Nine Players And Two Coaches From CAA Football Chosen As Finalists For Stats Perform National FCS Awards
Rob Washburn
FCS Football: 2024 Walter Payton Award Finalists | Opta Analyst
FCS Football: 2024 Buck Buchanan Award Finalists | Opta Analyst
FCS Football: 2024 Jerry Rice Award Finalists | Opta Analyst
FCS Football: 2024 Eddie Robinson Award Finalists | Opta Analyst
RICHMOND, Va. (November 27, 2024) – Nine players and two coaches from CAA Football have been selected as finalists for national FCS awards from Stats Perform.
Stony Brook running back
Roland Dempster, William & Mary offensive lineman
Charles Grant and Monmouth quarterback
Derek Robertson are among 35 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the national offensive player of the year.
Richmond defensive end
Jeremiah Grant, William & Mary cornerback
Jalen Jones, Rhode Island linebacker
A.J. Pena and New Hampshire defensive end
Josiah Silver are among 35 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the national defensive player of the year.
Villanova running back
David Avit and Richmond safety
Matthew Traynor are among 25 finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, presented to the national freshman player of the year.
Rhode Island’s
Jim Fleming and Richmond’s
Russ Huesman are among 15 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the national coach of the year.
Dempster led the CAA and ranked fourth in FCS with 1,332 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. Grant was the leader on the offensive line for a William & Mary team that ranked fourth nationally in rushing (232.8 ypg). Robertson led FCS in passing with a school-record 3,937 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Grant ranked second nationally with 12.5 sacks and added 45 tackles and 16.5 TFL’s. Jones led FCS with 20 pass breakups and 22 passes defended while also contributing 48 tackles and two interceptions. Pena ranked 10
th in FCS with 18.0 tackles for loss and ninth with 10.5 sacks while recording 70 tackles. Silver was fifth in FCS with 11.5 sacks and 11
th in tackles for loss with 17.5 to go along with 58 tackles.
Avit led all CAA freshmen and ranked ninth in the CAA with 793 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Traynor made 64 tackles, including a team-high 48 solo stops, and added two interceptions and three pass breakups.
Fleming guided Rhode Island to a program record for regular season wins with a 10-2 mark along with the Rams’ first CAA title and FCS playoff appearance since 1985. Huesman guided Richmond to a 10-2 record and back-to-back CAA championships for the second time in program history with an 8-0 mark after closing the year on a 10-game winning streak.
Elon safety
Caleb Curtain was previously announced as a finalist for the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.
The winners of the awards will be recognized at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.