987 Mark Duffner Holy Cross1988 Bill Russo Lafayette1989 Erk Russell Georgia Southern1990 Gene McDowell Central Florida1991 Chris Ault Nevada1992 Charlie Taaffe The Citadel1993 Dan Allen Boston University1994 Jim Tressel Youngstown State1995 Houston Nutt Murray State1996 Darren Barbier Nicholls State1997 Andy Talley Villanova1998 Paul Johnson Georgia Southern1999 Mickey Matthews James Madison2000 Joe Glenn Montana2001 Pete Lembo Lehigh2002 Tommy Tate McNeese State2003 Mike Ayers Wofford2004 Jerry Kill Southern Illinois2005 Sean McDonnell New Hampshire2006 Jerry Moore Appalachian State2007 Mark Farley Northern Iowa2008 Mickey Matthews James Madison2009 Henry Frazier III Prairie View A&M2010 Tony Samuel Southeast Missouri State2011 Rob Ambrose Towson2012 Craig Bohl North Dakota State2013 Craig Bohl North Dakota State2014 Sean McDonnell New Hampshire2015 Joe Moglia Coastal Carolina*2015 Bruce Barnum Portland State2016 K.C. Keeler Sam Houston State2017 Will Healy Austin Peay2018 Dan Hawkins UC Davis2019 Troy Taylor Sacramento State*- Stats Perform FCS Coach of the Year
DORIS ROBINSON SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDYear Player School Position 2015 Dalton Screws Jacksonville State Wide Receiver2016 Tyler Swafford Eastern Kentucky Quarterback2017 Jake Wieneke South Dakota State Wide Receiver2018 Christopher Infantino Stony Brook Offensive Lineman2019 Alex Pechin Bucknell Punter
19
20
Stats Perform: Craig Haley. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Denise Thompson, Larry Weir. Big South Conference: Matt Harmon, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Scott Klatzkin, Greg Madia, Rob Washburn. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Bill Hamilton, Maurice Williams. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Brian Cleary, Ralph Ventre. Ohio Valley Conference: Neal Bradley, Mike Parris, Kyle Schwartz. Patriot League: Eric Malanowski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Jack Cronin. Southern Conference: Phil Perry, Robbie Ross, Jamie Williams. Southland Conference: Zack Carlton, Josh Criswell, Josh Yonis. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Travis Jarome. National Representatives: Josh Buchanan, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Brett Huston, Brandon Lawrence, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas.
STATS PERFORM FCS AWARDS VOTING PANEL
GARY REASONS, STATS PERFORM FCS AWARDSGary Reasons has a history of serving as master of ceremonies for the Stats Perform FCS Awards Banquet. This spring, he is the host of the FCS National Awards show, which will first air on Bally Sports Regional Networks on May 15.
Reasons was an FCS (then Division I-AA) First Team All-America linebacker at
Northwestern State, the first player in NCAA history to gain the prestigious honor three consecutive seasons (1981-83).
A college football television analyst for FOX Sports, Reasons is in his 27th season as a broadcaster. He also is President of Pro Athletes Team, which brings unique business and healthcare value services to companies and hospital partners while also creating philanthropy for hospital foundations, university athletics and various non-profit organizations.
Reasons was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 as part of the inaugural group of small college players. Northwestern State retired his No. 34 jersey after he set the school’s all-time tackles mark (394) from 1980-83. He also set the single-season mark of 172 tackles in his senior year. An honors student, the Crowley, Texas, native graduated with a degree in business administration.
Drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants in the fourth round in 1984, Reasons spent eight years with the club, helping it win Super Bowls XXI and XXV under head coach Bill Parcells. Reasons, Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Carl Banks comprised a linebacker corps that is recognized as one of the greatest in NFL history. He finished his nine-year NFL career with a final season in Cincinnati.
Reasons served as the first head coach of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of arenafootball2 and later spent one year as the team’s president. In 2016, the Crowley Independent School District voted unanimously to rename the field at Crowley High School’s Eagle Stadium after Reasons.
He and his wife Terri have been married for 36 years and have three children. The Reasons reside in McKinney, Texas.