Four Gamecocks Named To Phil Steele's FCS All-America Squads
1/4/2019 1:53:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – Four members of the 2018 Jacksonville State football team added to their All-America honors when they were named to the Phil Steele FCS All-America Team on Friday.
Junior wide receiver Josh Pearson and senior offensive lineman BJ Autry were both First-Team selections by Phil Steele, who named safety Marlon Bridges a Third-Team All-American. Cornerback Yul Gowdy was on his Freshman All-America Team.
Pearson led all Division I players with 17 touchdown receptions during the regular season. The Decatur, Ala., native caught six more touchdown passes in a season than any other player in school history, while his 67 catches and 1,123 yards were each second-most in a season in JSU history.
The All-America honor comes following the junior's naming as an All-Ohio Valley Conference performer and after he was named one of 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the Offensive Player of the Year in FCS.
Autry's naming to the HERO Sports Third Team brings him his fifth-career All-America nod, paring with First Team mentions from AP, STATS and from Walter Camp. He was a Third-Team pick by HERO Sports. Autry, a senior from Eight Mile, Ala., is a two-time All-OVC performer, was named to the first team following the regular season and was recently the fifth Gamecock in school history invited to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl.
The offensive lineman paved the way for a JSU offense that rushed for more than 2,600 yards during the season. Three Gamecock running backs each rushed for more than 400 yards, including Jaelen Green who netted a team-high 723 yards on the ground. He also provided a pocket for All-OVC quarterback Zerrick Cooper who threw for nearly 3,500 yards with 32 touchdown passes and six rushing touchdowns.
Bridges adds to his trophy case with his third All-America award of 2018 after garnering first-team accolades from the AFCA and second-team honors from the Associated Press earlier this offseason. He was named to the second team in 2017, his fifth All-America nod of the season, following being named a preseason All-American by STATS, HERO Sports, Athlon and Lindy's. The safety was named a first team All-OVC defender for a third consecutive year following the 2018 campaign.
Despite fighting through an early season injury that held him off the field in parts of games at the beginning of the Gamecocks' slate, the junior from Lanett, Ala., had 52 stops, 1.5 for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble in the regular season. He totaled eight tackles against Maine and nine against ETSU during the FCS playoffs, including pick-six for 32 yards against the Bucs in the first round. He is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS.
Gowdy grabbed OVC All-Newcomer honors after a solid redshirt freshman season as a starting cornerback for the Gamecocks in 2018. After an injury ended his 2017 season early, he received a medical redshirt and made the most of it in the 2018 season. He was Also named to HERO Sports' FCS Freshman All-America Team.
The poduct of Minor High School in Birmingham, Gowdy recorded 41 tackles, 31 solo, and also intercepting a pass that he returned 15 yards for a score in the Tennessee State game. He also broke up 10 passes on the year.He had a career-high nine stops against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 13 and had six in the Gamecocks' win over East Tennessee State in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs.
For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).
Junior wide receiver Josh Pearson and senior offensive lineman BJ Autry were both First-Team selections by Phil Steele, who named safety Marlon Bridges a Third-Team All-American. Cornerback Yul Gowdy was on his Freshman All-America Team.
Pearson led all Division I players with 17 touchdown receptions during the regular season. The Decatur, Ala., native caught six more touchdown passes in a season than any other player in school history, while his 67 catches and 1,123 yards were each second-most in a season in JSU history.
The All-America honor comes following the junior's naming as an All-Ohio Valley Conference performer and after he was named one of 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the Offensive Player of the Year in FCS.
Autry's naming to the HERO Sports Third Team brings him his fifth-career All-America nod, paring with First Team mentions from AP, STATS and from Walter Camp. He was a Third-Team pick by HERO Sports. Autry, a senior from Eight Mile, Ala., is a two-time All-OVC performer, was named to the first team following the regular season and was recently the fifth Gamecock in school history invited to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl.
The offensive lineman paved the way for a JSU offense that rushed for more than 2,600 yards during the season. Three Gamecock running backs each rushed for more than 400 yards, including Jaelen Green who netted a team-high 723 yards on the ground. He also provided a pocket for All-OVC quarterback Zerrick Cooper who threw for nearly 3,500 yards with 32 touchdown passes and six rushing touchdowns.
Bridges adds to his trophy case with his third All-America award of 2018 after garnering first-team accolades from the AFCA and second-team honors from the Associated Press earlier this offseason. He was named to the second team in 2017, his fifth All-America nod of the season, following being named a preseason All-American by STATS, HERO Sports, Athlon and Lindy's. The safety was named a first team All-OVC defender for a third consecutive year following the 2018 campaign.
Despite fighting through an early season injury that held him off the field in parts of games at the beginning of the Gamecocks' slate, the junior from Lanett, Ala., had 52 stops, 1.5 for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble in the regular season. He totaled eight tackles against Maine and nine against ETSU during the FCS playoffs, including pick-six for 32 yards against the Bucs in the first round. He is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS.
Gowdy grabbed OVC All-Newcomer honors after a solid redshirt freshman season as a starting cornerback for the Gamecocks in 2018. After an injury ended his 2017 season early, he received a medical redshirt and made the most of it in the 2018 season. He was Also named to HERO Sports' FCS Freshman All-America Team.
The poduct of Minor High School in Birmingham, Gowdy recorded 41 tackles, 31 solo, and also intercepting a pass that he returned 15 yards for a score in the Tennessee State game. He also broke up 10 passes on the year.He had a career-high nine stops against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 13 and had six in the Gamecocks' win over East Tennessee State in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs.
For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).
Players Mentioned
Friday, April 17
Saturday, December 06
Wednesday, December 03
Sunday, November 30
