Three Ferris State Players Chosen As D2Football.com All-Americans; Edwards National Defensive POY
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Three Ferris State University football standouts have earned 2019 D2Football.com All-America honors following impressive fall campaigns for the Bulldogs on the gridiron.
FSU senior offensive guard Tyler Allison (Clinton Township) along with senior defensive end Austin Edwards (Lansing) and senior cornerback James Ceasar (Detroit) were named to the D2Football.com All-America squad this past week. Previously, all three were also tabbed as 2019 Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-America First Team selections.
Both Edwards and Allison were named to the D2Football.com All-America First Team with Ceasar earning honorable mention recognition. In addition, Edwards was tabbed as the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Year.
The D2Football.com All-America Team was selected by the staff of D2Football.com with input from coaches, staff, scouts, and sports information directors from around the country. D2Football.com has named an All-America Team since its inception in 2000. The team represents the top 0.6% of Division II players.
The Bulldog trio helped FSU claim a second-straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship this year along with a third trip to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in the past four seasons.
Both Edwards and Ceasar were also chosen this fall as nominees for the 2019 Cliff Harris National Small College Defensive Player of the Year honor while both Edwards and Allison were chosen this year to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II All-America Team.
The 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.
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.
Finally, the GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, Allison 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 paved the way for one of the nation's top offensive units throughout his career and was a three-time All-GLIAC choice. This season, he helped the Bulldogs rank among the nation's top 10 teams in total offense, averaging more than 500 yards per game, and the Bulldogs are also ranked in the top 15 in rushing at 260-plus yards a contest. Allison was a four-year letterwinner in the FSU program and previously was also named to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association (All-America Team this year.
The Bulldogs concluded the year with a 12-1 overall record en route to the national semifinals and a GLIAC Championship. It was FSU's second consecutive conference crown and this year marked the Bulldogs' fourth-straight trip to the national quarterfinals or beyond, which is the longest streak in the country. This past fall's national semifinal contest marked the first-ever semifinal played at home for the Bulldogs and the latest game ever played in a year at Top Taggart Field. Over the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have compiled a 27-2 mark.