HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A stellar final season to cap off an epic career continues to add new chapters as Alabama A&M graduate quarterback Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.) has become just the third individual to repeat as BOXTOROW National Player of the Year in the 15-year history of the award as announced by that organization on Tuesday, December 15.
 
After lighting it up in the Spring 2021 campaign to earn the first such honor in program history, Glass showed it wasn't a fluke as he dominated the full Fall 2021 landscape with 3,568 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 356.8 yards per game and 160.8 passing efficiency over the course of 10 games. As part of that performance, the 6-5 National Football League (NFL) prospect currently ranks in the Top-10 nationally of nine different NCAA statistical categories.
 
Leading the way among those is being fourth in points responsible for per game (22.6), fifth in passing yards per game and yards per attempt (8.62), sixth in passing touchdowns (36), passing yards and passing efficiency, seventh in total points responsible for (226) and total offense (348.3) and eighth in completions per game (25.9). For good measure he is 12^th in passing yards per completion (13.78).
 
This season would see him throttle it up for five games of at least 400 passing yards, two of which broke his own program NCAA Division I Era record with 446 yards and four touchdowns at Grambling (10/2) and 462 yards with five scores at Texas Southern (11/13). He also added a pair of outings of more than 300 yards passing with four TDs in each.
 
The Fall 2021 campaign would be the keystone to one of the most prolific Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) careers of all time. In five seasons he threw for 12,136 yards and drilled 109 touchdown passes, ranking in a tie for 11^th and 14^th, respectively.
 
In terms of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) quarterbacks, he is fourth in both categories, trailing luminaries such as Steve McNair (Alcorn State, 1991-94), Bruce Eugene (Grambling, 2001-05) and Willie Totten (Mississippi Valley State, 1982-85). He also ranks second among active career passers in passing yardage, third in passing yards per game (258.2) and fourth in total offense (11,954).
 
His efforts throughout his final season would go far from unnoticed prior to repeating as the BOXTOROW National Player of the Year. In advance of the year, he landed on high-profile watch lists that include the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl, the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) and Deacon Jones Award as the nation's Black College Football Player of the Year.
 
He won the latter this past spring and is a strong contender to repeat when the winner is announced at the Inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022. Glass was the first ever selection for that event and also finished ninth among 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award representing the top player at the FCS level. Of those, he was the fifth highest ranked quarterback.
 
On top of those recognitions, he was named a BOXTOROW All-American earlier this week, became just the third player in the past 23 years to repeat as Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-SWAC First-Team for the second straight year, marking four years of All-Conference honors.
 
He also claimed three SWAC Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 6, Nov. 15, Nov. 22) during the year, pairing one with being named BOXTOROW National Player of the Week following a 42-41 opening week victory over South Carolina State (Sept. 4).

In terms of BOXTOROW National Player of the Year history, Glass joins Division II Bowie State's Amir Hall (2017, 2018) and South Carolina State's Will Ford (2008, 2009) as the only other individuals to win the award multiple times.

FALL 2021 BOXTOROW POSTSEASON HONORS
Player of the Year – Aqeel Glass, QB, Alabama A&M
Defensive Player of the Year – Isaiah Land, Florida A&M
Coach of the Year – Deion Sanders, Jackson State
Rookie/Newcomer of the Year – Shedur Sanders, Jackson State
Special Teams Player of the Year – Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State
Impact Award – Shedur Sanders – Jackson State
 
BOXTOROW OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR HISTORY
2021 Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M
2020-21 Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M
2019 Ryan Stanley, Florida A&M
2018 Amir Hall, Bowie State
2017 Amir Hall, Bowie State
2016 Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T
2015 Johnathan Williams, Grambling
2014 John Gibbs, Jr., Alcorn State
2013 Dray Joseph, Southern
2012 Kameron Smith, Winston-Salem State
2011 Casey Therriault, Jackson State
2010 Frank Warren, Grambling
2009 Will Ford, South Carolina State
2008 Will Ford, South Carolina State
2007 Jacary Atkinson, Tuskegee