COMMERCE – For the final time as a member of NCAA Division II, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team marches onto Memorial Stadium against Eastern New Mexico on Saturday afternoon. The Lions will bid farewell to its senior class with a pregame ceremony to honor the 21 seniors.
WHO: A&M-Commerce vs. Eastern New Mexico
WHERE: Commerce | Memorial Stadium
WHEN: Saturday, November 13 at 4 p.m.
RECORDS: The Lions are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Greyhounds are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in LSC games.
RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked heading into the final weekend of the season.
LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network – KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (
http://www.ketr.org)
LIVE VIDEO: https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/tamuc/
LIVE STATS: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=353493
TICKETS: http://www.lionathletics.com/tickets
GAME NOTES: TAMUC | ENMU
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
• The Southland Conference, following the unanimous approval of its presidential Board of Directors, has extended an invitation of membership to Texas A&M University-Commerce, the league and institution announced Tuesday morning. The university, a longstanding NCAA Division II power located an hour east of Dallas, will officially join the Southland on July 1, 2022, and begin a four-year transition into Division I at the same time.
• Touting a "Best in Class" mission, mentality, and experience, Lions' athletics features sponsorship of 14 varsity sports, including men's sports of football, basketball, golf, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.
The Lions have seen remarkable success in recent years, including winning the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship, highlighting five consecutive postseason football berths since 2015. Overall, 53 A&M-Commerce athletic teams have earned NCAA postseason bids since 2015, including a record 11 teams in 2018-19. Other performance highlights include individual NCAA track and field national championships, an NCAA softball regional championship, and multiple recent NCAA berths in volleyball, and men's and women's basketball.
• In addition to its 2017 NCAA title, the Lions' football program also won the 1972 NAIA national championship. Other national championships have included men's basketball (NAIA 1954-55), men's golf (NAIA 1965) and men's tennis (NAIA 1972 and 1978). Prominent student-athletes at A&M-Commerce have included NFL stars Harvey Martin, Wade Wilson and Dwight White, and noted U.S. Olympic medalist John Carlos.
• Founded in 1889, Texas A&M-Commerce serves rural and urban Northeast Texas with distinction, consistently delivering on a promise that founder Professor William Leonidas Mayo made more than a century ago: "No industrious, ambitious youth shall be denied an education if I can prevent it." To this day, the institution remains committed to its core mission: "Educate. Discover. Achieve."
• Formerly known as East Texas State University, the 2,100-acre Commerce campus provides many opportunities for students to learn and grow. The university offers more than 135 degree programs at the bachelor's, masters and doctoral levels. A vibrant student life experience includes 14 competitive NCAA athletic teams, a thriving Greek system and more than 120 student organizations. Programs are delivered on site at the Commerce campus as well as in Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Mesquite and Corsicana. A robust online academic menu of classes is also a point of distinction, and U.S. News & World Report has ranked several programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce among the best in the nation for 2021.
• A member of The Texas A&M University System since 1996, the institution provides quality education to an inclusive community of diverse learners as one of the most affordable universities in East Texas. Students work with world-class professors who dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching and research. The university maintains strong relationships with local industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities that prepare career ready graduates.
• Serving nearly 12,000 students, Texas A&M-Commerce is a leader in competency-based education, and is the nation's first institution to offer an accredited competency-based bachelor's degree in criminal justice and organizational leadership. The agriculture program is also a national stand-out, featuring one of the only programs where students grow their own experimental crops on the university's 1,500-acre farm. In addition, A&M-Commerce upholds a 130-year legacy as an exceptional teachers' college, graduating more than 400 certified educators in 2019. In 2020, the university opened the 113,470-square-foot Nursing and Health Sciences Building, featuring a state-of-the-art simulation hospital.
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE MEMBERS ON JULY 1, 2022 – AS OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
| Institution |
Offers Football? |
| A&M-COMMERCE |
YES |
| Houston Baptist |
Yes |
| Incarnate Word |
Yes |
| McNeese State |
Yes |
| New Orleans |
No |
| Nicholls State |
Yes |
| Northwestern State |
Yes |
| Southeastern Louisiana |
Yes |
| Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
No |
FAREWELL SENIORS
• The Lions bid adieu to 21 seniors on Saturday, many of whom had a major role in the 2017 National Championship.
• This year's senior class has the fourth-most wins among any class in program history and can move into a tie for third place with a win on Saturday.
2021 SENIOR CLASS
SENIORS SUCCEED OVER CAREER SPAN
• The 2019 senior class claimed sole possession of the school record for wins in a four-year period with 46. Their .845 winning percentage was second-best in school history.
• The 2021 senior class has a chance to finish with the third most wins among a senior class in program history.
| Years |
Record |
Pct |
| 2016-19 |
46-9 |
83.9 |
| 2015-18 |
43-10 |
81.1 |
| 2014-17 |
42-10 |
80.8 |
| 2017-21* |
41-11 |
78.9 |
| 1951-54 |
36-5-2 |
86.0 |
| 2013-16 |
35-14 |
71.4 |
| 1957-60 |
34-7 |
82.9 |
| 1972-75 |
32-13-1 |
76.0 |
| 1936-39 |
31-8 |
79.5 |
| 1990-93 |
31-16-1 |
65.6 |
ONE LAST RIDE IN THE LSC
• Saturday marks the final Lone Star Conference game for the Lions, the last charter member of the conference that is still in the LSC.
• Coming into the weekend, the Lions are 322-214-12 in conference games all-time.
• The Lions have won 23 LSC titles in program history, the last coming in 2016.
YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!
• The Lions are in third place entering the final weekend of the regular season, one game back of the LSC lead, but still with a chance to win more LSC title.
• A&M-Commerce has a chance to claim a share of the LSC title by a win and a loss by Midwestern State against UT Permian Basin.
• A loss by the Mustangs allows West Texas A&M, Angelo State, and A&M-Commerce to earn a share of the LSC title. The Rams and the Lions need to win on Saturday to move into a tie for first place.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE GREYHOUNDS
• The Lions have won the last six meeting against the Greyhounds to hold a 18-15 advantage in the all-time head-to-head.
• A&M-Commerce's last loss against Eastern New Mexico came in Commerce on Nov. 16, 2013.
• Five of the last eight matchups have been decided by 18 points or less, including four that are decided by less than two touchdowns.
• The Lions won 45-27 in Commerce on September 21, 2019 in the last meeting between the two teams.
NATIONALLY-RANKED DEFENSE
• Coming into this week's game, the Lions have the fourth-best defense in NCAA Division II in terms of total yards allowed.
• A&M-Commerce is also in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (7
th), fumbles recovered (8
th), passing defense (4
th), and tackles for loss per game (7
th).
SINGLE-GAME RECORDS FALL
• A&M-Commerce rushed for nine touchdowns against Fort Lauderdale earlier this season, which broke the single-game record. The Lions scored seven rushing touchdowns twice during the 2014 season.
•
Bryson Stewart recorded 6.0 tackles for loss in the same game, breaking the previous single-game high of 5.5, which was held by Tevin Moore (2013) and Tre'Von Taylor (2014).
•
Alex Shillow returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown against UT Permian Basin, joining Cory Whitfield (2011) for the longest play in school history.
GUESS WHO'S BACK!
• Preseason LSC Offensive Player of the Year,
Miklo Smalls returned as the Lions' starting quarterback against Saginaw Valley State.
• The redshirt junior quarterback was voted second-team all-LSC quarterback in 2019.
• Smalls was named LSC Offensive Player of the Week on November 25, following the win at West Texas A&M.
ALEX SHILLOW NAMED TO AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
• Shillow (Pflugerville) has been selected on the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ®. He is one of the 11 student-athletes selected for the Combined Divisions (FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA) team. He was selected from 42 student-athletes who were nominated by sports information directors around the nation earlier this year. Since its inception in 1992, the award shines a spotlight on selfless student-athletes and honors their dedication to volunteerism, community service and their commitment to enriching the lives of others. While players are often recognized for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.
• Shillow is the fifth student-athlete from Lone Star Conference history, first since 2017, and first in Lion history to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
• Shillow was also a nominee for this award in 2019. As an active participant in multiple leadership roles for the Lions' Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Shillow has led community service and fundraising efforts to raise awareness, and funds for the Make A Wish Foundation. Shillow's student-athlete group raised over $15,000 to grant two "Wish Kids" trips to Walt Disney World, as well as a trip to the NBA All-Star Game for the most recent "Wish Kid" at A&M-Commerce. Through fundraising initiatives and coordinated efforts, Shillow has also driven fundraisers and clothing donation collections to provide underprivileged families in the Commerce community with personalized gifts for Christmas.
• Shillow was also a leader of the Make It Important Campaign in the summer of 2020, which involved a video and an action plan to bring awareness to the social injustices going on in the country in response to the George Floyd murder.
• He led in getting his team fully registered to vote, along with other sport teams in the department, and initiated a conference-wide voter registration challenge. He sat on the university's voter coalition committee to help make voter registration and voting more accessible for A&M-Commerce students. Shillow also led a virtual political open forum with two Texas state legislators – Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and former Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Canton) - in front of over 300 student-athletes and guests, moderating an insightful conversation and dialogue between Texas legislators and student-athletes. This initiative won 3rd place for the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence this past year.
• Shillow is also a leader and a part of Athletes In Action - a student-athlete faith based organization.
• Shillow has also served on the NCAA Division II National Student Athlete Advisory Committee from 2018-21 and was the national chair of the committee from 2019-21. He led discussion and change around the topics of mental health, professional development, name image and likeness, and many student-athlete well-being topics, all while being a student-athlete and involved heavily in the Commerce community.
2021 AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
| Darien Rencher |
Clemson University |
| Camren McDonald |
Florida State University |
| Harry Miller |
Ohio State University |
| Mac Brown |
Ole Miss |
| Sean Clifford |
Penn State University |
| Nakobe Dean |
University of Georgia |
| Kenneth Horsey |
University of Kentucky |
| Cal Adomitis |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Mo Hasan |
University of Southern California |
| Race Porter |
University of Washington |
| Elijah McAllister |
Vanderbilt University |
Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and NAIA
| Austin Phillips |
Ashland University |
| Jaran Roste |
Bethel University (Minn.) |
| Chibuike Odo |
Davidson College |
| Deven Osborne |
Dixie State University |
| Alnazir Blackman |
Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham |
| Philip Green |
Minot State University |
| Jessie Malit |
North Carolina Central University |
| ALEX SHILLOW |
A&M-COMMERCE |
| Hunter Rodrigues |
UC Davis |
| DeValon Whitcomb |
University of South Dakota |
| Julius Wilkerson |
Wayne State University |
Honorary Head Coach
| Matt Wells |
Texas Tech University |
A&M-COMMERCE AND MIDWESTERN STATE BEGAN TWO-YEAR SERIES AT CHOCTAW STADIUM
• The Lions and the Mustangs played at Choctaw Stadium on Saturday, September 11, with MSU winning 31-30.
• This was the Lions' first regular season neutral site game since the Lone Star Conference Football Festival in 2014, and the first Division II game played at Choctaw Stadium, which is in its second fall season as a football facility.
• "I think it will be an exciting opportunity for the young men on this football team to play at Choctaw Stadium," A&M-Commerce head football coach
David Bailiff said. "I went to several of the XFL games there last year, and it's a beautiful venue with incredible amenities. I'm excited for this team and this university to show what we have there."
• This Saturday's game was the first of a two-game series between A&M-Commerce and Midwestern State at Choctaw Stadium.
• The 2022 game between the Lions and Mustangs will be played at Choctaw Stadium on October 8, with Midwestern State as the home team.
SHILLOW NAMED LSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
•
Alex Shillow was named Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team in tackles and returning an interception for a 100-yard touchdown against UT Permian Basin.
• The senior defensive back joins
Xavier Morris,
Dominique Ramsey,
Miklo Smalls,
Jake Viquez, and
Dee Walker as Lions to win LSC weekly awards this year. Morris and
Jake Viquez won the award following Week 1's win at CSU-Pueblo and Smalls, Ramsey, and Walker were named LSC Players of the Week following Week 8's win at West Texas A&M.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
| Date |
Offense |
Defense |
Special Teams |
| Sept. 6 |
CJ Odom
Angelo State |
Xavier Morris
A&M-Commerce |
Jake Viquez
A&M-Commerce |
| Sept. 13 |
Clayton Roberts
UT Permian Basin |
Dylon Davis
Midwestern State |
Ritse Vaes
Midwestern State |
| Sept. 20 |
Dillon Sterling-Cole
Midwestern State |
Jacob Clarkson
Texas A&M-Kingville |
Fernando Piedra
Midwestern State |
| Sept. 27 |
Kylan Harrison
Midwestern State |
Josh Quinton
Angelo State |
Carson Roberts
UT Permian Basin |
| Oct. 4 |
Hagen Garvin
Angelo State |
Eric Rascoe
Angelo State |
Andrew Pitts
Angelo State |
| Oct. 11 |
Justin Manyweather
Eastern New Mexico |
JT Cavender
West Texas A&M |
Gage Urias
West Texas A&M |
| Oct. 18 |
Zack Bronkhorst
Angelo State |
Tobias Harris
West Texas A&M |
Cason Polivoda
West Texas A&M |
| Oct. 25 |
Miklo Smalls
A&M-Commerce |
Dee Walker
A&M-Commerce |
Dominique Ramsey
A&M-Commerce |
| Nov. 1 |
Zack Bronkhorst
Angelo State |
Alex Shillow
A&M-Commerce |
Kylan Harrison
Midwestern State |
| Nov. 8 |
Jarrod Compton
West Texas A&M |
JT Cavender
West Texas A&M |
Gilbert Garza
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
SUCCESS AT ALL MULTIPLE LEVELS
• Based on our research, coach
David Bailiff is the fourth-ever coach to qualify for the Division II playoffs, Division I-AA or FCS playoffs, and win a Division I-A or FBS bowl game.
| Coach |
D2 |
FCS |
FBS Bowl Wins |
| David Bailiff |
2019
A&M-Commerce |
2005
Texas St. |
2008 Texas
2012 Armed Forces
2014 Hawai'i
Rice |
| Terry Bowden |
2009-11
North Alabama |
1991-92
Samford |
1996 Independence^
1997 Peach^
2015 Idaho Potato*
*- Akron
^- Auburn |
| Willie Fritz |
2002
Central Missouri |
2011-13
Sam Houston State |
2018 Cure
Tulane |
| Joe Glenn |
1990-91, 95-99
Northern Colorado |
2000-02
Montana |
2004 Las Vegas
Wyoming |
LONG TIME COMING
• The Lions played their first game in 636 days against the CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves on September 2. It was the longest drought in program history since World War II.
| Seasons Missed |
Days Between Games |
| 1943-45 (World War II) |
1,409 |
| 1918 (World War I) |
688 |
| 2020 (COVID-19 Pandemic) |
636 |
A&M-COMMERCE PICKED TO WIN THE LSC
•The Lions are voted the top team in the preseason poll conducted by the Lone Star Conference.
•A&M-Commerce collected 15 of the 23 first place votes for 175 points in the preseason poll, 23 points ahead of Angelo State. The Lion's last appearance at the top of the preseason poll was in 2018, and the Lions' last LSC title came in 2016. A&M-Commerce is 41-5 in the LSC in the last six seasons and has not lost more than one conference game in a season since 2013.
LONG LIST OF STUDENT-ATHLETES FINDING SECOND HOMES
• There are 31 transfers on the rosters who will make their Lion debut this season. The transfers came to Commerce from all over the country and hail from all levels of college football
| College Football Division |
Number of Transfers |
| Division I FBS |
11 (Five from Power-Five) |
| Division I FCS |
5 |
| Division II |
1 |
| NAIA |
1 |
| NJCAA |
9 |
| CCCAA |
4 |
A&M-COMMERCE TRANSFERS
READY FOR LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
• Twenty-nine student-athletes have already received their degrees going into the 2021-22 academic year.
• A&M-Commerce and Illinois are tied for most student-athletes with degrees across all levels of college football according to the National Football Foundation.
NCAA DIVISION II SCHOOLS WITH 10 OR MORE GRADUATES
| School |
Numbers of Degrees |
| Texas A&M-Commerce |
29 |
| New Haven (Conn.) |
28 |
| West Alabama |
19 |
| Shepherd (W.Va.) |
16 |
| Wingate (N.C.) |
15 |
| Henderson State (Ark.) |
14 |
| North Greenville (S.C.) |
14 |
| Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
13 |
| Concordia St. Paul (Minn.) |
12 |
| Colorado School of Mines |
11 |
| Fort Hays (Kan.) |
11 |
| Harding (Ark.) |
11 |
| West Florida |
11 |
| Ashland (Ohio) |
10 |
| Ferris State (Mich.) |
10 |
TOP-FIVE SCHOOLS AMONG ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL
| School |
Numbers of Degrees |
Division |
| Texas A&M-Commerce |
29 |
NCAA Division II |
| Illinois |
29 |
NCAA Division I FBS |
| Baylor (Texas) |
28 |
NCAA Division I FBS |
| New Haven (Conn.) |
28 |
NCAA Division II |
| Western Kentucky |
27 |
NCAA Division I FBS |
A LONG STREAK COMES TO AN END
• The Lions ended a streak of 68 consecutive AFCA polls earlier this season, the streak dated back to the 2015 preseason poll.
• The Lions were ranked No. 11 nationally in the final 2019 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll, they have been ranked as high as No. 7 this season.
• The Lions have 74 all-time appearances in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
• In the polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been recognized as a nationally ranked team 123 times since joining Division II in 1981.
ANOTHER STREAK IS STILL ACTIVE!
• By qualifying for their
fifth straight NCAA Division II Playoff berth in 2019, the Lions have the third-longest active playoff streak in the nation.
• Only Northwest Missouri State (16 straight) and Ferris State (six straight) have longer active playoff streaks than A&M-Commerce.
• In Lone Star Conference history, only A&M-Kingsville (1992-98, 7 straight) has a streak of more than four appearances. The Javelinas' 1996-98 appearances were vacated by action of the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
• The Lions have also advanced to the regional semifinal round for
four consecutive seasons. 2018 national runner-up Ferris State has reached the regional semifinal five times in a row.
RAMSEY, SIMON, KOHOU NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
•
Dominique Ramsey and
Amon Simon are named Preseason All-Americans by Lindy's magazine this summer. Ramsey, Simon and
Kader Kohou are named Preseason All-Americans by D2Football.com
• Ramsey earned his preseason All-American honors as an all-purpose player, while Simon is honored as an offensive lineman.
• Ramsey and Simon were honored as First Team Preseason All-Americans in Lindy's Sports prior to the anticipated 2020 season as well, before that season was ultimately canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Kohou earned first-team all-Lone Star Conference in 2019.
• Ramsey – a redshirt senior from Converse (Judson) – earned three All-American honors in 2019 and has four postseason All-American awards in his career.
• He was named First Team All-American as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press and Second Team All-American as both a return specialist and safety by the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association (D2CCA).
• The Cliff Harris Award nominee was also named to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas small college team, and earned First Team All-Super Region Four honors from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association as both a safety and return specialist.
• He earned Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice in 2019, ranking second in the nation in kickoff return average at 37.5 yards per return, and second in the LSC and ninth in the nation in punt return average at 14.7 yards per return. His return prowess has seen teams kick away from him insomuch as he did not return a kickoff in the last three games of the regular season. He also had 39 tackles, three interceptions, two pass breakups, and two tackles for loss on defense.
• He is also named the Lone Star
• Simon – a redshirt senior from Humble (Atascocita) – earned Second Team All-American honors from both the Associated Press and D2CCA in 2019. He was on the Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas small college team and earned First Team All-Super Region Four honors from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. In 2019, he earned Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and First Team All-LSC honors at offensive tackle. He blocked for an offense that averaged 407.9 yards and 36.1 points per game during the regular season.
• Kohou- a redshirt senior from Euless (Trinity) – earned first-team all-LSC in 2019, second-team in 2018. In 2019, he recorded 27 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and had three interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five pass breakups.
• For his career, Kohou has played in 33 games with 87 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five interceptions, and 31 passes defended. He's forced four fumbles and recovered three, while returning an interception for a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.
KOHOU NAMED TO PRESEASON STARTING LINEUP
•
Kader Kohou has been named to the College Football America Yearbook's Preseason Starting Lineup. - a redshirt senior from Euless (Trinity) – earned first-team all-LSC in 2019, second-team in 2018. In 2019, he recorded 27 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and had three interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five pass breakups.
• For his career, Kohou has played in 33 games with 87 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five interceptions, and 31 passes defended. He's forced four fumbles and recovered three, while returning an interception for a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.
SMALLS, RAMSEY NAMED ON HARLON HILL TROPHY WATCHLIST
•
Miklo Smalls and
Dominique Ramsey of the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team are named preseason contenders for the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy by Turner Sports' Wayne Cavadi on NCAA.com.
• The two current Lions look to join former star Luis Perez, who hoisted the trophy in 2017 on the way to leading A&M-Commerce to the 2017 National Championship.
LIONS SWEEP LSC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
• Defensive back
Dominique Ramsey is named the preseason Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, while quarterback
Miklo Smalls is named the preseason LSC Offensive Player of the Year.
•Ramsey- a redshirt senior from Converse (Judson) is selected as the conference's preseason defensive player of the year, adding to a lengthy tally of honors in his career.
• The redshirt senior earned three All-American honors in 2019 and has four postseason All-American awards in his career. He was named First Team All-American as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press and Second Team All-American as both a return specialist and safety by the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association (D2CCA).
• The Cliff Harris Award nominee was also named to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas small college team, and earned First Team All-Super Region Four honors from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association as both a safety and return specialist.
• Smalls- A senior from Plano (Plano-East) is selected as the league's preseason offensive player of the year after a phenomenal 2019 season at the quarterback position.
• He was named second team all-Lone Star Conference and won LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors four times in 2019. Smalls completed 244-of-376 passes for 3,010 yards with 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions, while also carrying the ball 124 times for 488 yards and three touchdowns.
• He had six games with multiple touchdown passes, including five against Midwestern State. In the playoff wins over Tarleton and Colorado School of Mines, he had over 100 yards rushing and over 150 yards passing in each contest.
RIEBOCK NAMED TO DAVE CAMPBELL'S "40 UNDER 40"
• Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Billy Riebock has been named to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football 40 Under 40 list in the annual publication.
• Riebock is entering his second competitive season and third year as the Lions' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping lead A&M-Commerce to the third round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, the Super Region Four finals, and an 11-3 overall record in 2019.
• In the first season with Riebock as coordinator, the Lions ranked first in the Lone Star Conference and eighth nationally in completion percentage and third in the LSC in total offense. Offensive lineman
Amon Simon was named to two All-American teams, two All-Region teams, and was the LSC's Offensive Lineman of the Year. Guard Deion Malone also earned All-Region and First Team All-LSC honors. Eight offensive players earned All-LSC recognition, representing every position group on the offense.
ADIBI ELECTED TO VIRGINIA TECH HALL OF GAME
•Defensive coordinator and linebacker coach
Xavier Adibi is part of the 2021 class into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
•Adibi is one of many in a long line of great Virginia Tech defensive backs, earning All-America honors and All-ACC recognition during an illustrious career from 2003-07. He became just the second linebacker in program history to earn All-America honors when he accomplished the feat as a senior following the 2007 season.
•Adibi led the Hokies that fall with 115 tackles, including a team-best 12 for a loss. He also added three sacks and two interceptions on his way to earning first team All-ACC recognition. Behind him, Tech finished near the top of the ACC in virtually every defensive category that season, which was highlighted by a 30-16 win over No. 12 Boston College in the 2007 ACC championship game.
•A two-time All-ACC pick, Adibi earned second team distinction in 2006 after finishing second on the team with 82 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, three sacks and three interceptions. The Hampton, Va., product started the final 40 games of his career, and he finished his career with 291 tackles, including 30 for a loss and 11 sacks.
•Adibi was a fourth-round draft pick (118th overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played five seasons in the NFL – Houston (2008-10), Minnesota (2011) and Tennessee (2012). He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in apparel, housing and resource management.
•Adibi enters his third year and second full playing season as the Lions' defensive coordinator in 2021. Adibi's defensive unit was one of the best in the Lone Star Conference in 2019, leading the league in sacks per game and finishing in the top two in total defense, passing yards allowed, rushing defense, red zone defense, defensive touchdowns, and tackles for loss. Safety
Dominique Ramsey was named a first team All-American, and the defense earned four all-region and seven all-LSC honors.
SHILLOW NOMINATED FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY
•
Alex Shillow is A&M-Commerce's nominee for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy®. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2020.
• Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must
be a senior or graduate student in their
final year of playing eligibility, have a
GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have
outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated
strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
• Shillow – a redshirt senior from Pflugerville – becomes the third Lion student-athlete to win multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America awards, and the first Lion football player to do so. Andrew Davis (men's basketball) was a third team honoree in 2012 and a first team honoree in 2013, and Jaslyn Wacker (volleyball) was a second team selection in both 2017 and 2018.
• Shillow has distinguished himself on the field, in the classroom, and in the community during his career at A&M-Commerce. In January 2020, he was elected to his second term as the National Chair of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has served as the president of the A&M-Commerce SAAC, which has won the last three LSC SAAC Cups and been selected to reveal multiple Make-A-Wish recipients.
• He was a 2019 and 2020 nominee for the American Football Coaches' Association's Good Works Team and recipient of the NACDA John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship. In 2020, he was a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, and due to the unique settings of the pandemic, he will likely be eligible for these awards again in the 2021 season.
• Following the 2019 season, Shillow was honored as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America, the Lone Star Conference's Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year, and the Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year in football. He graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor's degree in sports management in August 2019 and his Masters of Business Administration in December 2020, and continues graduate work currently in preparation for his final season of eligibility.
• On the field, Shillow has been named Second Team All-LSC in 2019 and 2017 with 159 tackles, four interceptions, 17 passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and 5.5 tackles for loss in 36 games over three seasons.
SHILLOW NAMED FIRST TEAM COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA, RAMSEY NAMED TO SECOND TEAM
• Two Lions were named to the 2020-21 Academic All-America® Football Team, as
Alex Shillow earned first team honors and
Dominique Ramsey earned second team honors.
• Division II members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) select the Academic All-America teams, and for the 2020-21 academic year, these honorees were based on career accomplishments instead of single season statistics.
• Shillow earns Academic All-America honors for the second consecutive season after earning second team honors in the 2019 season. This is the first Academic All-America honor for Ramsey.
• The duo are the 17th and 18th CoSIDA Academic All-Americas in A&M-Commerce history, and the football team now has eight honorees in program history. The Lions have had at least one CoSIDA Academic All-America in each of the last five years, which marks the longest streak in Lion Athletics history.
• Shillow – a redshirt senior from Pflugerville – becomes the third Lion student-athlete to win multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America awards, and the first Lion football player to do so. Andrew Davis (men's basketball) was a third team honoree in 2012 and a first team honoree in 2013, and Jaslyn Wacker (volleyball) was a second team selection in both 2017 and 2018.
• Shillow has distinguished himself on the field, in the classroom, and in the community during his career at A&M-Commerce. In January 2020, he was elected to his second term as the National Chair of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has served as the president of the A&M-Commerce SAAC, which has won the last three LSC SAAC Cups and been selected to reveal multiple Make-A-Wish recipients.
• He was a 2019 and 2020 nominee for the American Football Coaches' Association's Good Works Team and recipient of the NACDA John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship. In 2020, he was a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, and due to the unique settings of the pandemic, he will likely be eligible for these awards again in the 2021 season.
• Following the 2019 season, Shillow was honored as a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America, the Lone Star Conference's Fred Jacoby Academic Athlete of the Year, and the Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year in football. He graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor's degree in sports management in August 2019 and his Masters of Business Administration in December 2020, and continues graduate work currently in preparation for his final season of eligibility.
• On the field, Shillow has been named Second Team All-LSC in 2019 and 2017 with 159 tackles, four interceptions, 17 passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and 5.5 tackles for loss in 36 games over three seasons.
• Ramsey – a redshirt senior from Converse (Judson) – earned three All-American honors in 2019 and has four postseason All-American awards in his career. He was named First Team All-American as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press and Second Team All-American as both a return specialist and safety by the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association (D2CCA). The Cliff Harris Award nominee was also named to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas small college team, and earned First Team All-Super Region Four honors from the D2CCA as both a safety and return specialist.
• He was named the National Football Foundation Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athlete in 2021, as he graduated with his bachelor of science in industrial engineering in May. He's been named to the President's List once, the Dean's List four times, and the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll five times. He was also a 2019 Academic All-LSC selection.
LEALI'IE'E AND SIMON NAMED TO DAVE CAMPBELL'S TEXAS FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-TEXAS SMALL COLLEGE TEAM
• The Lions'
Antonio Leali'ie'e and
Amon Simon have been named to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Preseason All-Texas Small College Team in advance of the 2021 season.
• Dave Campbell's Texas Football considered all four-year institutions under the Division I FBS level for this team, which reflects the 2019 season statistics for the Lions. A&M-Commerce went 11-3 and advanced to the Super Regional finals in their first season under head coach
David Bailiff.
• Simon (Humble – Atascocita) had a spectacular 2019 season, earning second team All-American honors from the Associated Press and D2CCA. The Lone Star Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year was also named first team all-region by the D2CCA and earned his second consecutive first team All-Lone Star Conference honor. Simon has the opportunity to become the first repeat winner of LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year in the non-divisional era since Texas A&M-Kingsville's Moses Horn did so in 1986 and 1987. A&M-Commerce's R.J. Brisbon won consecutive awards in 2008 and 2009, but the award was divisionally split from 1997-2010.
• Leali'ie'e (Copperas Cove) was a first team All-Lone Star Conference pick at running back in 2019, appearing in 10 games with 104 carries for 689 yards and seven touchdowns, for an average of 6.6 yards per carry and 68.9 yards per game. He had three games with over 100 yards rushing, including 18 carries for 169 yards against Midwestern State in a game where he also had a receiving touchdown. He had 17 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns against Western New Mexico, and 13 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
LION FOOTBALL RANKED NO. 4 IN "TOP 20 PROGRAMS THAT INSPIRE"
• The Lion Football program was ranked No. 4 in College Athletic Advisor's Top 20 Programs That Inspire.
• The program rankings are open to all four-year, collegiate-level programs outside of NCAA Division I and are based on a subjective assessment of student experience in four areas:
-Holistic development of student-athletes in the institution;
-Academic achievement and support for the academic success of student-athletes;
-Overall college experience for participants within the program;
-Affordability/graduation rates/student satisfaction.
• Although College Athletic Advisor's list is subjective, the organization believes these rankings "present an informed starting point for a discussion about where student-athletes can excel as 'triple-threat' competitors (academics, athletics, and socially) in college and in their future lives."
SMITH EARNS ALL-AMERICAN HONORS IN TRACK
• Jontavis "J.T." Smith was the Lions' running back to start the 2019 season, but was injured in the Western Oregon game.
• He was prepared to compete in the 2020 season, but the COVID pandemic shut down his chances for that year.
• Smith joined the Lions' track and field team and claimed three All-American honors and a national championship in the spring of 2021 outdoor season.
•He was the second leg in the Lions' national championship 4x100 meter relay team that claimed the gold medal with a time of 39.69 seconds.
• Smith finished fifth in the 100 meter dash at 10.42 seconds, and 12th in the 200 meter dash at 21.59.
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Lion Athletics Mission: Committed to a "Best in Class" experience for all.
