Beyond Sports Network All-America Team | College Sports Madness All-America Team
 
Bronx, N.Y. (December 16, 2013) – The first of the 2013 NCAA FCS All-America Teams have been announced and Fordham University is well represented with four Rams being named to the Beyond Sports Network All-America Team and one to the College Sports Madness squad. Earning Beyond Sports Madness accolades are junior receiver Sam Ajala (first team), junior quarterback Mike Nebrich and junior linebacker Stephen Hodge (second team) and junior tight end Dan Light (third team). Additionally, Ajala was also named first team All-America by College Sports Madness.
 
The Rams enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in Fordham history, going 12-2 this fall, winning the first ten games of the year for the first time in school history and being ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA FCS polls, Fordham's highest ever ranking on the FCS level. Along the way, the team compiled a long list of firsts, including the first win over an NCAA FBS team (Temple), the first win over a top-ten ranked NCAA FCS team on Jack Coffey Field (Villanova) and the school's first ever home NCAA FCS championship win on Jack Coffey Field (Sacred Heart).
 
After catching 26 passes for 312 yards over his first two years at Rose Hill, Ajala, who was also named first team All-Patriot League in 2013, had a coming out party this year, hauling in 93 passes for 1,646 yards, both team highs, with 14 touchdowns, tying for the team lead. He broke Javarus Dudley's 2003 school record of 1,439 receiving yards in a season and tied Dudley's school record for receiving touchdowns in a season, also set in 2003. Ajala leads the NCAA FCS in receiving yards and is second in the Patriot League and fourth in the NCAA FCS in receiving yards per game (117.6). He also ranks among the top 20 nationally in receiving touchdowns (tied for third) and receptions per game (12^th).
 
Over his career, Ajala has 119 receptions for 1,958 yards and 16 touchdowns. He is sixth on the school's all-time receiving yards list, seventh on the career receptions list and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns.
 
Nebrich, the 2013 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, enjoyed one of the best regular seasons for a quarterback in school history.  He completed 353-of-480 passes (73.5%) for 4,380 yards with 35 touchdowns, and also rushed for 513 yards and nine scores. His completion percentage leads the nation as does his total; offense average (376.4 yards/game) while he also ranks in the top five nationally in passing yards per game (336.9 - third), passing efficiency (171.3 - second), completions per game (27.15 - third), and points responsible for per contest (20.5 – fourth). He went 11-0 as the starting quarterback during the regular season in 2013, one of only two FCS signal-callers to put up an undefeated mark for the season. He set every school single season passing record this fall, eclipsing John Skelton's 2009 record of 284 completions for 3,708 yards and Mark Carney's 2001 mark of 27 passing touchdowns. Nebrich also set a Fordham record with 524 passing yards in a win against Holy Cross on Nov. 2.
 
Hodge, the 2013 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, was moved to linebacker last year after entering as a wide receiver and filled the stat sheet this fall for the Fordham defense, finishing the regular season with 124 tackles, 94 solo, including 16 tackles for loss, five sacks, five forced fumbles, four quarterback hurries, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He leads the nation in solo tackles/game (6.7)  and leads the Patriot League and is eight the in country with the five forced fumbles. Hodge helped key Fordham's upset of Temple on Sept. 14 by making 11 tackles with a sack and a forced fumble, and also earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Georgetown (14 tackles, sack) and Holy Cross (15 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 FF). His three Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week awards tied for the most in League history.
 
Light, one of the top tight ends in Fordham history who earned first team all-league honors for the second straight year, caught 66 passes (a school record for tight ends) for 588 yards (the second most receiving yards for a Fordham tight end) and two touchdowns this year. He ranks second among all NCAA FCS tight ends in receptions per game (4.7) and third in receiving yards per game (42.0) and was eighth in the Patriot League in receptions per game (4.7) and tenth in receiving yards per game (33.2).