36 Big Sky Football Graduates Competing in 2018
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 5, 2018) – The Big Sky Conference has 36 football student-athletes competing in 2018, who have already earned their degrees. The list was announced in conjunction with the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame. The organization released a list of 1,200 student-athletes who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and will be playing college football this fall while pursuing second diplomas.
Big Sky member Northern Colorado leads the FCS with 12 players on its roster with degrees, followed by Western Illinois (10), Wagner (9), Towson (8), Mercer (7), North Carolina A&T State (7) and Southern Illinois (7). West Florida tops the schools from Division II, Division III and NAIA with 11 players pursuing a second degree.
The graduate list for the Big Sky spans 10 different schools. Southern Utah boasts five players who have earned their degrees, while Idaho and Northern Arizona have four apiece. Montana has three graduates, and Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Sacramento State all have two. Portland State and Weber State have one graduate each.
The numbers include 836 players from 125 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), 220 players from 62 schools in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), 123 players from 34 schools in Division II, nine players from nine schools in Division III and 12 players from five schools in the NAIA.
“The National Football Foundation takes great pride in its role as a leading voice in the promotion of the scholar-athlete,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “And highlighting the more than 1,100 student-athletes who have not only earned their undergraduate degrees but are now pursuing additional diplomas sends a powerful message about the doors that college football opens. This list allows us to showcase those individuals who have truly taken full advantage of the opportunities created by college football.”
The NFF compiled the list with the help of athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors from all divisions who identified the players on their 2018 fall rosters who have already earned their undergraduate degrees.
Publishing a list of the graduates playing college football represents the latest addition to the NFF’s list of initiatives designed to promote the scholar-athlete ideal, dating back to 1959 and the launch of the highly prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The NFF has distributed more than $31 million in scholarships, including $11.3 million to 841 individuals via the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards and another $21 million through its nationwide Chapter Network.
Big Sky Football Graduates Competing in 2018
| SCHOOL |
NAME |
| Eastern Washington |
Jonah Jordan |
| Eastern Washington |
Brandon Montgomery |
| Idaho |
Alex Boatman |
| Idaho |
Dorian Clark |
| Idaho |
Jordan Grabski |
| Idaho |
Isaiah Saunders |
| Idaho State |
Gunnar Amos |
| Idaho State |
Anthony Ricks |
| Montana |
Reid Miller |
| Montana |
Reggie Tilleman |
| Montana |
Eric Williams |
| Northern Arizona |
James Bain |
| Northern Arizona |
Emmanuel Butler |
| Northern Arizona |
Jake Casteel |
| Northern Arizona |
Cam Denson |
| Northern Colorado |
Olufisayo Awolaja |
| Northern Colorado |
Denzel Hatcher |
| Northern Colorado |
Nicholas Johnson |
| Northern Colorado |
Jacob Knipp |
| Northern Colorado |
Joseph Layzell |
| Northern Colorado |
Keenan Leary |
| Northern Colorado |
Michael McCauley |
| Northern Colorado |
Kody Mommaerts |
| Northern Colorado |
Keifer Morris |
| Northern Colorado |
Trae Riek |
| Northern Colorado |
Theron Verna |
| Northern Colorado |
Cody Wilson |
| Portland State |
Darian Green |
| Sacramento State |
Leonard Hazewood IV |
| Sacramento State |
Owen Hoolihan |
| Southern Utah |
McCoy Hill |
| Southern Utah |
Elijah Holt |
| Southern Utah |
Rashaan Miller |
| Southern Utah |
Taylor Nelson |
| Southern Utah |
Logan Parker |
| Weber State |
Justus Brown |