Photo by: National Underclassmen Football Combine
The Football Championship Subdivision
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| The Football Championship Subdivision formerly known as Division I-AA is an excellent avenue for continuing your education and football prowess after high school. The National Underclassmen is one of the few if not the only recruiting service to embrace and promote athletes that end up playing football at the FCS level. Of the 1,153 NUC alumni that signed football scholarships at the FBS or FCS level this past season just under half signed with the FCS. There are several reasons why high school football stars end up playing at this level. Many are deemed a tad too small or a tad too slow. Others live in isolated areas of the country with limited opportunities to be recruited by DI schools. Some FCS players once played DI football but decided it was in the best interest of playing time to drop down a level. One thing is clear though the FCS offers excellent competition, a chance to get a great education, and the opportunity to keep the NFL dream alive. This past April in the NFL draft 12 former FCS players were selected. Over the last three years 49 FCS athletes have been drafted by NFL teams. As the New York Giants made their unlikely trip to becoming Super Bowl Champions we saw a former FCS athlete come from nowhere to help them reach this achievement. Yes, wide receiver Victor Cruz was once an undrafted free agent who played his college ball in the Patriot League for the University of Massachusetts. You can take a look at NFL rosters around the country and they are littered with former FCS (I-AA) football stars. NFL stars such as Jared Allen (Idaho State/Big Sky), Donald Driver (Alcorn State/SWAC), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard/Ivy League), Brandon Jacobs (Southern Illinois/Missouri Valley), Austin Miles (Monmouth/Northeast Conference), and Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois/Ohio Valley) are just a few of the former FCS athletes that have succeeded at the highest level. There are currently 122 colleges that play FCS football in 13 conferences. Below are just some NUC alumni that are returning this fall to follow up successful 2011 seasons. The athletes are listed in alphabetical order by conference. Each player has the year they will be this fall, the college they currently attend, and the high school they attended listed by their name. Underneath their name are the feats and or awards they received this past season. |
| Big Sky 1. Zach Bauman (Junior), RB, Northern Arizona, AZ; Hamilton, AZ Bauman was named First Team All-Conference after rushing for 1,435 yards, 15 Scores, and 29 catches for 352 yards one score. 2. Devontae Chapple (Soph.), DL, Northern Colorado, CO; Northglenn, CO He was named Honorable Mention with 44 tackles, 8.5 TFL's, and 5.5 sacks. |
| Big South 1. Eric Kordenbrock (Junior), QB, VMI, VA; Pine-Richland, PA He threw for 1,752 yards and ten touchdowns last season. |
| Colonial Athletic Association 1. Damarr Aultman (Soph.), WR, Maine, ME; Half Hollow Hills West, NY As a freshman Aultman caught 39 passes for 575 yards and five scores. 2. Travis Hawkins (Junior), DB, Delaware, DE; Quince Orchard, MD Hawkins was named Second Team All-Conference after recording 52 tackles, four picks, and nine PBU's. 3. Eriq Lewis (Soph.), DB, Old Dominion, VA; Coolidge, DC Lewis was named Second Team all-Conference as a freshman after recording 41 tackles, five picks, and nine PBU's. |
| Ivy League 1. Chuck Dibilio (Soph.), RB, Princeton, NJ; Nazareth, PA Dibilio was named First Team All-Conference and Freshman of the Year after rushing for 1,068 yards. 2. Nick Okano (Junior), DB, Yale, NJ; Harvard-Westlake, CA Okano recorded 35 tackles, four PBU's, and two picks. 3. Billy Ragone (Senior), QB, Penn, PA; Cheshire, CT Ragone passed for 1,860 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 424 yards and seven scores. 4. Caraun Reid (Senior), DL, Princeton, NJ; Mt. St. Michael, NY Reid was named First Team All-Conference after recording 68 tackles, 16 TFL's, and eight sacks. |
| MEAC 1. Antwon Chisholm (Junior), RB, Hampton, VA; Glade Central, FL Chisholm rushed for 796 yards and eight scores last season. 2. Joe Hawkins (Senior), TE, Norfolk State, VA; Eisenhower, IL Hawkins was named Second Team All-Conference. 3. Lewis Kindle (Junior), North Carolina A&T, NC; Westlake, GA Kindle accounted for 21 touchdowns and 2,170 yards of offense. 4. Greg McGhee (Soph.), Howard, DC; Perry Academy, PA McGhee was named Rookie of the Year in the MEAC last season. |
| Missouri Valley Conference 1. Shakir Bell (Junior), RB, Indiana State, IN; Warren Central, IN Bell was named Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,670 yards and 14 scores. 2. Nick Canavan (Junior), LB, Missouri State, MO; Norman North, OK Canavan recorded 53 tackles and 3.5 TFL's on the season. |
| Northeast Conference 1. Terrace Bourne (Soph.), DL, St. Francis, PA; DuPont, DE Bourne recorded 37 tackles, 10.5 TFL's, and six sacks as a freshman. 2. Anthony Bowman (Junior), LB, St. Francis, PA; Good Counsel, MD He was named Second Team All-Conference after recording an amazing 141 tackles and 7.5 TFL's. 3. Jarrett Dieudonne (Soph.), DB, Wagner, NY; Dillard, FL As a freshman he recorded 52 tackles, Seven PBU's, and two picks. 4. Julian Hayes (Soph.), RB, Monmouth, NJ; Xavier, MA Hayes rushed for 805 yards and 14 scores in his freshman campaign. 5. Max Machado (Junior), DB, Bryant, RI; Governor Livingston, NJ Machado recorded 77 tackles and three picks in 2011. 6. Mitchell Pollard (Junior), WR, Monmouth, NJ; Springbrook, MD Pollard hauled in 53 passes for 582 yards and one score. 7. Keshaudas Spence (Soph.), RB, Sacred Heart, CT; The Taft School, MA Spence ran for 428 yards and seven scores as a freshman. 8. Chris Tolbert (Junior), RB, Central Connecticut State, CT; Springbrook, MD Tolbert rushed for 816 yards and five scores. |
| Ohio Valley Conference 1. Michael German (Soph.), QB, Tennessee State, TN; Ely, FL German was named Freshman of the Year after throwing for 1,899 yards and 12 touchdowns. 2. Clarence Jackson (Junior), LB, Jacksonville State, AL; North Clayton, GA Jackson recorded 49 tackles and four TFL's on the season. 3. Brandon Wicks (Junior), DB, Murray State, KY; Murray, KY Wicks recorded 89 tackles and seven PBU's on the season. 4. Chris Wright (Senior), WR, Eastern Illinois, IL; Niles West, IL Wright snagged 42 passes for 735 yards and 11 scores last season. |
| Patriot League 1. Daniel Cason (Junior), WR, Colgate, NY; East Stroudsburg, PA Cason snagged 36 passes for 485 yards and four scores as a sophomore. 2. Gerald Mistretta (Senior), WR, Holy Cross, MA; Xaverian, NY Mistretta was named First Team All-Patriot League after catching 60 passes for 723 yards and six TD's. 3. Dustin Wharton (Junior), LB, Georgetown, DC; Allegany, MD Wharton recorded 101 tackles and 7.5 TFL's on the season. |
| Pioneer League 1. Andre Addison (Junior), DB, Jacksonville, FL; Crescent City, FL Addison recorded 39 tackles, two picks, and seven PBU's on the season. 2. Pat Derbak (Junior), LB, Schaumburg, IL; Valparasio, IN Derbak recorded 87 tackles and 6.5 TFL's on the season. 3. Sam Hoekstra (Junior), WR, San Diego, CA; Santa Fe Christian, CA Hoekstra was named Second Team All-League with 53 catches for 554 yards and six TDs. 4. Travis Merritt (Soph.), LB, Drake, IA; Johnston, IA Merritt was named Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. 5. Brandon White (Soph.), WR, San Diego, CA; Archbishop Mitty, CA White was named Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. |
| Southern Conference 1. Ben Dupree (Junior), QB, Citadel, SC; Susquehanna Township, PA Dupree ran for 645 yards and eight touchdowns. 2. Donovan Johnson (Junior), RB, Wofford, SC; Union Grove, GA Johnson ran for 967 yards and nine touchdowns. 3. Jerick McKinnon (Junior), RB, Georgia Southern, GA; Sprayberry, GA McKinnon ran for 537 yards and seven touchdowns. 4. Brandon Pechloff (Junior), QB, Western Carolina, NC; Montini Catholic, IL Pechloff threw for 1,660 yards and 12 touchdowns. 5. Fabian Truss (Junior), RB, Samford, AL; Shades Valley, AL Second Team All-Conference, 847 yards rushing, seven scores, 23 catches for 137 yards. 6. Shaun Warren (Sophomore), RB, Western Carolina, NC; Carson, NC He led Catamounts in rushing as a freshman with 454 yards and five touchdowns. |
| Southland Conference 1. Dominique Allen (Junior), OL, Central Arkansas, AR; James Madison, TX Allen was named First Team All-Conference. 2. Jordan Aubrey (Senior), DB, Stephen F. Austin, TX; Tyler Lee, TX Aubrey was named Honorable Mention, 97 tackles, five TFL's. 3. Darius Taylor (Senior), LB, Sam Houston State, TX; Mesquite, TX Taylor was named Honorable Mention, 83 tackles, nine TFL's. 4. Darnell Taylor (Senior), DB, Sam Houston State, TX; Mesquite, TX Taylor was named First Team All-Conference/Southland Defensive Player of the Year with 128 tackles, 10 TFL's, three Sacks. 5. Marcus Washington (Junior), RB, Nichols State, LA; Foley, AL Washington was named Second Team All-Conference with 565 yards rushing four scores, 23 catches for 170 yards two scores. |
| SWAC 1. Jerry Lovelocke (Soph.), QB, Prairie View A&M, TX; Edmonson-Westlake, MD As a freshman Lovelocke threw for 1,020 yards and ten TDs, while also rushing for 318 yards and four scores. |
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