BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford junior quarterback
Devlin Hodges and junior defensive lineman
Ahmad Gooden were named finalists for a pair of national awards Monday.
Hodges is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in all of FCS football. Gooden is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, for the top defensive player at the FCS level.
The awards will be celebrated at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation, scheduled for Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the national championship game.
Through the team's 11 regular-season games, Hodges has thrown for 3,587 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 66.7 percent of his passes. Hodges leads the Southern Conference and ranks sixth nationally in both passing yards per game and total offense per game.
Gooden leads the team and ranks fifth in the SoCon in total tackles with 98 so far this season. He also leads the team and ranks second in the league in tackles for loss with 15.5
The Bulldogs will open play in the 2017 NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs by playing at Kennesaw State Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). To purchase tickets click here:
PLAYOFF GAME TICKETS.
2017 STATS FCS AWARDS
WALTER PAYTON AWARD FINALISTS
(FCS Offensive Player of the Year)
Dominick Bragalone, RB, Jr. - Lehigh; Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sr. - Sam Houston State; Chandler Burks, QB, Jr. - Kennesaw State; Taryn Christion, QB, Jr. - South Dakota State; Case Cookus, QB, So. - Northern Arizona; Keelan Doss, WR, Jr. - UC Davis; Dallas Goedert, TE, Sr. - South Dakota State; Gage Gubrud, QB, Jr. - Eastern Washington; Hayden Hildebrand, QB, Sr. - Central Arkansas;
Devlin Hodges, QB, Jr. - Samford; Chad Kanoff, QB, Sr. - Princeton; DeVante Kincade, QB, Sr. - Grambling State; Kyle Lauletta, QB, Sr. - Richmond; Anthony Lawrence, QB, Jr. - San Diego; Josh Mack, RB, So. - Maine; Detrez Newsome, RB, Sr. - Western Carolina; Neil O'Connor, WR, Jr. - New Hampshire; Brandon Parker, OT, Sr. - North Carolina A&T; Troy Pelletier, WR, Sr. - Lehigh; Lamar Raynard, QB, Jr. - North Carolina A&T; Bryan Schor, QB, Sr. - James Madison; Chris Streveler, QB, Sr. - South Dakota, QB; Tommy Stuart, QB, Grad - Duquesne; Roc Thomas, RB, Sr. - Jacksonville State; Justin Watson, WR, Sr. – Penn
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD FINALISTS
(FCS Defensive Player of the Year)
Andrew Ankrah, DE, Sr. - James Madison; Mike Basile, SS, Sr. - Monmouth; Marlon Bridges, FS, So. - Jacksonville State; Brandon Bryant, LB, Sr. - Lafayette; Josh Buss, LB, Jr. - Montana; De'Arius Christmas, LB, Jr. - Grambling State; Nick DeLuca, LB, Sr. - North Dakota State; Garrett Dolan, LB, Sr. - Houston Baptist; Malik Duncan, CB, Sr. - Saint Francis; Anthony Ellis, DE, Sr. - Charleston Southern; Jared Farley, LB, Sr. - Northern Iowa;
Ahmad Gooden, DE, Jr. - Samford; P.J. Hall, DL, Sr. - Sam Houston State; Davontae Harris, CB, Sr. - Illinois State; Darius Jackson, DE, Sr. - Jacksonville State; Mario Jenkins, LB, Sr. - Idaho State; Darius Leonard, LB, Sr. - South Carolina State; Warren Messer, LB, Jr. - Elon; Matthew Oplinger, OLB, Sr. - Yale; Jonathan Peterson, DE, Sr. - San Diego; Christian Rozeboom, LB, So. - South Dakota State; Tremon Smith, CB, Sr. - Central Arkansas; Brett Taylor, LB, Sr. - Western Illinois; Sione Teuhema, LB, Sr. - Southeastern Louisiana; Jaison Williams, DE, So. - Austin Peay
