BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2021 Football Postseason Honors on Monday morning. The all-conference teams and individual award winners were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Alabama A&M’s Aqeel Glass was selected Offensive Player of the Year while Florida A&M’s Isaiah Land was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. Jackson State’s James Houston was named Newcomer of the Year. Jackson State’s Shedeur Sander was selected for Freshman of the Year accolades while JSU’s Deion Sanders was tabbed Coach of the Year to round out the list of individual award winners.

Offensive Player of the Year

Alabama A&M’s Glass closed one of the most impressive careers in league history with a fitting final campaign, recording 3,568 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 356.8 yards per game along with a 160.8 passing efficiency in ten games. He recorded five games of at least 400 passing yards in Fall 2021, including resetting the program’s NCAA Division I Era record with 462 yards in a single game. Additionally, he has been named one of 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award representing the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and was the first selection to the Inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl.

Defensive Player of the Year

Florida A&M’s Land was one of the top players in the nation this past season as he was selected as one of 25 players named to the Buck Buchanan Award Finalist list. At the conclusion of regular season play he led the nation with 25.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks. Land also added three forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. He was named Week 4 BOXTOROW Player of the Week after a three-sack performance. Land was also named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week after setting a Rattlers’ record five sacks versus South Carolina State. He recorded a sack or tackles for loss in ten of the 11 games this season and recorded two or more sacks in five games and did the same for tackles for loss in six games.

Newcomer of the Year

Jackson State’s Houston concluded regular season play as one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the SWAC. During regular season play he totaled 59 tackles (44 solo) and 20.5 tackles for loss for -125 yards. Houston also contributed 14.5 sacks for -102 yards, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown, and eight QB hurries. The Tigers featured the top-ranked defense at the conclusion of regular season play and allow just 13.8 points and 258.3 yards per game.

Freshman of the Year

Jackson State’s Sanders had a stellar debut season for the Tigers as he has been named a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice award. At the conclusion of regular season play he led the SWAC with a 68.7 completion percentage while passing for 2,971 yards (2^nd in SWAC), 28 touchdowns (2^nd in SWAC) and only five interceptions. Sanders averaged 270.1 passing yards (2^nd in SWAC) per game while leading the Tigers to an undefeated 8-0 record in league play and their first SWAC Championship appearance since 2013.

Coach of Year

Jackson State’s Sanders led the Tigers to a 10-1 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in SWAC regular season play. Under Sanders’ leadership the Tigers are currently ranked in the top 15 of the FCS Coaches Poll and are also ranked in the top 25 of the Stats FCS Poll. The Tigers claimed the SWAC East Division title for the first time since the 2013 season. For his efforts Sanders has been named a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Eddie Robinson award.

A complete listing of all-conference selections and individual award winners is listed below.

2021 SWAC Football Postseason Awards

Offensive Player of the Year
Aqeel Glass- Alabama A&M

Defensive Player of the Year
Isaiah Land- Florida A&M

Newcomer of the Year
James Houston- Jackson State

Freshman of the Year
Shedeur Sanders- Jackson State

Coach of the Year
Deion Sanders- Jackson State 

All-SWAC First Team Offense
Quarterback: Aqeel Glass- Alabama A&M
Running Back: Bishop Bonnett- Florida A&M
Running Back: Gary Quarles- Alabama A&M
Offensive Lineman: Keenan Forbes- Florida A&M
Offensive Lineman: Dallas Black- Southern
Offensive Lineman: Mark Evans II- Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Offensive Lineman: Johnathan Bishop- Southern
Offensive Lineman: Drake Centers- Texas Southern
Wide Receiver: Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim- Alabama A&M
Wide Receiver: Odieu Hilaire- Alabama A&M
Tight End: Kemari Averett- Bethune-Cookman

All-SWAC First Team Defense

Defensive Lineman: James Houston- Jackson State
Defensive Lineman: Jason Dumas- Prairie View A&M
Defensive Lineman: Sundiata Anderson- Grambling State
Defensive Lineman: Antwan Owens- Jackson State
Linebacker: Isaiah Land- Florida A&M
Linebacker: Untareo Johnson- Bethune-Cookman
Linebacker: Aubrey Miller- Jackson State
Defensive Back: Markquese Bell- Florida A&M
Defensive Back: Drake Cheatum- Prairie View A&M
Defensive Back: BJ Bohler- Florida A&M
Defensive Back: Omari Hill-Robinson- Bethune-Cookman

All-SWAC First Team Specialist

Place Kicker: Jose Romo-Martinez- Florida A&M
Punter: Josh Sanchez- Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Return Specialist: Isaiah Bolden- Jackson State 

All-SWAC Second Team Offense
Quarterback: Shedeur Sanders- Jackson State
Running Back: Caleb Johnson- Mississippi Valley State
Running Back: Niko Duffey- Alcorn State
Offensive Lineman: Tony Gray- Jackson State
Offensive Lineman: Ja’Tyre Carter- Southern
Offensive Lineman: Danny Garza- Prairie View A&M
Offensive Lineman: Jay Jackson-Williams- Florida A&M
Offensive Lineman: Robert Alston- Alabama State
Wide Receiver: Keith Corbin- Jackson State
Wide Receiver: Dee Anderson- Alabama A&M
Tight End: Jyrin Johnson- Texas Southern

All-SWAC Second Team Defense

Defensive Lineman: Ronnie Thomas- Mississippi Valley State
Defensive Lineman: Savion Williams- Florida A&M
Defensive Lineman: Michael Badejo- Texas Southern
Defensive Lineman: Deonte Williams- Florida A&M
Linebacker: Monroe Beard III- Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Linebacker: Keonte Hampton- Jackson State
Linebacker: Tarik Cooper- Texas Southern
Defensive Back: Irshaad Davis- Alabama State
Defensive Back: Keonte’ Daniels- Mississippi Valley State
Defensive Back: Darius Campbell- Prairie View A&M
Defensive Back: Shilo Sanders- Jackson State

All-SWAC Second Team Specialist

Place Kicker: Garrett Urban- Grambling State
Punter: Garrett Urban- Grambling State
Return Specialist: Darnell Deas- Bethune-Cookman

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football selections and Predicted Order of Finish on Tuesday during the league’s media day. The preseason all-conference teams, individual award winners, and predicted order of finish were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Alabama A&M’s Aqeel Glass was named SWAC Football Preseason Player of the Year while Southern’s Jordan Lewis was tabbed SWAC Football Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Alabama A&M’s Glass rewrote the record books this past season as he went 67-of-113 for 1,084 yards passing and 13 touchdowns during the regular season. One of 16 finalists for the prestigious Walter Payton Award as the national’s top FCS player, Glass was also twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week.

He would also add National Player of the Week honors from Stats Perform FCS and BOXTOROW. In large part due to his performance, the Bulldogs delivered the first undefeated regular season for the program since 1966, won the SWAC East Division for the first time since 2011, while also winning the league championship game with a 40-33 win over UAPB.

Southern’s Lewis proved to be a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive lines this past season with his quickness off the end leading the SWAC in sacks with 10.5 for 73 yards and tackles for loss with 15.0 for 82 yards.

He completed the Spring season with 27 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and one forced fumble. For his efforts Lewis was named the Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year. The two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Week also garnered BOXTOROW National Player of the Week and LSWA Defensive Player of the Week this past season.

The league’s 2021 Predicted Order of Finish has Alabama A&M tabbed to win the SWAC Eastern Division tallying a total of 122 points. Alcorn State (109) was picked to finish second followed by Jackson State (80), Alabama State (76), Bethune-Cookman (71), and Mississippi Valley State (25).

Alcorn State (128) was picked to finish in first place in what will be the Braves debut season in the SWAC Western Division. Southern (108) was projected to finish in second place followed by Grambling State (85), Prairie View A&M (78), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (68) and Texas Southern (37).

A complete listing of the preseason all-conference teams, individual award winners, and predicted order of finish is listed below.

SWAC Eastern Division
Alabama A&M (122)
Florida A&M (109)
Jackson State (80)
Alabama State (76)
Bethune-Cookman (71)
Mississippi Valley State (25)

SWAC Western Division
Alcorn State (128)
Southern (108)
Grambling State (85)
Prairie View A&M (78)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (68)
Texas Southern (37)

Player of the Year
Aqeel Glass- Alabama A&M

Defensive Player of the Year
Jordan Lewis- Southern

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Offense

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Defense

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Specialist

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Offense

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Defense

2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Specialist

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BIRMINGHAM – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Alabama A&M’s Jalen Johnson its SWAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his outstanding performances during games played Dec. 15-21. Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) delivered an outstanding home opening performance as the Bulldogs upset No. 16 (Mid-Major) South Alabama 93-90 in double overtime on Saturday, Dec. 19.

In a career-high 42 minutes of play, Johnson scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and also tallied a double-double with 11 rebounds. He was also able to contribute defensively adding three steals and a blocked shot for the Bulldogs.

Other Notable Performances:

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Shaun Doss averaged 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in games at North Texas and at No. 2 Baylor. He recorded his first-career double-double at #2 Baylor with 25 points and 10 rebounds along with two assists and one block.
• Jackson State’s Tristan Jarrett scored a total of 52 points for the week, for an average of 17.3 points per game, including 16 rebounds (5.3 rebounds per game), 9 total steals (3.0 steals per game), 8 assists. Tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 assists against Bradley.
• Texas Southern’s Michael Weathers led TSU at BYU with 23 points, six steals and five assists.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Alabama A&M’s Jalen Johnson and Texas Southern’s Michael Weathers its SWAC Men’s Basketball Co-Players of the Week for outstanding performances during the opening week of competition.

Johnson (Indiana, Ind.) delivered an outstanding season opening performance as Alabama A&M defeated Samford in the final seconds 78-76. In 28 minutes of work he recorded career-highs of 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting along with collecting seven rebounds.

Weathers (Roeland Park, Kansas) led TSU in scoring (14.7 ppg) over a three-game span as the Tigers capped off the week with a comeback win over Wyoming in which he scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half. The senior guard also led TSU for the past three games in field goals made (19), rebounds (7.7) and steals (2.0). He finished one rebound short of a double-double in his TSU debut at Washington State and has scored in double digits while collecting seven or more rebounds in all three games.

Other Notable Performances:

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Shaun Doss led or tied for team lead in double figures in games against Marquette, #7 Wisconsin, and Iowa State while averaging 19.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He scored a career-high 27 points with five rebounds in UAPB’s season-opener at Marquette.
• Alcorn State’s Kurk Lee entered the game off the bench and contributed a team-high 14 points in his debut for the Braves. He connected on 6-for-11 shots from the floor and went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
• Mississippi Valley State’s Kam’Ron Cunningham contributed 13 points for MVSU against Arkansas and 24 points versus Wyoming.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Alabama A&M’s Dariauna Lewis and Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Tyler Pyburn its SWAC Women’s Basketball Co-Players of the Week for outstanding performances during the opening week of competition.

Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) delivered an outstanding season opening performance as AAMU upset No. 11 (Mid-Major) Troy 80-69. In 26 minutes of play she scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting which was highlighted by a double-double with 10 rebounds. She also went a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line and added a blocked shot.

Pyburn (Blooming Grove, Texas) was a key contributor for Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the Lady Lions dominating victory over Arkansas State, 85-68. She scored a career-high 23 points in UAPB’s win over the Sun Belt Conference foe, ending a 13-game losing streak against the Red Wolves. Pyburn had career highs in field goals made (nine) and three-pointers (five) while shooting 56.3 percent from the field (9-16) and 50 percent from the three-point line (5-10).

Other Notable Performances:

• Southern’s Genovea Johnson led all scorers while recording a career high 21 points and five rebounds against Kansas State of the Big 12 Conference.
• Alcorn State’s Kirdis Clark produced double-digit scoring efforts in opening games at Southeastern Louisiana and Wichita State. She led the Lady Braves in three statistical categories against the Shockers tallying 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. She added 12 points, three assists, and three steals in her senior campaign debut at SLU while averaging 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds through two games.

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IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the finalists for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda – college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Alabama State student-athlete Ezra Gray was among the 12 finalists named for the award. The 12 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments.

Later this year, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 31st William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Selected from a record 199 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 12 finalists are:

“We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy’s namesakeBill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the Future for Football is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships.”

Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

“The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year’s National Scholar-Athletes,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “Selected from a record number of impressive semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader on and off the field, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential.”

The Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program’s prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks.

The past recipients of the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, include:

1990 – Chris Howard (Air Force)
1991 – Brad Culpepper (Florida)
1992 – Jim Hansen (Colorado)
1993 – Thomas Burns (Virginia)
1994 – Rob Zatechka (Nebraska)
1995 – Bobby Hoying (Ohio State)
1996 – Danny Wuerffel (Florida)
1997 – Peyton Manning (Tennessee)
1998 – Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia)
1999 – Chad Pennington (Marshall)
2000 – Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska)
2001 – Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami [FL])
2002 – Brandon Roberts (Washington U. in St. Louis [MO])
2003 – Craig Krenzel (Ohio State)
2004 – Michael Munoz (Tennessee)
2005 – Rudy Niswanger (LSU)
2006 – Brian Leonard (Rutgers)
2007 – Dallas Griffin (Texas)
2008 – Alex Mack (California)
2009 – Tim Tebow (Florida)
2010 – Sam Acho (Texas)
2011 – Andrew Rodriguez (Army West Point)
2012 – Barrett Jones (Alabama)
2013 – John Urschel (Penn State)
2014 – David Helton (Duke)
2015 – Ty Darlington (Oklahoma)
2016 – Zach Terrell (Western Michigan)
2017 – Micah Kiser (Virginia)
2018 – Christian Wilkins (Clemson)
2019 – Justin Herbert (Oregon)

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013.

An All-Ivy League player and the captain of Columbia’s 1961 Ivy League championship team, Bill Campbell found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from Columbia football coach to advertising executive. His ability to recruit, develop and manage talented executives – all lessons learned on the gridiron – proved to be a critical component of his ability to inspire his business teams to the highest levels of success.

Ezra Gray, RB – Alabama State University
4.00 GPA – Computer Information Systems
Head Coach: Donald Hill-Eley | Athletics Director: Jennifer Lynne Williams
Faculty Athletics Representatives: Dr. Carmela Drake 

An all-conference running back who earned his degree with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Ezra Gray has taken full advantage of his time on and off the gridiron at Alabama State. The Lynn Haven, Florida, native becomes the Hornets’ second NFF National Scholar-Athlete, and the program’s first in almost 30 years.

A 2019 First Team Academic All-American, Gray graduated summa cum laude with a degree in computer information systems in May 2020. The 2019 FCS ADA Scholar-Athlete of the Year was also a First Team Academic All-District selection, an FCS ADA Academic All-Star and the Coca-Cola Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Magic City Classic (annual rivalry game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M).

Gray has played in 31 games and was a team captain during the 2019 season. He has rushed for 1,372 yards and six touchdowns on 341 carries during his career while adding 37 receptions for 246 yards and another touchdown. Gray led the Hornets in rushing in both 2019 and 2018.

A two-time All-SWAC selection as a return specialist, Gray has returned 44 kicks for an average of 23.93 yards. He led the conference with a 24.1 kick return average on 14 returns. The SWAC plans on playing a spring football schedule beginning in February.

Active off the field, Gray has assisted with Alabama State’s campus move-in day each year. He has also served food at the Salvation Army during the holidays, and he reads to elementary school children.

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