Official Sports Network Release
Final Voting
Eddie Robinson Voting
FRISCO, Texas - Eastern Washington’s J.C. Sherritt accepted the Buck Buchanan Award Thursday night here, becoming the second Eagle in three seasons and the fourth Big Sky Conference player since 2003 to capture the prestigious honor.
The Buchanan is presented annually by The Sports Network to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Thursday’s banquet – sponsored by Fathead.com – was held at the Embassy Suites a few miles away from Pizza Park, where Sherritt and the Eagles will battle Delaware for the 2011 NCAA Division I National Championship on Friday.
Voting for the Sports Network Awards was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. Media and sports information directors were allowed to vote. Sherritt earned 24 first-place votes and 253 total points. Wofford's Ameet Pall and Western Illinois Kyle Glazier tied for second with 234 total points. Sherritt was listed on 84 of the 130 ballots cast.
"It's been an awesome year," Sherritt said, "If I get in the 40, I'm not the fastest guy. And I can't jump the highest. On a football field, I can usually react pretty well to the ball and get to the ball pretty quickly. I don't know if it's something you're born with. I know my coaches help me a lot with my reads. To have a great front four in front of you really helps."
The 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior from Pullman, Wash., accepted the honor surrounded by family, friends, coaches, and other dignitaries. The Buchanan caps an amazing individual season for the Big Sky Defensive MVP. The 2009 runner-up enters Friday’s national championship game with 158 total tackles – 13.5 for loss- three sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, five pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
As a junior, Sherritt led the nation in tackles with 170 for an average of 11.29 per game.
Every FCS All-America team has included Sherritt, who ranks second in Big Sky history with 414 total tackles. Earlier this week, Sherritt was selected to the FCS Academic All-Star Team. Sherritt maintains a 3.46 GPA and is majoring in health and fitness.
Sherritt joins Eastern Washington’s Greg Peach as Buchanan winners from EWU. Peach, who won the award in 2008 as a defensive end, was in attendance at Thursday’s banquet. Peach is a defensive end with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
Current Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen won the Buchanan in 2003 when he played at Idaho State. Atlanta Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann captured the honor in 2007.
Montana junior cornerback Trumaine Johnson finished 20 in voting.
Eastern Washington junior running back Taiwan Jones finished fourth in voting for the Payton Award. Jones, who sustained a broken foot in a quarterfinal game against North Dakota State and is doubtful for tomorrow night’s championship, has rushed for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has 2,421 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. Jones earned 11 first-place votes and 169 total points.
Montana State freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee, the Co-Offensive Big Sky MVP along with Jones, finished seventh. McGhee notched five first-place votes and 92 total points. Montana senior running back Chase Reynolds was 20th in voting.
Southeast Missouri State coach Tony Samuel won the Eddie Robinson Award, given annually to the top coach in the FCS. Samuel received 31 first-place votes and 269 total points. Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin earned 16 first-place votes and 180 points to finish third. Montana State's Rob Ash was sixth with eight first-place votes and 129 total points.
The winner of the Walter Payton Award will be announced later Thursday.
Big Sky players have won six Walter Payton Awards, most recently by Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer in 2005.