BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three Samford players were named to the STATS FCS All-America teams, released Tuesday.
 
Defensive lineman Ahmad Gooden was named second team All-American, while wide receiver Kelvin McKnight and linebacker Shaheed Salmon were named to the third team.
 
This is Gooden's third All-America honor so far, as he was previously honored by the Associated Press and Phil Steele. He was also named the Southern Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. For the season, Gooden shared the team lead and tied for second in the Southern Conference in tackles for loss with 15.5. He ranked second on the team and tied for fifth in the SoCon in total tackles with 101. He also led the team and tied for fourth in the SoCon in total sacks at 5.5.
 
McKnight, a first-team All-SoCon honoree who was also named to the Phil Steele All-America team last week, led the SoCon and ranked fifth nationally in receptions per game (7.8), and led the SoCon and ranked eighth nationally in receiving yards per game (107.2). He also ranked third in the SoCon in both all-purpose yards per game (114.3) and scoring (6.5 ppg.). McKnight led the SoCon and tied for eighth nationally with 12 touchdown receptions.
 
Salmon, who was also named first team All-SoCon and was a member of the Phil Steele All-America team, led the team and ranked second in the SoCon in total tackles (109) and tackles per game (9.9). He tied for the team lead and tied for second in the SoCon in tackles for loss (15.5), and he ranked third on the team and ninth in the SoCon in sacks (4.0). Salmon had four games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-high 18 in the team's NCAA Playoff game at Kennesaw State.
 
The Bulldogs posted a record of 8-4 overall and 6-2 in SoCon play this season. Samford reached the FCS Playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1992.
 
2017 STATS FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
2017 STATS FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
*-To be determined by the winner of the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award on Jan. 5.
 
OFFENSE
*QB - Jeremiah Briscoe, senior, 6-3, 225, Sam Houston State, or Chris Streveler, senior, 6-3, 220, South Dakota
RB - Dom Bragalone, junior, 5-11, 230, Lehigh
RB - Josh Mack, sophomore, 6-1, 198, Maine
FB - Cal Daniels, junior, 6-2, 255, Stony Brook
WR - Keelan Doss, junior, 6-3, 206, UC Davis
WR - Nathan Stewart, sophomore, 5-11, 175, Sam Houston State
WR - Justin Watson, senior, 6-3, 225, Penn
TE - Dallas Goedert, senior, 6-5, 260, South Dakota State
OL - Austin Kuhnert, senior, 6-4, 304, North Dakota State
OL - Justin Lea, senior, 6-4, 290, Jacksonville State
OL - Brandon Parker, senior, 6-7, 309, North Carolina A&T
OL - Skyler Phillips, senior, 6-2, 315, Idaho State
OL - Aaron Stinnie, senior, 6-5, 309, James Madison
 
DEFENSE
DL - Andrew Ankrah, senior, 6-4, 248, James Madison
DL - P.J. Hall, senior, 6-1, 305, Sam Houston State
DL - Darius Jackson, senior, 6-3, 242, Jacksonville State
DL - Jonathan Petersen, senior, 6-1, 240, San Diego
LB - Nick DeLuca, senior, 6-3, 245, North Dakota State
LB - Darius Leonard, senior, 6-3, 235, South Carolina State
LB - Brett Taylor, senior, 6-2, 230, Western Illinois
LB - Sione Teuhema, senior, 6-4, 260, Southeastern Louisiana
DB - Mike Basile, senior, 6-1, 200, Monmouth
DB - Davontae Harris, senior, 6-0, 205, Illinois State
DB - Taron Johnson, senior, 6-0, 185, Weber State
DB - Tremon Smith, senior, 6-0, 190, Central Arkansas
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Lorran Fonseca, junior, 5-11, 185, Nicholls
P - Joe Zema, grad, 6-2, 210, Incarnate Word
LS - James Fisher, senior, 6-2, 225, North Dakota State
KR - Juwan Petit-Frere, sophomore, 5-7, 170, Southeastern Louisiana
PR - Justice Shelton-Mosley, junior, 5-10, 195, Harvard
AP - Detrez Newsome, senior, 5-10, 210, Western Carolina
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SECOND TEAM
 
OFFENSE
*QB - Jeremiah Briscoe, senior, 6-3, 225, Sam Houston State, or Chris Streveler, senior, 6-3, 220, South Dakota
RB - Roc Thomas, senior, 5-11, 193, Jacksonville State
RB - De'Lance Turner, senior, 6-1, 214, Alcorn State
FB - Andre Stoddard, junior, 5-10, 230, Wofford
WR - Jaelon Acklin, senior, 6-2, 190, Western Illinois
WR - Neil O'Connor, junior, 5-11, 190, New Hampshire
WR - Troy Pelletier, senior, 6-3, 210, Lehigh
TE - Andrew Vollert, senior, 6-5, 245, Weber State
OL - John Cook, junior, 6-4, 325, Central Arkansas
OL - Jamil Demby, senior, 6-5, 335, Maine
OL - Jacob Ohnesorge, senior, 6-3, 295, South Dakota State
OL - Timon Parris, senior, 6-5, 320, Stony Brook
OL - Matthew Schmidt, senior, 6-3, 290, Furman
 
DEFENSE
DL - Anthony Ellis, senior, 6-1, 245, Charleston Southern
DL - Ahmad Gooden, junior, 6-1, 240, Samford
DL - Dalton Keene, senior, 6-4, 275, Illinois State
DL - Chris Terrell, sophomore, 6-3, 266, Central Arkansas
LB - Garrett Dolan, senior, 6-2, 240, Houston Baptist
LB - Jared Farley, senior, 5-11, 224, Northern Iowa
LB - Warren Messer, junior, 5-11, 229, Elon
LB - Christian Rozeboom, sophomore, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
DB - Elijah Campbell, senior, 5-11, 193, Northern Iowa
DB - Raven Greene, senior, 6-0, 190, James Madison
DB - Robbie Grimsley, junior, 6-0, 191, North Dakota State
DB - George Odum, senior, 6-2, 187, Central Arkansas
DB - D'Montre Wade, senior, 6-0, 200, Murray State
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Trey Tuttle, freshman, 5-9, 190, Weber State
P - Keith Wrzuszczak, senior, 5-11, 212, Eastern Kentucky
LS - Hunter Winstead, senior, 6-0, 240, Liberty
KR - Desmond Hite, sophomore, 5-9, 178, Incarnate Word
PR - Xequille Harry, senior, 5-11, 160, Weber State
AP - Davion Davis, junior, 5-11, 180, Sam Houston State
---
THIRD TEAM
 
OFFENSE
QB - Kyle Lauletta, senior, 6-3, 215, Richmond
RB - Corey Avery, senior, 5-10, 195, Sam Houston State
RB - Zane Dudek, freshman, 5-9, 190, Yale
FB - Jared Mohamed, senior, 6-0, 227, Cal Poly
WR - Elijah Marks, senior, 6-1, 175, Northern Arizona
WR - Kelvin McKnight, junior, 5-9, 188, Samford
WR - Jesper Horsted, junior, 6-4, 215, Princeton
TE - Ross Dwelley, senior, 6-5, 240, San Diego
OL - Ben Huss, senior, 6-2, 310, Duquesne
OL - Jacob Judd, senior, 6-3, 300, Western Illinois
OL - Brody Kern, senior, 6-2, 285, Delaware
OL - Zach Larsen, sophomore, 6-1, 300, Southern Utah
OL - Mitchell Sweigart, senior, 6-5, 290, Princeton
OL - Alex Thompson, senior, 6-4, 300, Monmouth
 
DEFENSE
DL - Abdullah Anderson, senior, 6-4, 295, Bucknell
DL - Miles Brown, junior, 6-2, 320, Wofford
DL - Andrew Clyde, junior, 6-3, 275, Richmond
DL - Darin Greenfield, sophomore, 6-3, 235, South Dakota
DL - Jaison Williams, sophomore, 6-1, 225, Austin Peay
LB - Bryson Armstrong, freshman, 5-11, 201, Kennesaw State
LB - Brandon Bryant, senior, 5-11, 225, Lafayette
LB - De'Arius Christmas, senior, 5-10, 220, Grambling State
LB - Mario Jenkins, senior, 6-1, 245, Idaho State
LB - Shaheed Salmon, senior, 6-2, 232, Samford
DB - Marlon Bridges, sophomore, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville State
DB - Malik Duncan, senior, 5-10, 205, Saint Francis
DB - Danny Johnson, senior, 5-10, 194, Southern
DB - Rashad Robinson, junior, 5-11, 182, James Madison
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Marc Orozco, junior, 5-9, 170, Grambling State
P - Alex Pechin, junior, 6-0, 185, Bucknell
LS - Brandon Godsey, senior, 6-0, 220, South Dakota
KR - Jean Constant, sophomore, 5-9, 168, Bryant
PR - Khris Gardin, senior, 5-7, 180, North Carolina A&T
AP - John Santiago, junior, 5-9, 180, North Dakota