Belton, TX – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive back Bryson Tucker (Sr., Caldwell HS) has been named to the American Football Coaches Association’s Division III All-American Team released today. Tucker earns AFCA All-American honors for the first time in his career and he becomes the sixth Cru player to earn a spot on the AFCA All-American Team. UMHB has now had a player selected to this prestigious team eight times in the last nine seasons.
Tucker finished with 43 total tackles this season and had 27 solo stops despite playing five games at running back. He also posted 3.5 tackles for loss, broke up three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Tucker spent five games at running back and finished with 558 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He ran for a career-high 218 yards against Southern Oregon to post the fourth-best single-game rushing total in UMHB football history. Tucker also tied a school single-game record with four total touchdowns against Howard Payne University and he became the first player to account for a touchdown in six different ways during his career. Tucker ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, threw a touchdown pass, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, returned a punt for a touchdown and returned a fumble for a score during his career with the Cru. Tucker earned Second Team ASC All-Conference honors as a running back this season despite the fact that he played just five games at that position. He was also named First Team All-South Region by D3football.com earlier this fall.
“Bryson has been an outstanding player for this program and we are so excited for him to be honored by the AFCA,” Cru head coach Pete Fredenburg said. “He has been a leader on and off the field for this team and has been willing to do whatever we’ve asked of him. He always put the team first, so it is exciting to have him recognized for what he accomplished for our program.”
The AFCA All-American Team is selected by a panel of head coaches from across the country and it is the only All-American Team selected exclusively by head coaches. The AFCA has selected an All-American Team every year since 1945. Tucker is one of just three ASC players voted to this year’s squad, joining Mississippi College tight end Renard Ellis and Louisiana College kick returner Jordan Rideaux
The Cru finished the 2009 season with a 10-2 overall record and shared the ASC Championship with Mississippi College after both teams finished with 7-1 league records. UMHB advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championships before falling to Linfield College in the Second Round.
Tucker joins former UMHB MLB Preston Meyer, FS Tony Salazar, OT Jeff Oliver, LB Jerrell Freeman and LB Eric Henri as AFCA All-Americans. Meyer was selected in both 2001 and 2002, Salazar was named in 2003, Oliver earned AFCA All-American honors in 2004, Freeman was selected in both 2006 and 2007 and Henri earned a spot on the 2008 AFCA All-American Team.