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Ruffin Heads Buchanan Award List

Photo - DE James Ruffin – Northern Iowa

The Buchanan Award is handed out annually to the best defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). James Ruffin of Northern Iowa is one of 20 players on the initial list and is the only player on both the Buchanan and Ted Hendricks Award lists. A total of 20 candidates have been announced for the Buchanan Award, in alphabetical order, over the past few months. The watch list will be revised in October and again in November, before the final ballot is announced.
Ruffin has been a mainstay at UNI since his freshman season. In 2008, as mentioned, the All-American and 1st team All-MVFC selection amassed a Missouri Valley-best 18 TFL, 10 sacks, 69 tackles, and 3 FF. He recorded a career-high eight tackles in an FCS semifinal game vs eventual national champion Richmond in 2008. As a sophomore, he tallied 7.5 TFL and 52 tackles to earn All-MVFC honors. During his freshman campaign, he fought his way onto the MVFC all-newcomer team while registering 26 tackles, 3 TFL and 3 PBU. In his first three seasons at UNI, he has totaled 147 tackles, 28.5 TFL, 13.5 sacks and three FF.

Preseason Buchanan Award Watch List:

Christian Anthony, DE, Grambling
Danny Batten, DE, South Dakota St
Tommy Connors, SS, Southeastern Louisiana
Dane Fletcher, DE, Montana St
Charles Graves, FS, Delaware
Larry Hart, DE, Central Arkansas
Brandin Jordan, LB, Southern Illinois
Austen Lane, DE, Murray St
Mark LeGree, FS, Appalachian St
Jeromy Miles, SS, Massachusetts
Josh Morris, CB, Weber St
Osayi Osunde, LB, Villanova
Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond
James Ruffin, DE, Northern Iowa

Mychal Savage, DT, Youngstown St
Adrian Tracy, DE, William & Mary
Terrell Whitehead, FS, NSU
Jabara Williams, LB, Stephen F. Austin
Jeffery Williams, LB, Gardner-Webb
Chris Wynn, CB, Penn