LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
We finish off the 2021 Black College Sports Page “Baad Team” of HBCU all-stars this week with the defensive standouts.
This year’s first team is led by Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Land, Jackson State linebacker James Houston and Florida A&M safety Markquese Bell.
‘Led’ could be the wrong word because all of our defensive first teamers as well as those on our second and third teams are leaders.
The trio and their cohorts on the first team however were extra special.
Land, a 6-4, 215-pound redshirt junior from Buffalo, New York, had 43 tackles, including 32 solos for the Rattlers this season. He produced 25.5 tackles for 147 yards in losses and 19 sacks (1.58 per game) for 121 yards in losses – all FCS-leading totals. The Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive player of the year had five QB hurries, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recov- ery. He had five sacks vs. SC State.
Land is one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the national defensive player of the year in Div. I FCS football. The award is named for the late legendary former Grambling State defensive tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The winner will be announced this Friday, Jan. 7 at the FCS National Awards Banquet in Frisco, Texas, with a broadcast of the festivities to begin airing the next day, Jan. 8, on Bally Sports Regional Networks.
If Land wins, it would give black college football back-to-back winners of the award for the first time. Southern defensive end Jordan Lewis, who led the nation in sacks in the 2021 spring season, took home the award earlier this year. Other HBCU winners of the award are North Carolina A&T defensive end Chris McNeil in 1997 and Bethune-Cookman safety Rashean Mathis in 2002.
Three other of our first teamers were among the 25 finalists for the Buchanan Award – JSU’s Houston, FAMU’s Bell and South Carolina State safety and defensive leader Decobie Durant.
Houston, a 6-1, 225-pound senior who was fifth in voting for the Buchanan Award, posted 16.5 sacks for 117 yards in losses to finish just behind Land in the FCS stats. He was fifth in tackles for loss with 24.5 (1.9 per game) for -143 yards. He also forced seven fumbles in 13 games to finish fourth nationally in that category. On the season he had 70 tackles (52 solos) with ten other hits on the quarterback.
At 6-3, 205, Bell, a redshirt senior was the punishing tackler on the back end of the FAMU defense. He was 17th in the Buchanan voting after finishing fifth in the FCS in solo tackles with 71 (5.9 per game) and seventh nationally in forced fumbles with five in 12 games. He had a season best 15 tackles, ten solos, against South Florida.
Durant, a 5-11, 180-pound grad senior, anchored the Mid Eastern Ath- letic Conference champion SC State Bulldog defense that pulled off the stunning upset of existing HBCU No. 1 Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl. He finished one place behind Bell in the Buchanan voting. For the season, Durant had 38 tackles, 30 solos with 12 pass breakups, 16th in the FCS.
Durant’s teammate, defensive end Jablonski Green, is also a first teamer. He was a 6-3, 265-pound terror for the Bulldogs. He led the FCS in tackles for loss with 19.5 (2.2 per game) and helped wreck the JSU offense in the Celebration Bowl.
Joining Green on the defensive line are Bowie State sophomore Jona- than Ross, Fayetteville State graduate Keyshawn James and Prairie View A&M senior Jason Dumas.
Ross piled up a host of awards for the CIAA champion Bulldogs includ- ing the conference defensive POY and NCAA Div. II Super Region II POY. The 6-3, 260-pound specimen led the Bulldogs with 76 tackles (40 solos), 26.0 tackles for 103 yards in losses (fourth nationally) and nine sacks. He also posted eight other QB hurries and six forced fumbles (fifth nationally).
James (6-3, 280) was the defensive stalwart for the CIAA Southern Divi- sion champion Broncos. He finished sixth nationally with 10.5 sacks per game and led FSU with 70 tackles from his defensive end position, 23.5 for losses which topped all of Div. II.
At only 5-10, 230 pounds, Dumas was a one–man wrecking crew for the West Division champ Panthers. He racked up 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss (1.46 pg.) among his 38 tackles.
Redshirt sophomore Stephan Pierre (6-2, 190) is the pup of the first team linebackers but was one of the key reasons the Albany State defense pitched six shutouts this season. Pierre earned SIAC defensive POY by virtue of his leading the league with 56 solo tackles. He added one sack and two fumble recoveries.
Joining Bell and Durant in the first team defensive backfield are Prairie View senior Drake Cheatum and Fayetteville State grad Brandon Brown-Barnes.
Cheatum led the Panthers with 86 tackles (7.2 pg.) and led the SWAC with five inter- ceptions for 108 return yards and one TD. Brown-Barnes (5- 11, 190) tied for the CIAA lead with five picks and was second in break-ups with eight.
FAMU grad placekicker/ punter Jose Romo-Martinez holds down the first team punter and placekicker positions. In 12 games, Romo-Martinez punted 40 times for a black-college best average of 43.4 yards per game. He also scored 85 points as he hit on 17 of 24 field goal attempts and 34 of 36 PATs.