CHICAGO, Ill. – Coming off perhaps the most impressive season in program history, Alabama A&M senior quarterback
Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.) is expected to match or top that performance as he is one of 35 players – 15 of which are quarterbacks – to be named to the prestigious Walter Payton Award Watch List entering the traditional Fall 2021 season.
Announced by Stats Perform, the award represents the top offensive player in the country at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy at that level.
A finalist this past spring, Glass is one of four players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) on the list, with two other quarterbacks joining him in Juwan Carter of Norfolk State and Felix Harper of Alcorn State. North Carolina A&T running back Jah-Maine Martin completes that group.
A National Football League (NFL) prospect, Glass earns his spot on the watch list as he comes off a season that saw him accomplish things no other player in program history has.
He earned the Deacon Jones Trophy as the Black College Football Player of the Year, BOXTOROW National Player of the Year, SWAC Player of the Year (all firsts in program history), BOXTOROW Postseason and Preseason All-American, All-SWAC First-Team honors, SWAC Championship Game MVP, STATS Perform FCS and BOXTOROW National Player of the Week, SWAC Preseason Player of the Year and SWAC Player of the Week (Apr. 20).
Those honors would be fueled by Glass leading A&M to its first SWAC Championship in 15 years (2006), first undefeated campaign in 53 years (1966) and the first ever HBCU National Championship in program history.
ABOUT GLASS' SPRING 2021 CAMPAIGN
On the season he threw for 1,355 yards on 91-of-158 passing, connected for 16 touchdowns for an average of four per game and averaged 338.8 yards through the air. It also included a Division I Era record-setting performance on a world-wide stage on ESPN when he threw for 440 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-43 victory at Jackson State (4/10) following a 35-day layoff.
Both were records since the program went DI at the turn of the century and he added a rushing touchdown for good measure to make it seven on the day. The 52 points marked the most against a Division I opponent since 2008 and just the ninth time the program had reached the 50-point plateau since moving from DII.
Nationally, he would finish second at the FCS level in Points Responsible Per Game (26.0), third in Passing Yards Per Completion (14.89), seventh in Passing Touchdowns, Passing Yards Per Game and Total Offense (347.8), eighth in Passing Efficiency (158.0) and ninth in Completions Per Game (22.75).
Alabama A&M and Glass are set to defend their HBCU National Championship and SWAC Championship beginning next month when they kick off the season under the lights at Louis Crews Stadium on September 4 against South Carolina State.
Walter Payton Award Watch List
Quarterbacks
Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Juwan Carter, Norfolk State
Jack Cook, Dayton
Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State (2019 finalist)
Tim DeMorat, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay
Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M (2020-21 finalist)
Felix Harper, Alcorn State (2019 finalist)
Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana (2020-21 recipient)
E.J. Perry, Brown
Eric Schmid, Sam Houston
Breylin Smith, Central Arkansas
Daniel Smith, Villanova (2019 finalist)
Cameron Ward, UIW
Liam Welch, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Running Backs
Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Julius Chestnut, Sacred Heart (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Josh Davis, Weber State
Elijah Dotson, Sacramento State
Juwon Farri, Monmouth (2020-21 finalist)
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri
Quay Holmes, ETSU (2020-21 finalist)
Dejoun Lee, Delaware (2020-21 finalist)
Jah-Maine Martin, North Carolina A&T (2019 finalist)
Karl Mofor, Albany
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State (2020-21 finalist)
Otis Weah, North Dakota (2020-21 finalist)
Devin Wynn, Furman
Wide Receivers
Samuel Akem, Montana
Avante Cox, Southern Illinois
Dai'Jean Dixon, Nicholls
Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston
Jakob Herres, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas (2020-21 finalist)
Christian Watson, North Dakota State
