National recognition for UR’s Grant and Black, VUU’s Byers

Central Arkansas defensive end David Walker was named the winner at the 2024 Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet. The FCS national championship game will be played Monday night, with No. 2 seed North Dakota State (13-2) facing top-seeded Montana State (15-0) at Toyota Stadium (17,677) in Frisco, Texas.

Grant, a senior who led the FCS sacks (13.5), finished third in the voting behind Walker and Mercer cornerback DJ Moore.

Walker received 23 first-place votes and finished with 164 points, Moore received three first-place votes and finished with 93 points, and Grant received six first-place votes and finished with 74 points.

A national panel of media relations directors, broadcasters and writers were among those who voted based on players’ regular-season performances. The Buck Buchanan Award is in its 30th year.

Accompanying Grant to Frisco for the awards banquet was UR defensive ends coach Chris Ellis, a former standout defensive end at Virginia Tech. Ellis, who played for the Buffalo Bills, has spent three years on the UR staff.

No UR player has won any of the three major FCS awards: the Walter Payton Award (top offensive player), the Buck Buchanan Award or the Jerry Rice Award (top freshman).

Three players from Virginia schools won the Buck Buchanan Award: James Madison linebacker Derrick Lloyd (2001), JMU defensive end Arthur Moats (2009) and Norfolk State linebacker Deon King (2015).

In 12 regular season games, Walker finished with 68 tackles (45 solo), 23 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, eight quarterback hurries and six pass breakups.

Grant completed the year with 19.5 tackles for losses, including 13.5 sacks. Richmond (10-3) won its second consecutive CAA Football championship and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the third consecutive season. Grant was named first-team FCS All-American.

Grant, a 6-foot-2 245-pounder from South Orange, New Jersey, ranks fifth on Richmond’s all-time sacks list (21.5). Moore, of Mercer, had an FCS-leading seven interceptions (one returned for a touchdown).

The Buck Buchanan Award is named for former defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State and then in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs 1963-75. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Named the winner of the Bill Schwanke Award, which goes to the top play-by-play radio broadcaster in the FCS, was UR’s Bob Black, who has been with the Spiders since 1983. The award is presented by FCS Nation Radio.

He is a four-time Virginia Sportscaster of the Year winner and before affiliating with UR was the play-by-play voice of the Triple-A Richmond Braves.

Black graduated from Syracuse in 1981. The award is named after the longtime Montana radio broadcaster. Black also works as UR’s director of broadcast and news content.

Virginia Union senior Jada Byers finished fifth in voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which annually goes to the top Division II player. Byers was among eight finalists. Division II sports information directors select the winner.

Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowksi won the award for the second consecutive year. Byers rushed for 2,056 yards, second nationally, and 27 touchdowns for the Panthers (10-4), who repeated as CIAA champions and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs after never before winning a D-II playoff game.

The Hill Trophy is named for Harlon Hill, a former University of North Alabama standout during the 1950s who later played for the Chicago Bears.