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FCS Winners - Payton, Buchanan & Robinson
Photo - Eddie Robinson - legendary Gambling Head Coach
Armanti Edwards Wins '09 Payton Award
Appalachian St University QB Armanti Edwards cemented his standing as the most decorated player in NCAA Division I FCS history when he became the first two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award this week. The Payton Award has been presented annually to the nation's top FCS player since 1987. Edwards became the first two-time winner in the 23-year history of the award in a landslide vote by national media and sports information directors. He received 55 of a possible 108 first-place votes and 431 total points to easily out-distance Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins, who received 16 first-place votes and 268 points. Southern Illinois running back Deji Karim placed third with 14 first-place votes and 259 points.
Edwards threw for a school-record 3,291 yards and ran for 679 more in 2009, good for an average of 330.8 yards of total offense per game, which ranked third nationally. He also ranked among the nation’s top 20 in rushing TDs (t-3rd - 18), completion percentage (4th - .680), passing yards (8th), scoring (10th - 108 pts.), passing efficiency (12th - 147.90 rating), completions (13th - 257) and TDs responsible for (16th - 30). For his career, Edwards ranks second in FCS history behind only Steve McNair with 14,753 yards of total offense (McNair amassed 16,823 at Alcorn State from 1991-94). With 10,392 passing yards and 4,361 rushing yards, he is the only player in Division I history (FCS or FBS) with at least 9,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career and the only FCS player to reach the 8,000 passing/4,000 rushing plateau. He was responsible for 139 TDs in his career (74 passing, 65 rushing), highlighting his 64 ASU and 14 Southern Conference records.
2009 Walter Payton Award Voting
Name School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
Armanti Edwards Appalachian St - 55 16 20 13 6 431
Terrell Hudgins Elon - 16 19 16 26 12 268
Deji Karim Southern Illinois - 14 21 19 20 8 259
Matt Nichols Eastern Washington - 12 16 9 12 13 188
Dominic Randolph Holy Cross - 8 16 14 8 12 174
Ryan Perrilloux Jacksonville St - 9 9 11 5 18 142
Jeremy Moses Stephen F. Austin - 4 7 9 13 8 109
Arthur Moats of James Madison Wins Buchanan Award
2009 Buck Buchanan Award Voting
NAME (SCHOOL) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
1. Arthur Moats, James Madison.....-........ 37..26...8..12...5...342
2. J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington..-.... 17..17..15..15...4...232
3. Danny Batten, South Dakota State....-... 8..13..20..12...7...183
4. Christian Anthony, Grambling...........-.. 19...8...5..11..11...175
5. Mark LeGree, Appalachian State......-... 2..12..16..15...5...145
6. Austen Lane, Murray State..............-... 8...3..15...7...9...120
7. Adrian Tracy, William & Mary...........-...5..13...6...5..12...117
8. Dane Fletcher, Montana State...........-.. 9...1...5...4...7....79
9. Brandin Jordan, Southern Illinois........-. 3...4...7...4...4....64
10. James Ruffin, Northern Iowa...........-... 4...3...7...3...4....63
11. Tim Kukucka, Villanova..................-. 3...5...4...5...4....61
12. Tim Knicky, Stephen F. Austin..-........3...5...2...5...6....57
Prairie View A&M's coach Henry Frazier wins 2009 Eddie Robinson Award
Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III was named the 23rd winner of the Eddie Robinson Award Thursday night at The Sports Network's Football Championship Subdivision Awards Banquet, held at the Chattanooga Convention Center on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship title game.
Frazier is the first coach of a Southwestern Athletic Conference team, or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in FCS. Robinson, the legendary Grambling State coach, spent much of his career in the SWAC. Taking over a program best known for losing an NCAA-record 80 consecutive games from 1989-98, Frazier led the Panthers to a perfect 7-0 conference mark, the SWAC West Division title and their first-ever berth in the SWAC championship game since the title contest was introduced in 1999.
Frazier is 36-27 at Prairie View and has gone 25-5 in the past three years. Prairie View completed its season with a thrilling, 30-24 SWAC title game victory over Alabama A&M. The Panthers hadn't won a SWAC championship since 1964, and 2009 marked the team's second consecutive 9-1 season. In 2008, Prairie View also beat both Grambling and Southern in the same year for the first time in 35 seasons, and posted its first nine-win campaign since 1953, a feat also duplicated this season. The 2009 season marks the first time the Panthers have had three consecutive winning years since legendary PVAM coach W.J. Nicks ran off nine straight such seasons from 1957-65. Frazier also coached the Panthers to the No. 18 spot in the final regular season poll, the highest ranking Prairie View has ever held. PVAM was ranked 25th last season, the first time the Panthers had ever made a poll appearance.
In the second-closest balloting in Robinson Award history, Frazier received 24 first-place votes out of the 125 ballots cast by a panel of sports information directors and select media who regularly cover FCS. He picked up 237 points to edge J.C. Harper of Stephen F. Austin by two points. Jerry Moore of Appalachian State won by one point over Craig Bohl of North Dakota State in 2006. The Sports Network established the Eddie Robinson Award in 1987. Past recipients of this prestigious honor include current FCS coaches, two-time winner Mickey Matthews of James Madison, Northern Iowa skipper Mark Farley, New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, Villanova's Andy Talley, Mike Ayers of Wofford and Elon's Pete Lembo, who won the coveted award with Lehigh.
2009 EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD VOTING
NAME (SCHOOL) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
1. Henry Frazier III, Prairie View...-....... 24..14..13...9...4... 237
2. J.C. Harper, Stephen F. Austin...-.......21..17..13...9...5... 235
3. Andy Talley, Villanova..........-......... 16...8..15...8..11... 184
4. Dale Lennon, Southern Illinois.-.......... 13..16...7..12...7... 181
5. Bobby Hauck, Montana....................-. 10..13..12...7..10... 162
6. Mike London, Richmond...................-.. 6..10...7..12..11... 126
7. Jimmye Laycock, William & Mary...........-. 5...9...9..10...5... 113
8. Pete Lembo, Elon....................-...... 5...7...7..12..12... 110
9. John Stiegelmeier, South Dakota St..-.. .6...5...5...9...5.... 88
10. Al Bagnoli, Penn..........................- 5...6...5...6...4.... 80