CHICAGO, Ill. – With one of the greatest careers in the history of Alabama A&M football, and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), in the books, graduate quarterback Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.) has finished ninth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award representing the top player at that level as announced by Stats Perform FCS on Tuesday, December 7.
 
One of 25 finalists announced on November 22, Glass was one of 14 quarterbacks in that field and finished fifth at that position. Among those that finished ahead of him were finalists Eric Barriere of Eastern Washington and 2020-21 winner Cole Kelley of Southeastern Louisiana. The only other QBs to tally more points in the voting were Cole Johnson of James Madison (No. 4, 86 points) and Cameron Ward of Incarnate Word (No. 6, 28 points).
 
Glass finished with 15 points and was one of just two players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) among the finalists. The other was Norfolk State's Juwan Carter who finished in a tie for 17^th with three points.
 
Already named to watch lists for the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl, the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) and the Deacon Jones Award, Glass is also the first ever selection to the Inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl, a new postseason all-star game that will feature the top 100 draft-eligible players from HBCU'S on February 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
 
He also became just the third individual in the past 23 years to be named Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Offensive Player of the Year in back-to-back years, that being accompanied by his fourth All-SWAC honor and second straight First-Team selection. Additionally, he was named a BOXTOROW Preseason All-American, SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and All-SWAC Preseason First-Team honoree prior to the season.
 
All of those accolades were on point as Glass threw for 3,568 yards and 36 touchdowns in just 10 games while recording only seven interceptions in 414 attempts. His incredible final season placed him among some of the legendary names at both the FCS and HBCU levels as his 109 career touchdown passes are tied for 11^th all-time and his 12,136 passing yards are 14^th. The latter ranks as the second-highest total by an active player.
 
Both of those marks rank fourth all-time among HBCU quarterbacks and the company that Glass keeps there is among the most impressive this level of football has ever known.
 
In passing yardage he trails Alcorn State (1991-94) and National Football League (NFL) legend Steve McNair, who threw for what is still an FCS record 14,496 yards, Bruce Eugene who racked up 13,513 while playing for powerhouse Grambling (2001-05) and Willie Totten (1982-85) who amassed 12,711 yards throwing to the likes of Jerry Rice at Mississippi Valley State.
 
Those same three illustrious individuals are the three that Glass trails in passing touchdowns as well with Eugene hitting for an FCS record 140 followed by Totten with 139. McNair finished with 119 and currently sits fifth all-time.
 
In terms of active ranks, Glass is second in passing yards behind Walter Payton Award finalist Eric Barriere's 13,803 for Eastern Washington, third in passing yards per game with 258.2 to Cameron Ward of Incarnate Word (363.6) and Barriere (270.6) and ranks fourth in total offense at 11,954. In the latter he trails Barriere (15,389), Rogan Wells of Western Carolina (14,176) and Daniel Smith of Villanova (12,490).
 
East Tennessee State running back Quay Holmes joins Barriere and Kelley as the three finalists for the 2021 Walter Payton Award. Selected by a 50-member national media panel, the winner of this year's award will be announced on Friday, January 7 on the eve of the FCS National Championship Game.
 
2021 WALTER PAYTON AWARD VOTING
No. 1 – TBA on January 7
No. 2 – TBA on January 7
No. 3 – TBA on January 7
No. 4 – Cole Johnson, QB, James Madison – 86 points
No. 5 – Pierre Strong, Jr., RB, South Dakota State – 54
No. 6 – Cameron Ward, QB, Incarnate Word – 28
T-No. 7 – Xavier Gipson, WR, Stephen F. Austin – 21
T-No. 7 – Isaiah Ifanse, RB, Montana State – 21
No. 9 – Aqeel Glass, QB, Alabama A&M – 15
T-No. 10 – Trevor Penning, LT, Northern Iowa – 10
T-No. 10 – Jason Shelley, QB, Missouri State – 10
T-No. 12 – Keon Howard, QB, UT-Martin – 8
T-No. 12 – Eric Schmid, QB, Sam Houston State – 8
T-No. 14 – BJ Byrd, WR, Morehead State – 7
T-No. 14 – Xavier Shepherd, QB, Kennesaw State – 7
T-No. 14 – Liam Welch, QB, Samford – 7
T-No. 17 – Juwan Carter, QB, Norfolk State – 3
T-No. 17 – Tim DeMorat, QB, Fordham – 3
No. 19 – Jake Chisholm, RB, Dayton – 2
T-No. 20 – Dai'Jean Dixon, WR, Nicholls State – 1
T-No. 20 – Malik Grant, RB, Sacred Heart – 1
T-No. 20 – E.J. Perry, QB, Brown – 1
T-No. 23 – Davis Cheek, QB, Elon – 0
T-No. 23 – Geno Hess, RB, Southeast Missouri – 0
T-No. 23 – Tyler Hudson, WR, Central Arkansas – 0