Belton, TX – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive back Bryson Tucker has been named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team. Tucker was a Third Team Little All-America selection on a team that honors NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players.
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.
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, OT Jeff Oliver, OC Matt Bush, P Hunter Hamrick,
LB Jerrell Freeman, OT Caleb Woodall and LB Eric Henri as AP Little All-America honorees. Meyer was honored in 2002, Oliver and Bush were both selected in 2004, Hamrick claimed a spot on the team in 2005, Freeman was selected in 2006 and 2007, Woodall earned a spot in 2007 and Henri was honored last season.