Seven Rams Named to BSN All-America Team

2014 Beyond Sports Network NCAA FCS All-America Team
 
Bronx, N.Y. (December 22, 2014) – Seven members of the Fordham University football squad were named to the 2014 Beyond Sports Network NCAA FCS All-America team it was announced today. Senior tight end Dan Light and senior offensive lineman Mason Halter were both named to the second team while senior quarterback Mike Nebrich, senior wide receiver Tebucky Jones, Jr., senior offensive lineman Matt Stolte, graduate defensive lineman Brett Biestek and freshman running back Chase Edmonds were named to the third team. The BSN FCS All-America Team was selected by SIDs, Coaches, and FCS media members.
 
Light, who was also named first team All-Patriot League this year, is one of the top tight ends in Fordham history. He had 43 receptions for 385 yards and six touchdowns this year. Light, who was named second team Capital One Academic All-America® this fall, is fourth on the Fordham career reception list (177) and tenth on the career receiving yards list (1,594).
 
Halter, who also earned third team Associated Press All-America and first team All-Patriot League honors this year, has been a mainstay on the Fordham offensive line, serving as a three-year starter at left tackle. He was a big part of the success of the Fordham record-setting offense this year as the Rams set school marks for rushing yards with 2,353, shattering the former mark of 2,162 set last year, and scoring with 569 points, surpassing last year's record of 526. Included in the scoring total was a school-record 31 rushing touchdowns.
 
The Rams led the Patriot League in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense while on the national level the Rams are ranked fourth in passing offense (326.1 yards/game) in the NCAA FCS and rank among the top ten in scoring offense (40.6 points/game – fifth), team passing efficiency (156.23 – fourth), total offense (494.1 yards/game – seventh) and first downs (331 - seventh).
 

Nebrich, the 2013 and 2014 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, enjoyed another successful year as the Rams' signal caller, despite missing two games due to illness. He completed 270-of-423 passes (63.8%) for 3,599 yards with 30 touchdowns. He ranks in the top ten nationally in passing yards (third), passing yards per game (299.9 - fourth), passing touchdowns (25 - sixth), passing efficiency (154.5 - seventh), completions per game (22.5 - seventh) and total offense (291.9 - tenth).
 
Nebrich has a 20-3 record as the starting quarterback over the past two years. He had a day for the books against Penn on October 11, completing 36 of 47 passes for a school record 566 yards and six touchdowns, tying a school mark. He broke his own school record of 524 passing yards, set last year against Holy Cross, while he tied the school record of six scoring passes in a game, set by Kevin Eakin against Rhode Island in 2003. His 556 passing yards is the most by an NCAA FCS quarterback this season.
 
Over his Fordham career, Nebrich completed 637 of 926 passes for 8,804 yards and 66 touchdowns. He set a school completion percentage record (.688) and is second on the Fordham career completion, passing yards and passing touchdowns lists while he holds school single season marks for completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
 
Jones, a first team All-Patriot League pick in 2014, had 78 receptions for 1,202 yards, both second on team, with a team-high 12 touchdowns this year. He was second in Patriot League and 37^th in the NCAA FCS in receptions per game (5.6), third in the Patriot League and 22^nd in the NCAA FCS in receiving yards/game (85.9) and tied for tenth in the NCAA FCS in receiving touchdowns (12).
 
Stolte, a first team All-Patriot League pick this fall, started every game at right guard, teaming with Halter to lead a record-setting offense.
 
Biestek, who was named Capital One Academic First Team Academic All-America® for the second straight year as well as first team All-Patriot League, has been a mainstay on the defensive line for the Rams, recording 54 total tackles, 38 solo, including 18.0 for loss and 11.5 sacks, both team highs. He was second in the Patriot League and 35^th in the NCAA FCS in tackles for loss/game (1.4) and third in the league and 16^th in the NCAA FCS in sacks/game (0.88).
 

Edmonds, who received the 2014 Jerry Rice Award as the top NCAA FCS freshman in the country, enjoyed a record-setting rookie season, carrying 294 for 1,838 yards and 23 touchdowns and returning 24 kickoffs for 514 yards (21.4 average). He set school marks for most rushing yards in a season (former record was 1,596 set by Carlton Koonce in 2012) and surpassed Kirwin Watson's former record of 20 rushing touchdowns set in 2003.
 
Edmonds, he 2014 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, led the Patriot League and is fourth in the NCAA in all-purpose yards per game (176.64) and he led the league and is seventh in the country in rushing yards per game (131.3). He also was tops in the Patriot League and is fifth in the NCAA FCS in scoring (10.3 ppg) and was first in the league and is second in the FCS in rushing touchdowns and third in the nation in total rushing yards.
 
Saving his best for last, Edmonds rushed 18 times for 208 yards and one touchdown in the second round NCAA FCS Championship game at New Hampshire while also returning seven kickoffs for 164 yards and catching two passes for 13 yards.  His 385 all-purpose yards were a Patriot League single-game record (previous was 370 set by Lehigh's Ronald Jean in 1999) and his 208 rushing yards and 164 kickoff return yards were the top marks for Patriot League player in an FCS playoff game. Edmonds also set an NCAA FCS Championship game record with a 91-yard touchdown run, surpassing the previous long of 90 yards set by Henry Fields of McNeese State in 1994.
 
On the year, Edmonds amassed 2,473 all-purpose yards, setting a Fordham and Patriot League single-season record (former league mark was 2,425 set by Colgate's Kenny Gamble in first League season in 1986 and the former school mark was 2,133 set by Javarus Dudley in 2003), while his school-record 1,838 rushing yards puts him fourth in the Patriot League single-season record book, and his school-record 23 rushing touchdowns ties him for second all-time in the conference. Edmonds also set a school record with 144 points scored this fall, bettering Kirwin Watson's 2003 mark of 126 points.
 
Fordham closed out the 2014 season with an 11-3 record, winning more than ten games and advancing to the second round of NCAA FCS Championship for the second straight year. The Rams captured their third Patriot League title this fall, finishing the conference slate with a perfect 6-0 mark.