PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Samford sophomore safety Jaquiski Tartt was named first team All-American, and junior running back Fabian Truss was named second team All-American as a kick returner, when the Sports Network released its Division I-FCS All-America teams on Monday.
 
Tartt, who is on the watch list for the Sports Network's Buck Buchanan Award for the top defensive player at the FCS level, led the team and tied for seventh in the Southern Conference in tackles with 94. He led the SoCon in passes defended with 14, and he tied for the league lead in interceptions with four.
 
From his safety position, Tartt scored two defensive touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He returned a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown against Georgia Southern, and he returned an interception 65 yards for a score against The Citadel.
 
Tartt, in his first season as a starter for the Bulldogs, was also named first team All-Conference for the Southern Conference. During the season, he was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Month for September, and he earned SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors twice.
 
As a kick returner, Truss ranked third in the SoCon, averaging 27.1 yards per return. He returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the Bulldogs' non-conference win at Gardner-Webb.
 
As a running back, Truss rushed for 1,063 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 96.6 yards per game. He rushed for a career-high 219 yards in a win at Elon.
 
Overall, Truss led the league and ranked third in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 179.8 yards per contest. Truss was named All-Conference for the SoCon in November. He was named the SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 17.
 
Samford finished the 2012 season with a record of 7-4 overall and 5-3 in Southern Conference play. The seven overall wins were the most since 2003, and the five SoCon wins were the most since joining the league in 2008.
 
2012 The Sports Network FCS All-America Team

With position, player, school, class, height, weight:

First Team - Offense

QB - Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion, So., 6-1, 195

RB - Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook, Sr., 5-10, 205; Zach Zenner, South Dakota State, So., 6-0, 215

FB - Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Sr., 5-11, 230

WR - Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois, Jr., 5-10, 181; Aaron Mellette, Elon, Sr., 6-4, 220

TE - A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State, So., 6-4, 245

OL - Michael Bamiro, Stony Brook, Jr., 6-8, 345; Mike Sellers, The Citadel, Jr., 6-0, 295; Billy Turner, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-6, 300; Earl Watford, James Madison, Sr., 6-4, 290; Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-7, 300

AP - Walter Powell, Murray State, Jr., 6-0, 180

PK - Patrick Murray, Fordham, Sr., 5-7, 160

KR - Jerodis Williams, Furman, Sr., 5-11, 195

First Team - Defense

DE - Caleb Schreibeis, Montana State, Sr., 6-3, 252; Colton Underwood, Illinois State, Jr., 6-4, 255

DT - Cody Larsen, Southern Utah, Sr., 6-4, 300; Brent Russell, Georgia Southern, Sr., 6-2, 300

LB - Matt Evans, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-0, 226; Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State, Sr., 5-11, 240; Robert McCabe, Georgetown, Sr., 6-2, 230; Jody Owens, Montana State, Sr., 6-0, 223

DB - Jaquiski Tartt, Samford, So., 6-1, 220; Cooper Taylor, Richmond, Sr., 6-5, 235; Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State, Sr., 6-0, 195; Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, DB, Jr., 5-11, 194

P - Andy Wilder, Northern Arizona, Jr., 6-3, 205

PR - Dominic Gunn, Northern Colorado, Sr., 5-11, 170

Second-Team Offense

QB - Gavin McCarney, Colgate, Jr., 6-2, 205

RB - Shakir Bell, Indiana State, Jr., 5-8, 185; Deonte Williams, Cal Poly, Sr., 5-10, 200

FB - Kendall Gaskins, Richmond, Sr., 6-1, 238

WR - Jordan Harris, Bryant, Jr., 6-2, 215; Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Washington, Jr., 6-5, 215; Kevin Norrell, Stony Brook, Sr., 5-10, 200

TE - Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard, Sr., 6-3, 240

OL - Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky, Sr., 6-5, 295; Sean Davies, UC Davis, Sr., 6-4, 297; Dakota Dozier, Furman, Jr., 6-4, 291; Rogers Gaines, Tennessee State, Sr., 6-7, 320; Corey Howard, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-1, 290

AP - Tyler Varga, Yale, So., 5-11, 220

PK - Jimmy Pavel, Eastern Washington, Sr., 5-11, 195

KR - Fabian Truss, Samford, Jr., 5-9, 190

Second Team - Defense

DE - Brandon Thurmond, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Sr., 6-2, 260; Davis Tull, Chattanooga, So., 6-3, 230

DT - Montori Hughes, UT Martin, Sr., 6-4, 330; Caraun Reid, Princeton, Sr., 6-2, 305

LB - Keith Pough, Howard, Sr., 6-3, 225; Stephon Robertson, James Madison, Jr., 5-11, 220; Ian Sluss, Portland State, Sr., 6-0, 225; Jordan Tripp, Montana, Jr., 6-4, 244

DB - Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana, Sr., 5-11, 185; Steven Godbolt III, Tennessee State, So., 6-1, 180; T.J. Lee III, Eastern Washington, Jr., 5-9, 170; B.W. Webb, William & Mary, Sr., 5-11, 180

P - Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State, Jr., 6-2, 185

PR - Austin Shanks, Northern Arizona, Sr., 5-8, 185

Third Team - Offense

QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State, Sr., 6-2, 220

RB - Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State, Jr., 5-9, 210; Jordan McCord, Colgate, Sr., 5-11, 210

FB - Jake Hess, Northern Arizona, Sr., 5-10, 227

WR - Sean Price, Appalachian State, Fr., 6-5, 210; Quentin Sims, UT Martin, Sr., 6-3, 202

TE - MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois, So., 6-3, 247

OL - Garrett Frye, Georgia Southern, So., 6-4, 257; Terrance Hackney, Bethune- Cookman, So., 6-6, 310; Kaleb Hopson, Sam Houston State, Sr., 6-6, 300; Terren Jones, Alabama State, Sr., 6-7, 334; Ryan Risch, Colgate, Sr., 6-5, 303; J.C. Tretter, Cornell, Sr., 6-4, 295

AP - Greg Hardin, North Dakota, Jr., 5-11, 168

PK - Ernie Collins, San Diego, Sr., 6-2, 240

KR - Carlos Anderson, Northern Iowa, Sr., 5-8, 172; Colby Walden, Jacksonville, Sr., 5-11, 185

Third Team - Defense

DE - Frank Beltre, Towson, Sr., 6-2, 225; Mike Catapano, Princeton, Sr., 6-4, 270; Nolan Nearhoff, Robert Morris, Sr., 6-2, 250; Zach Wagenmann, Montana, So., 6-4, 240

DT - Chris Burnette, Old Dominion, Sr., 6-4, 290; Robert Simpson, Mississippi Valley State, Jr., 6-4, 255; Jared Smith, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-3, 300

LB - Seth Allison, Central Arkansas, Sr., 5-11, 195; Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina, So., 5-10, 205; Dorian Bell, Duquesne, Jr., 6-1, 234; Wes Dothard, Chattanooga, Jr., 6-1, 235; Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri State, Sr., 6-1, 225; Paul Worrilow, Delaware, Sr., 6-0, 230

DB - Jordan Dangerfield, Towson, Sr., 5-11, 200; Ben Ericksen, Illinois State, Sr., 6-1, 200; Demetrius McCray, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-0, 185; Kejuan Riley, Alabama State, Sr., 6-2, 208; Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State, So., 6-0, 214; Johnny Towalid, Indiana State, Sr., 5-11, 170

P - Sam Martin, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-1, 205

PR - Jesse Grandy, Central Arkansas, Sr., 5-11, 165