BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford safety Chris Edmonds and quarterback Liam Welch were both named to the Stats Perform Preseason All-America teams, released by the organizations Monday morning.
 
Edmonds was named to the second team, while Welch earned third-team honors. Both Edmonds and Welch had break-out years in the 2021 spring season.
 
Edmonds, who came to Samford as a walk-on, earned first team All-America and All-SoCon honors at the end of the 2021 spring season. He was also named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in all of FCS football.
 
For the season, Edmonds led the SoCon and tied for third in the nation in total interceptions with four. He also led the league and ranked 13^th nationally in interceptions per game at 0.6. Edmonds ranked third on the team with 40 total tackles, including 24 solo stops.
 
Welch also earned All-America honors after the 2021 spring season, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award for the top offensive player at the FCS level. Welch was named first team All-SoCon, and the league's media named him the Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Last week, he was also named the SoCon's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media.
 
Welch led the SoCon and ranked second in the nation in total offense per game, averaging 424.2 yards per game. He also led the league and ranked fourth nationally in both passing yards per game (373.3) and pass efficiency (160.6).
 
Samford will open the 2021 fall season by hosting Tennessee Tech on Thursday, Sept. 2 at Seibert Stadium. Season tickets are on sale at the following link: PURCHASE TICKETS.
 
For the latest news and information on Samford football, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordFootball (Facebook), @SamfordFootball (Instagram) and @SamfordFootball (Twitter). 
 
2021 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON 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 – Julius Chestnut, senior, 6-1, 215, Sacred Heart
RB – Jah-Maine Martin, senior, 5-10, 214, North Carolina A&T
RB – Otis Weah, junior, 5-9, 195, North Dakota
FB – Hunter Luepke, junior, 6-1, 245, North Dakota State
WR – Avante Cox, senior, 5-10, 170, Southern Illinois
WR – Jakob Herres, senior, 6-4, 211, VMI
WR – Tyler Hudson, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Central Arkansas
TE – Ryan Miller, senior, 6-2, 221, Furman
OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls
OL – Liam Fornadel, senior, 6-4, 310, James Madison
OL – Garret Greenfield, junior, 6-6, 295, South Dakota 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, 205, Southern
LB – Troy Andersen, senior, 6-4, 235, Montana State
LB – Logan Backhaus, senior, 6-4, 205, South Dakota State
LB – Willie Eubanks III, senior, 6-2, 230, The Citadel
LB – La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis, senior, 6-1, 215, Southern Utah
LB – Stone Snyder, junior, 6-3, 225, VMI
LB – Tre Walker, senior, 6-1, 235, Idaho
DB – Markquese Bell, redshirt senior 6-3, 205, Florida A&M
DB – Nicario Harper, junior, 6-1, 205, Jacksonville State
DB – Kordell Jackson, senior, 5-9, 188, Austin Peay
DB – Ferlando Jordan, junior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Zyon McCollum, senior, 6-3, 195, Sam Houston
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke, senior, 5-10, 185, James Madison
P – Daniel Whelan, senior, 6-6, 215, UC Davis
LS – Kyle Davis, senior, 5-11, 210, James Madison
KR – Christian Watson, senior, 6-4, 200, North Dakota State
PR – Jequez Ezzard, grad, 5-9, 190, Sam Houston
AP – Elijah Dotson, senior, 6-0, 185, Sacramento State
AP – Quay Holmes, senior, 6-1, 216, ETSU
AP – Javon Williams Jr., junior, 6-2, 245, Southern Illinois
 
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Zerrick Cooper, senior, 6-3, 225, Jacksonville State
QB – Eric Schmid, senior, 6-1, 180, Sam Houston
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, senior, 6-0, 204, James Madison
RB – Karl Mofor, senior, 5-9, 229, Albany
RB – Pierre Strong Jr., senior, 5-11, 210, South Dakota State
FB – Nathan Walker, senior, 6-0, 225, Wofford
WR – Samuel Akem, senior, 6-4, 212, Montana
WR – Dai'Jean Dixon, senior, 6-4, 200, Nicholls
WR – Xavier Gipson, junior, 5-9, 170, Stephen F. Austin
TE – Noah Gindorff, junior, 6-6, 266, North Dakota State
TE – Rodney Williams II, senior, 6-4, 235, UT Martin
OL – AJ Farris, senior, 6-2, 300, Monmouth
OL – Tylan Grable, junior, 6-7, 260, Jacksonville State
OL – Braxton Jones, senior, 6-7, 310, Southern Utah
OL – Trevor Penning, senior, 6-7, 321, Northern Iowa
OL – Tre'mond Shorts, senior, 6-4, 326, ETSU
OL – Tristen Taylor, senior, 6-6, 325, Eastern Washington
 
DEFENSE
DL – DJ Coleman, senior, 6-6, 265, Jacksonville State
DL – Malik Hamm, senior, 6-3, 260, Lafayette                                   
DL – Kobie Turner, senior, 6-3, 285, Richmond
DL – Spencer Waege, senior, 6-5, 274, North Dakota State
DL – Joseph Wallace, senior, 6-1, 300, Sam Houston
LB – Ryan Greenhagen, senior, 6-1, 235, Fordham             
LB – James Kaczor, senior, 6-0, 211, North Dakota State
LB – Jace Lewis, senior, 6-1, 238, Montana
LB – Conner Mortensen, senior, 6-0, 215, Weber State
LB – Tristan Wheeler, junior, 6-2, 228, Richmond
DB – Anthony Adams, junior, 6-0, 185, Portland State
DB – Anthony Budd, senior, 5-11, 200, Monmouth
DB – Qua Brown, senior, 5-11, 206, Southern Illinois
DB – Decobie Durant, senior, 5-11, 175, South Carolina State
DB – Chris Edmonds, sophomore, 6-2, 205, Samford
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, senior, 5-11, 195, Delaware
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Antonio Zita, senior, 5-9, 170, Tennessee State
P – D.J. Arnson, grad, 6-0, 185, Northern Arizona
LS – Robert Soderholm, junior, 6-1, 216, VMI
KR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State
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
 
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – E.J. Perry, senior, 6-2, 210, Brown
QB – Cameron Ward, sophomore, 6-3, 225, UIW
QB – Liam Welch, grad, 6-2, 194, Samford
RB – Josh Davis, junior, 5-9, 195, Weber State
RB – Juwon Farri, junior, 5-10, 195, Monmouth
RB – Geno Hess, senior, 5-8, 209, Southeast Missouri
RB – Devin Wynn, senior, 6-0, 211, Furman
FB – Logan Kendall, senior, 6-4, 264, Idaho
WR – Xavier Smith, redshirt senior, 5-10, 175, Florida A&M
WR – C.J. Turner, junior, 6-2, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
WR – Lujuan Winningham, junior, 6-3, 195, Central Arkansas
TE – Marshel Martin, sophomore, 6-2, 210, Sacramento State
OL – J'Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 320, Central Connecticut State
OL – ZeVeyon Furcron, senior, 6-2, 327, Southern Illinois
OL – Kyle Nunez, senior, 6-2, 340, Stony Brook
OL – J.D. DiRenzo, senior, 6-6, 315, Sacred Heart
OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 295, Sam Houston
OL – Matt Waletzko, senior, 6-7, 295, North Dakota
 
DEFENSE
DL – Malik Fisher, senior, 6-4, 295, Villanova
DL – Devonnsha Maxwell, senior, 6-2, 295, Chattanooga
DL – Shaundre Mims, senior, 6-0, 276, Charleston Southern
DL – Jared Schiess, senior, 6-3, 300, Weber State
LB – Keonte Hampton, senior, 6-2, 220, Jackson State
LB – Matthew Jackson, senior, 6-2, 205, Eastern Kentucky
LB – Forrest Rhyne, senior, 6-1, 225, Villanova
LB – Jeremiah Tyler, senior, 6-2, 225, Princeton
DB – James Caesar, senior, 5-10, 185, Southern Illinois
DB – Brandon Easterling, senior, 6-0, 203, Dayton
DB – Marcis Floyd, junior, 6-0, 188, Murray State
DB – Robby Hauck, junior, 5-10, 185, Montana
DB – Evan Horn, senior, 6-0, 220, New Hampshire
DB – Tyree Robinson, senior, 5-11, 184, ETSU
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Luis Aguilar, grad, 6-3, 200, Northern Arizona
P – Noah Gettman, senior, 6-5, 205, Sacred Heart
P – Brady Schult, senior, 6-1, 215, South Dakota
LS – Matthew O'Donoghue, senior, 6-1, 260, Montana
KR – Malik Flowers, junior, 6-2, 195, Montana
PR – Mike Roussos, senior, 6-0, 195, Columbia
AP – Jake Chisholm, senior, 5-9, 182, Dayton
AP – Isaiah Davis, sophomore, 6-1, 220, South Dakota State