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The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) landed Three Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) & Associated Press (AP) All-America honorees, all hailing from Ferris State. Senior Defensive lineman Austin Edwards, senior offensive lineman Tyler Allison, and senior defensive back James Ceasar were all selected D2CCA First Team. Edwards and Allison also earned AP first-team honors, while Ceasar was selected AP second team.
2019 D2CCA Football All-America Honorees | ||||
First Team - Offense | ||||
Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
OL | Tyler Allison | Ferris State | Sr. | Clinton Township, Mich. |
First Team - Defense | ||||
Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
DL | Austin Edwards | Ferris State | Sr. | Lansing, Mich. |
CB | James Ceasar | Ferris State | Sr. | Detroit, Mich. |
2019 AP Division II Football All-America Teams | ||||
First Team - Offense | ||||
Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
OL | Tyler Allison | Ferris State | Sr. | Clinton Township, Mich. |
First Team - Defense | ||||
Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
DL | Austin Edwards | Ferris State | Sr. | Lansing, Mich. |
Second Team - Defense | ||||
CB | James Ceasar | Ferris State | Sr. | Detroit, Mich. |
Gene Upshaw Award winner & GLIAC Player of the Year, Edwards led the Bulldogs to a second consecutive GLIAC Championsip and an unbeaten regular-season. As the leader of one of the nation's top defensive units, Edwards compiled 17.5 tackles for loss (-106 yards) along with 10.5 sacks (-87 yards) and 64 total stops this campaign with both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The three-year starter was a three-time All-GLIAC honoree and three-time All-American who helped FSU to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff appearance this year and the region's top seed along with a fourth-straight trip to the national quarterfinals or beyond. The two-time All-GLIAC First Team pick was a finalist a year ago for the 2018 Cliff Harris Award as one of the nation's top small college performers and is a highly-regarded NFL prospect. He was named to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team and also chosen as the school's first-ever recipient of the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award as the country's top offensive or defensive lineman.
Ferris State University senior offensive guard Tyler Allison has had a standout campaign up front for the Bulldogs, helping FSU to its second consecutive GLIAC Championship and an unbeaten regular-season. The four-year starter has has paved the way for one of the nation's top offensive units throughout his career and is a three-time All-GLIAC choice. This season, he's helped the Bulldogs rank among the nation's top 10 teams in total offensve, averaging 513.3 yards per game, and the Bulldogs are also ranked in the top 15 in rushing at 257.7 yards a contest. Allison is a four-year letterwinner and has helped FSU to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff appearance this year and the region's top seed after three-straight trips to the national quarterfinals or beyond.
Named the GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year, Ceasar has made his mark in his first season with the Bulldogs as one of the nation's top defensive backs. Ceasar, who transferred from Southern Illinois, helped lead the Bulldogs to a second-straight GLIAC Championship and an unbeaten regular-season with a team-high six interceptions to go with seven pass breakups, 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack this campaign. The standout cornerback's play guided FSU to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff appearance and the region's top seed this year. Ceasar registered multiple interceptions in two different games and his effort enabled the Bulldogs to rank as one of the nation's top defensive units this year, including first in the country in team pass efficiency defense.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.