BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford safety Chris Edmonds was named a first team All-American, while quarterback Liam Welch and placekicker Mitchell Fineran both earned second team honors by STATS Perform when the organization released its postseason FCS All-America teams Monday.
 
Edmonds led the Southern Conference and tied for second in the nation in total interceptions with four. He also led the league and ranked 13^th in the nation in interceptions per game, averaging 0.6 picks per contest. Edmonds ranked third on the team in total tackles with 40, including 24 solo stops. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss, and he had one pass break-up for the season. Edmonds tallied one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as well.
 
He was involved in forcing six turnovers in Samford's first four games of the seven-game spring season. Edmonds forced a fumble and recovered it at ETSU. He then had an interception against Western Carolina, two interceptions at Furman, and an interception and a forced fumble against Wofford.
 
Edmonds was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week twice (Mar. 8 and Mar. 15), and he was tabbed as the league's Defensive Player of the Month for March. He was named first team All-SoCon, and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in all of FCS football.
 
Welch led the Southern Conference and ranked fourth in the nation in passing yards per game, averaging 373.7 passing yards per contest. He also led the league and ranked fifth nationally in total passing yards at 2,242 yards in just six contests. Welch was the SoCon leader and ranked second in the nation in total offense per game (424.2 ypg.), and he led the league and ranked fourth nationally in total offense (2,545 yards).
 
Welch started six of Samford's seven games this season, and threw for at least 300 yards in five of those six contests. He set a Samford and Southern Conference record, throwing for 570 yards against 19^th-ranked VMI. Welch was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week twice (Mar. 1 and Mar. 22), and he earned SoCon Player of the Month honors for both February and March. He was named first team All-SoCon, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in all of FCS football.
 
Fineran led the SoCon and ranked fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 11.0 points per game throughout the season. He also led the league and tied for second nationally in field goals per game with an average of 2.14 field goals per contest. He ranked 17^th nationally in field goal percentage, making 83.3 percent of his attempts.
 
For the season, Fineran made 15-of-18 field goal attempts. He had four games when he made three field goals each, accomplishing the feat against Furman, Wofford, VMI and Mercer. He was also good on 32 of his 33 extra point attempts. Fineran also handled kickoffs for Samford, averaging 59.6 yards on 55 kicks. He was named first team All-SoCon at the conclusion of the season, and he earned SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week once.
 
Samford finished the spring season with a record of 4-3, wrapping up the season with an impressive 44-20 win over No. 23 Mercer April 17.
 
2020-21 STATS PERFORM FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
 
OFFENSE
QB – Eric Barriere, senior, 6-0, 200, Eastern Washington
QB – Cole Kelley, senior, 6-7, 260, Southeastern Louisiana
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, senior, 6-0, 204, James Madison
RB – Julius Chestnut, junior, 6-1, 215, Sacred Heart
RB – Otis Weah, sophomore, 5-9, 195, North Dakota
FB – Hunter Luepke, sophomore, 6-1, 245, North Dakota State
WR – Avante Cox, junior, 5-10, 170, Southern Illinois
WR – Jakob Herres, junior, 6-4, 211, VMI
WR – Tyler Hudson, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Central Arkansas
TE – Trae Barry, senior, 6-7, 245, Jacksonville State
OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls
OL – Garrett Greenfield, sophomore, 6-6, 295, South Dakota State
OL – Drew Himmelman, senior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL – David Kroll, senior, 6-7, 315, Delaware
OL – Cordell Volson, senior, 6-7, 310, North Dakota State
OL – Ty Whitworth, senior, 6-4, 300, Weber State
 
DEFENSE
DL – Jared Brinkman, senior, 6-2, 290, Northern Iowa
DL – Isaiah Chambers, grad, 6-5, 250, McNeese
DL – Mike Greene, senior, 6-3, 285, James Madison
DL – Jahari Kay, senior, 6-2, 255, Sam Houston
DL – Jordan Lewis, junior, 6-3, 195, Southern
LB – Colby Campbell, senior, 6-0, 230, Presbyterian
LB – La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis, junior, 6-1, 215, Southern Utah
LB – Connor Mortensen, senior, 6-0, 215, Weber State
LB – Stone Snyder, sophomore, 6-3, 225, VMI
LB – Tre Walker, junior, 6-1, 235, Idaho
DB – Chris Edmonds, sophomore, 6-2, 205, Samford
DB – Nicario Harper, sophomore, 6-1, 205, Jacksonville State
DB – Kordell Jackson, senior, 5-9, 188, Austin Peay
DB – Robert Rochell, senior, 6-0, 195, Central Arkansas
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, junior, 5-11, 195, Delaware
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke, senior, 5-10, 185, James Madison
PK – Antonio Zita, senior, 5-9, 170, Tennessee State
P – Garret Wegner, senior, 6-0, 197, North Dakota State
P – Daniel Whelan, senior, 6-6, 215, UC Davis
LS – Kyle Davis, junior, 5-11, 210, James Madison
LS – Robert Soderholm, sophomore, 6-1, 216, VMI
KR – Christian Watson, junior, 6-4, 200, North Dakota State
PR – Devron Harper, junior, 5-10, 165, Gardner-Webb
AP – Quay Holmes, junior, 6-1, 216, ETSU
AP – Javon Williams Jr., sophomore, 6-2, 245, Southern Illinois
 
SECOND TEAM
 
OFFENSE
QB – Eric Schmid, junior, 6-1, 180, Sam Houston
QB – Liam Welch, grad, 6-2, 194, Samford
RB – Juwon Farri, sophomore, 5-10, 195, Monmouth
RB – Karl Mofor, senior, 5-9, 229, Albany
RB – Pierre Strong Jr., junior, 5-11, 210, South Dakota State
FB – Nathan Walker, junior, 6-0, 225, Wofford
WR – Talolo Limu-Jones, senior, 6-5, 220, Eastern Washington
WR – Keith Pearson, senior, 5-9, 175, Presbyterian
WR – DeAngelo Wilson, senior, 5-9, 173, Austin Peay
TE – Ryan Miller, junior, 6-2, 221, Furman
TE – Rodney Williams II, senior, 6-4, 235, UT Martin
OL – AJ Farris, senior, 6-2, 300, Monmouth
OL – Brian Foley, senior, 6-4, 314, Holy Cross
OL – Tylan Grable, sophomore, 6-7, 260, Jacksonville State
OL – Kyle Nunez, junior, 6-2, 340, Stony Brook
OL – Tre'mond Shorts, junior, 6-4, 326, ETSU
OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 295, Sam Houston
 
DEFENSE
DL – D.J. Coleman, junior, 6-6, 265, Jacksonville State
DL – Kevin Glajchen, senior, 6-2, 270, San Diego
DL – Malik Hamm, junior, 6-3, 260, Lafayette                                                     
DL – Kobie Turner, junior, 6-3, 285, Richmond
LB – Bryson Armstrong, senior, 5-11, 205, Kennesaw State
LB – Logan Backhaus, senior, 6-4, 205, South Dakota State
LB – Ryan Greenhagen, junior, 6-1, 235, Fordham                           
LB – Matthew Jackson, junior, 6-2, 205, Eastern Kentucky
LB – Storey Jackson, senior, 6-3, 225, Prairie View A&M
LB – James Kaczor, junior, 6-0, 211, North Dakota State
LB – Tristan Wheeler, sophomore, 6-2, 228, Richmond
DB – Qua Brown, senior, 5-11, 206, Southern Illinois
DB – Marcis Floyd, sophomore, 6-0, 188, Murray State
DB – Don Gardner, senior, 6-1, 185, South Dakota State
DB – Nijuel Hill, senior, 5-10, 185 Delaware
DB – Ferlando Jordan, junior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Mitchell Fineran, 5-10, 183, junior, Samford
P – Cade Coffey, senior, 6-1, 199, Idaho
P – Noah Gettman, junior, 6-5, 205, Sacred Heart
LS – Ross Kennelly, senior, 5-11, 213, North Dakota State
KR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State
PR – Jequez Ezzard, grad, 5-9, 190, Sam Houston
PR – Tyrin Ralph, senior, 5-8, 170, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
AP – Kevin Brown, senior, 5-9, 204, UIW
AP – Dejoun Lee, senior, 5-7, 185, Delaware
 
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