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Buck Buchanan Award -- History
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| Year |
Player |
School |
| 2012 |
Caleb Schreibeis, DE |
Montana State |
| 2011 |
Matt Evans, LB |
New Hampshire |
| 2010 |
J.C. Sherritt, LB |
Eastern Washington |
| 2009 |
Arthur Moats, DE |
James Madison |
| 2008 |
Greg Peach, DE |
Eastern Washington |
| 2007 |
Kroy Biermann, DE |
Montana |
| 2006 |
Kyle Shotwell, LB |
Cal Poly |
| 2005 |
Chris Gocong, DE |
Cal Poly |
| 2004 |
Jordan Beck, LB |
Cal Poly |
| 2003 |
Jared Allen, DE |
Idaho State |
| 2002 |
Rashean Mathis, FS |
Bethune-Cookman |
| 2001 |
Derrick Lloyd, LB |
James Madison |
| 2000 |
Edgerton Hartwell, LB |
Western Illinois |
| 1999 |
Al Lucas, DT |
Troy |
| 1998 |
James Milton, LB |
Western Illinois |
| 1997 |
Chris McNeil, DE |
North Carolina A&T |
| 1996 |
Dexter Coakley, LB |
Appalachian State |
| 1995 |
Dexter Coakley, LB |
Appalachian State |
2012, Caleb Schreibeis, DE, Montana State
In a relatively tight season for the Buck Buchanan Award, Schreibeis became the 18th recipient of the outstanding defensive player honor in the Football Championship Subdivision. He received 319 points to secure the award over Appalachian State senior linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (287) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff senior defensive end Brandon Thurmond (232). Schreibeis followed in the footsteps of his brother Joe, a former Montana State tight end and team captain, as he displayed great leadership for the Bobcats as a team captain as well, providing consistency and improvement individually. Including two FCS playoff games, Schreibeis had 59 tackles, including 24 solos, 15 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and eight forced fumbles. Behind the Billings, Mont., native, the Bobcats won a share of their third straight Big Sky Conference title and posted an 11-2 record.
2011, Matt Evans, LB, New Hampshire
At a school known for offense, Evans set up a roadblock on defense. The 17th
recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award led the FCS in the regular season with 154
tackles and 88 solo stops. The junior appeared on 113 of the 132 ballots and
received 45 first-place votes to hold off Northern Iowa senior linebacker L.J.
Fort for the award. Evans had 24 tackles in a win over Lehigh and posted
double-digit tackles in 10 of New Hampshire's 11 regular-season games. He also
snagged a pair of interceptions (one for a touchdown), forced three fumbles and
registered six tackles for loss. He helped New Hampshire (8-4) reach the FCS
playoffs for an eighth straight season, collecting 11 tackles, including 1 1/2
for loss, in a 26-25 defeat against Montana State in the second round.
2010, J.C. Sherritt, LB, Eastern Washington
-- Sherritt was named the 16th recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award.
The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Sherritt finished the regular season ranked 10th in
the FCS with 11.36 tackles per game. He had at least 10 tackles in nine
straight games, totaled 10 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, intercepted
three passes, broke up four, forced two fumbles, recovered one and had two
quarterback hurries. Behind its captain, Eastern Washington was co-champion
of the Big Sky Conference and advanced to the FCS playoffs for a second
straight
year, where they defeated Delaware in the FCS Championship game. Sherritt
amassed
18 tackles in the 20-19 win over Delaware for the national title, becoming the
first Buchanan Award winner to help lead his team to the FCS championship. The
Eagles, who gained national attention for introducing a new red turf at their
home stadium, went 13-2 overall. Sherritt finished his college career with 432
tackles and was a two-time Sports Network All-America. He currently plays
linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.
2009, Arthur Moats, DE, James Madison
-- Moats was named the 15th recipient of
the Buck Buchanan Award. Moats is the second JMU player to capture the
Buchanan Award, joining linebacker Derrick Lloyd, who won the honor in 2001.
Moats, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound senior from Portsmouth, Va., led the nation in
tackles
for loss, averaging 2.14 per game (23.5 total), and was fourth in the FCS in
sacks (1.0 per game, 11 total). He also piled up 90 tackles and returned a
fumble for a 68-yard touchdown. Moats won by the largest margin in Buchanan
Award history, earning 37 first-place votes and 342 points to finish 110
points ahead of runner-up J.C. Sherritt, a linebacker from Eastern Washington.
Moats was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round (178th overall
pick) of the 2010 NFL Draft and had a productive rookie season.
2008, Greg Peach, DE, Eastern Washington
-- Peach led the FCS in sacks (1.64 per game, 18 total for 103 yards in losses)
and tackles for loss (2.05 per game, 22.5 total, 133 yards) in 2008, recording
six multi-sack games and 72 tackles along the way. The campaign included an
eye-opening four-sack effort against perennial FCS stalwart Montana on Oct.
11. The 6-2, 250-pound Peach was just one sack away from the Big Sky Conference
single-season record, owned by Montana's Andy Petak with 19, and finished
fifth-best in FCS history. He was second in the Big Sky and fourth in FCS for
career sacks with 35.5, finishing just three sacks behind Jared Allen of Idaho
State, the 2003 Buchanan Award winner and now an NFL standout. Peach also owns
school standards for single-season and career sacks, as well as tackles for
loss marks for a season and a career.
Peach won by the largest margin in Buchanan Award history, earning 39 first-
place votes and 313 points to finish 107 points ahead of runner-up Jovan
Belcher, a defensive end from Maine. Belcher had 15 first-place votes and 206
points, while Appalachian State safety Mark LeGree placed third with 183
points. Peach plays for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.
2007, Kroy Biermann, DE, Montana
-- Biermann was named the 13th winner of the Buck
Buchanan Award.
Biermann finished second nationally with 16 sacks, and was 24th with 18.5
tackles for loss. He had 70 total tackles, 34 solo stops, five forced fumbles,
two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and one pass break-up.
The Hardin, Mont., native finished his career with 33 sacks, 46 tackles for
loss, nine forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries for teams that went
43-10 and won a share of four consecutive Big Sky titles during his time with
the program.
Biermann received 35 first-place votes and 305 points to edge Appalachian
State free safety Corey Lynch by five points in the closest Buchanan Award
voting in history. Biermann was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth
round (154th overall pick) of the 2008 NFL Draft and still plays defense for
them.
2006, Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal Poly
-- The 6-1, 235-pound Shotwell led the nation in tackles for a loss with 21,
and made plays all over the field for a defense that was once again one of the
nation's best. He finished the season with 122 total tackles, 21 tackles for
loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, while leading a
unit that ranked in the Top 10 nationally in total and scoring defense and
pressured opposing quarterbacks with 37 sacks. Shotwell, who finished his
career at Cal Poly with 392 stops, was named Great West Defensive Player of
the Year in 2006. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007 by the NFL Oakland
Raiders, Shotwell spent most of that season on the Philadelphia Eagles'
practice squad and then on the Indianapolis Colts' playoff roster. Shotwell
spent part of the 2008 season on the practice squads of Tampa Bay, Minnesota
and Kansas City. Shotwell spent the 2009 season as a defensive assistant coach
at Cal Poly, working with the linebackers.
2005, Chris Gocong, DE, Cal Poly
-- A 6-2, 265-pound senior, Gocong paced a Cal Poly defense that led the
nation with 62 sacks. Gocong led all FCS players in sacks with 23 1/2, and
filled
up the stat sheet with 31 tackles for a loss, 98 total tackles, 14 quarterback
hurries, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Gocong played well in
big games for a Cal Poly defense that spearheaded the team's 8-3 record and
first-ever playoff berth. Gocong was drafted by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles in
the third round (71st overall pick) of the 2006 draft and became a starter in
2007 after missing the '06 season due to injury. After three successful
seasons with the Eagles, Gocong was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2010 with
whom he continues to play.
2004, Jordan Beck, LB, Cal Poly
-- Beck filled the stat sheet to lead the Mustangs to a 9-2 record and the
inaugural Great West title. He finished the season with 135 tackles, 18.5
tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, four interceptions and nine pass breakups, and
returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns. Beck made his presence felt
late in the season with 21 tackles and 2.5 stops for a loss against Eastern
Washington, 14 tackles and two stops for a loss against Northern Colorado, and
11 tackles and two sacks in a win against Sacramento State. Cal Poly just
missed the playoffs with a 9-2 record, but finished with a place in the Top 25
and won the Great West with a 4-1 mark. Beck became the first member of the
Cal Poly football program to win a major national award. He was selected in
the third round (90th overall pick) of the 2005 NFL draft by the Atlanta
Falcons. Beck played two years with the Falcons and one season with the Denver
Broncos.
2003, Jared Allen, DE, Idaho State
-- Allen became the first Big Sky player to win the Buchanan, and first Idaho
State player to win a major FCS award. He finished with 102 tackles, 17.5
sacks, 28 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles for the 8-4 Bengals. Allen
got better as the season went on and terrorized opponents in conference play.
He had a four-sack game against Eastern Washington and 3.5-sack outing against
Montana. Allen ended up with an amazing 15.5 sacks in Idaho State's seven
conference games, and tallied 24 tackles for a loss in his last eight
contests. Allen recovered three fumbles and had nine pass deflections. He even
managed to catch a three-yard touchdown pass in an upset of Cal Poly. Allen
was selected in the fourth round (126th overall pick) of the 2004 NFL Draft by
the Kansas City Chiefs. He played four seasons with Kansas City, earning Pro
Bowl honors in 2007 with 15.5 sacks. Currently on the roster of the Minnesota
Vikings, Allen earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008, 2009 and 2011. He had 22 sacks
in 2011, 1/2 sack shy of the NFL record. Through his first eight seasons in
the NFL, Allen has registered 105 sacks and produced four safeties.
2002, Rashean Mathis, FS, Bethune-Cookman
-- Mathis recorded 14 interceptions during the 2002 regular season, shattering
the previous FCS single-season mark of 12 picks, set by Princeton's Dean Cain
in 1987. With 445 interception return yards on the season, Mathis surpassed
the previous record of 280, established by Murray State's William Hampton in
1995. The Jacksonville, Fla., native led Bethune-Cookman to an 11-1 record,
helping the school to its first outright Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title
since 1984 and first FCS playoff berth in school history. Mathis was selected
in the second round (39th overall pick) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the
Jacksonville Jaguars and has been a regular at defensive back in his first
eight seasons. Mathis earned Pro Bowl honors in 2006 and has 30 career
interceptions through the 2011 season, returning three for touchdowns.
2001, Derrick Lloyd, LB, James Madison
-- Lloyd became the first-ever Atlantic 10 player to claim the Buchanan Award,
and was the first to hail from a losing team. Lloyd was the bright spot in an
otherwise disappointing 2-9 season for James Madison, ending the year with 157
tackles, 94 solo stops, 19 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and five fumble
recoveries. Lloyd had nine double-digit tackle performances during the season,
including a 23-tackle outing against nationally ranked Rhode Island. The
Coffeyville Community College transfer led a defense that ranked first in the
Atlantic 10 and 11th in the nation in pass defense, surrendering just 149
yards per game in one of the nation's highest-octane throwing leagues. Despite
playing just three years for the Dukes, Lloyd finished his career with 320
tackles, good for 10th on the JMU all-time list.
2000, Edgerton Hartwell, LB, Western Illinois
-- The second Western Illinois linebacker in three years to win the Buchanan
Award,
Hartwell led the Leathernecks to an outright Gateway Football Conference title
and berth in the 2000 playoffs. The senior led the nation with 169 tackles,
including double-digit tackle performances in each of his 11 games. The
Wisconsin transfer and two-time Gateway Defensive Player of the Year finished
his WIU career with a school-record 512 stops, including 308 solo tackles, and
had at least 10 stops in 31 of his 37 career games at the Macomb, Ill.,
school.
Western's season ended with a loss to Lehigh in the opening round of the FCS
playoffs. A fourth-round NFL draft choice (126th overall) in 2001 by
Baltimore, Hartwell went on to play professionally with the Ravens for four
seasons, three of which were as a starter, and two years with the Atlanta
Falcons. His most productive season was in 2002, when he recorded 142 tackles,
with 103 solo stops. Hartwell had also spent time on the off-season or
practice squad rosters of the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders.
1999, Al Lucas, DT, Troy
-- Lucas became the first defensive tackle to claim the Buchanan Award, and
was the first Southland Conference player to win a major FCS award. The Macon,
Ga., native totaled 126 tackles and 20 tackles for loss, leading the Trojans
to an
11-2 record and a berth in the national quarterfinals. The senior's tackle-
for-loss figure led all of FCS, and Troy finished with the 13th-rated total
defense in the division. Also a short-yardage threat in the running game,
Lucas scored 10 career rushing touchdowns, including three in the Trojans'
1999 postseason run. After defeating James Madison in the first playoff round,
TSU's season ended with a loss to Florida A&M. Lucas was originally signed as
a free agent by the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, and was also active with the
Carolina Panthers. Lucas died after suffering a spinal cord injury while
playing for the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League on April 10,
2005. He was 26.
1998, James Milton, LB, Western Illinois
-- Milton became the first-ever Gateway Football Conference player to win a
major FCS Award, after leading WIU to a league title and playoff appearance on
the strength of his play. The linebacker posted 176 tackles along with 22
tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and two interceptions as the 9-2
Leathernecks led the nation in fewest points allowed (9.37) and earned a spot
in the postseason. WIU defeated Montana (52-9) and Florida A&M (24-21) in the
playoffs before falling to Georgia Southern in the national semifinals. In his
two-year career, the Garden City Community College transfer totaled 316
tackles. Milton went on to attend professional training camps with the Kansas
City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
1997, Chris McNeil, DE, North Carolina A&T
-- McNeil became the first defensive end to win the Buchanan Award, and was
also the
first player from a MEAC school to win a major FCS honor. The North Carolina
State transfer wreaked havoc on opposing defenses, finishing the 1997 campaign
with 49 tackles and 21 sacks in leading the Aggies to a 7-4 season. McNeil
spearheaded a unit that gave up just 109.4 rushing yards per contest, the
second-lowest figure in the MEAC that season. The Thomasville, N.C., native
was
named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week five times during his Aggie career. In
just 15 career games at A&T, McNeil posted an incredible 31.5 sacks, including
10.5 in four games in 1996. McNeil went on to play professionally for the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
1996, Dexter Coakley, LB, Appalachian State
-- Coakley followed up his Buchanan Award performance of 1995 with another
timeless display, registering a career-high 166 stops for the 7-4
Mountaineers. Included in the campaign were three games of 20 tackles or more,
including one against Division I-A Wake Forest. Coakley graduated with a
school-record
645 tackles in his four-year career, with his seven 20-tackle games also
ranking first in Appalachian State annals. The Mt. Pleasant, S.C., native also
stands
as the only two-time winner of the Buck Buchanan Award, as well as the only
individual to win two straight. Drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL
Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Coakley enjoyed a productive, 10-year pro career
with the Cowboys and St. Louis Rams, earning NFL Pro Bowl honors in 1999,
2001 and 2003. He was named to the 2011 induction class into the College
Football Hall of Fame.
1995, Dexter Coakley, LB, Appalachian State
-- Coakley was the recipient of the inaugural Buchanan Award following a
legendary junior season. The Mt. Pleasant, S.C., native totaled 165 tackles on
the year, including 98 solo stops, as ASU posted a perfect 11-0 regular season
and won an outright Southern Conference title. The Mountaineers rode their
defense to a number of close wins, including a 10-3 triumph against normally
high-powered Marshall, the eventual national runner-up. Coakley posted 21
tackles against the Thundering Herd. Following a win over James Madison in
the opening playoff round, the ASU season ended with a 27-17 loss to Stephen
F. Austin.
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