Jackson & Hall Earn 2nd Major All-America Honor
12/16/2015 2:31:00 PM | Football
Sam Houston's Donald Jackson III and P. J. Hall both have been named to the 2015 Associated Press FCS All-America team. Their selection on successive days to the AP honor squad Wednesday and the STATS FCS team Tuesday marks their appearance on the two top national honor squads in college football.
Jackson, a senior offensive lineman from Kilgore, is a first team AP selection. Hall, a sophomore defensive end from Seguin, is a third team pick.
Jackson joins a select group of only four other Bearkats have been voted as first team selections on the AP honor squad in Sam Houston's 28 years of FCS competition. The other four players have been Michael Bankston (DT - 1991), Johnathon Cooper (WR – 2001), Blake Martin (TE – 2007) and Darnell Taylor (S – 2012).
Jackson was an AP third team member as a junior in 2014. His selection this season makes the 6-2, 275-pound offensive tackle the third Sam Houston player to be honored by the Associated Press voters in multiple years.
Running back Timothy Flanders, a second team selection in both 2011 and 2013 and a third team member in 2012, and Taylor, who was a first team honoree in 2012 and second team in 2011, were the other two Bearkats so recognized.
“Donald Jackson is just a warrior,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “He is a dominate player and one of the best offensive linemen I have had the opportunity to coach in my career. This season, he has been banged up but we don't think twice about keeping him out of the lineup. He has had a long physical year and his skill and leadership in the front line are a big reason why we're still playing football this weekend.”
Jackson is a three-time All-Southland Conference performer who was voted as Southland Conference offensive lineman of the year in 2015. He is a four-year starter.
“P. J. Hall is a one-man highlight film,” Keeler said. “If he's not intercepted passes or batting down balls, he's creating fumbles and blocking kicks. It's ridiculous. His take-off and his speed to power are like nothing I've seen. He's a 650 pound squatter with a 40-inch vertical leap. He's a dominate force in the defensive line and a difference maker.”
Hall is Sam Houston's leader in total tackles, tackles for loss and quarterback sacks this season. He earned first team All-Southland honors for the second year in a row and finished 15th in the voting for the STATS FCS national defensive player of the year award.
Previous Sam Houston first, second or third team Associated Press All-America selections have been defensive tackle Michael Bankston (1991 first team), punter Brad Bradley (1986 second team), wide receiver Jonathon Cooper (2001 first team), running back Timothy Flanders (2011 second team, 2012 third team, 2013 second team), defensive back Derrick Harris (2007 second team), quarterback Dustin Long (2004 third team), offensive lineman Chris Louvier (2004 third team), tight end Blake Martin (2007 first team), defensive back Dax Swanson (2011 third team), defensive back Darnell Taylor (2011 second team and 2012 first team) and defensive end Andrew Weaver (2012 third team).
THE 2015 ASSOCIATED PRESS FCS ALL-AMERICA SQUAD
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Dakota Prukop, junior, Montana State.
Running backs — Marshaun Coprich, senior, Illinois State; Kade Harrington, junior, Lamar.
Linemen — Joe Haeg, senior, North Dakota State; Donald Jackson III, senior, Sam Houston State; Clay DeBord, senior, Eastern Washington; Nick Ritcher, senior, Richmond; Cole Toner, senior, Harvard.
Receivers — Cooper Kupp, junior, Eastern Washington; Jake Wieneke, sophomore, South Dakota State.
Tight end — Ben Braunecker, senior, Harvard.
All-purpose — Johnta' Hebert, senior, Prairie View A&M.
Kicker — Anthony Pistelli, senior, Samford.
Defense
Linemen — Tyrone Holmes, senior, Montana; Noah Spence, junior, Eastern Kentucky; Javon Hargrave, senior, South Carolina State; James Cowser, senior, Southern Utah.
Linebackers — Deon King, senior, Norfolk State; Stephen Hodge, senior, Fordham; Don Cherry, senior, Villanova.
Backs — Patrick Onwuasor, senior, Portland State; Deiondre' Hall, senior, Northern Iowa; DeAndre Houston-Carson, senior, William & Mary; Jermaine Hough, senior, Jacksonville State.
Punter — Ryan Hawkins, senior, Northern Arizona.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Eli Jenkins, junior, Jacksonville State.
Running backs — Chase Edmonds, sophomore, Fordham; Jacobi Green, senior, Richmond.
Linemen — Corey Levin, junior, Chattanooga; Jonathan Burgess, senior, Liberty; Ben Curtis, senior, Delaware; Aaron Neary, senior, Eastern Washington; Bruce Johnson, senior, Maine.
Receivers — Brian Brown, junior, Richmond; Jamaal Jones, senior, Montana.
Tight end — Beau Sandland, senior, Montana State.
All-purpose player — John Santiago, freshman, North Dakota.
Kicker — Nick Dorka, sophomore, William & Mary.
Defense
Linemen — Victor Ochi, senior, Stony Brook; Chima Uzowihe, senior, Liberty; Keionta Davis, junior, Chattanooga; Mitchell Jeter, senior, The Citadel.
Linebackers — Christian Kuntz, senior, Duquesne; Darnell Sankey, senior, Sacramento State; Myke Tavarres, senior, Incarnate Word.
Backs — Dee Delaney, sophomore, The Citadel; Donald Payne, junior, Stetson; Harlan Miller, senior, Southeastern Louisiana; Wallace Scott, senior, McNeese State.
Punter — Ben LeCompte, senior, North Dakota State.
THIRD TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Case Cookus, freshman, Northern Arizona.
Running backs —Troymaine Pope, senior, Jacksonville State; De'Angelo Henderson, junior, Coastal Carolina.
Linemen — Garrick Mayweather, senior, Fordham; Erik Austell, junior, Charleston Southern; Zack Johnson, junior, North Dakota State; John Weidenaar, senior, Montana State; Mitch Kirsch, junior, James Madison.
Receivers — Emmanuel Butler, sophomore, Northern Arizona; Anthony Warrum, junior, Illinois State.
Tight end — Eric Saubert, senior, Drake.
All-purpose player — Willie Quinn, senior, Southern University.
Kicker — Chris Moore, senior, Northwestern State.
Defense
Linemen — O.J. Mau, senior, Gardner-Webb; Derek Rivers, junior, Youngstown State; Dino Fanti, senior, Eastern Illinois; P.J. Hall, sophomore, Sam Houston State.
Linebackers — Kourtney Berry, junior, Alabama State; Tyler Drake, senior, Penn; John Hugunin, senior, Drake.
Backs — Justin Grier, senior, Morehead State; David Jones, junior, Richmond; Casey DeAndrade, junior, New Hampshire; Clayton Ewell, senior, Bucknell.
Punter — Cory Carter, senior, Texas Southern.
