HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Returning the nucleus of a team that accomplished things no other had in program history, Alabama A&M football has earned three selections on the BOXTOROW HBCU Preseason All-America Team as announced by that organization on Thursday, August 5.
 
Now in its 15^th season, BOXTOROW has named its top 30 players on offense, defense and special teams for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Among them are three Bulldogs in graduate quarterback Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.), junior wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) and junior offensive lineman Jonathan Williams (Mobile, Ala.).
 
Each adds to their awards in advance of the Fall 2021 season as they have already been named All-SWAC Preseason selections with Glass and Ibrahim landing on the First-Team and Williams on the Second-Team.
 
Aqeel Glass, Quarterback
Glass earned his spot on the team following one of the most prolific campaigns in program history, one that saw him collect an impressive list of accolades.
 
Those included the Deacon Jones Trophy (Black College Football Player of the Year), BOXTOROW National Player of the Year, SWAC Player of the Year, BOXTOROW Postseason and Preseason All-America honors, All-SWAC First-Team recognition, SWAC Championship Game Most Valuable Player and SWAC Preseason Player of the Year.
 
On top of that he was named STATS Perform FCS and BOXTOROW National Player of the Week and SWAC Player of the Week (Apr. 20) while being a finalist for the prestigious Walter Payton Award as the one of the nation's top players. The latter is an honor that he has also garnered heading into the Fall 2021 campaign as he has just recently been named on of 35 the inaugural watch list.
 
All of those honors were fueled by a four-game season that saw Glass lead the Bulldogs to their first SWAC Championship in 15 years (2006), first undefeated campaign in 53 years (1966) and the first ever HBCU National Championship in program history. On the year 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.
 
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Wide Receiver
Ibrahim has played his way from a tryout and walk-on player to being one of the more dangerous and decorated wide receivers at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in just two seasons.
 
In that time he has earned six All-American honors, including four this past year, a haul that included BOXTOROW Preseason and Postseason, HERO Sports Sophomore and an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Second-Team nod. The latter was just the fourth in the history of the program, second in the NCAA Division I Era and first since 2007. Additionally, he was named First-Team All-SWAC.
 
Ibrahim earned those awards with a season that saw him come away with 24 catches for 338 yards and threes scores in four games. That averaged out to six catches and 84.5 yards per game with an average of 14.1 per reception.
 
Those included six grabs, 81 yards and a touchdown in the season opener at South Carolina State (3/6), five catches for 94 yards and a pair of scores at Jackson State (4/10) and seven balls for 102 yards in a 38-14 trouncing of rival Alabama State (4/17) in the Magic City Classic.
 
Jonathan Williams, Offensive Line
Anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for one of the most explosive offenses in the country in the Spring 2021 season, Williams helped lead the Bulldogs to 10 Top-10 entries coming on that side of the ball in the NCAA National Stats.
 
They included leading the nation in red zone offense (1.000) and fumbles lost (0), second in passing efficiency and (171.01) and yards per completion (16.18), fourth in sacks allowed (0.33), fifth in passing offense (361.3) and tackles for loss allowed (4.0), sixth in turnovers lost (3), seventh in scoring offense (40.3 ppg.) and ninth in total offense (479.3).
 
Alabama A&M seeks to defend its first ever HBCU National Championship and first SWAC Championship in 15 years when they return to the field against South Carolina State on Saturday, September 4. That game will take place under the lights at 6 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.
 
FALL 2021 BOXTOROW HBCU PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAS
OFFENSE
QB: Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M, Gr., St. Louis, Mo.
RB: Ezra Gray, Alabama State, Sr., Lynn Haven, Fla.
RB: Devon Starling, Tennessee State, R-Fr., Antioch, Tenn.
RB: Jah-Maine Martin, North Carolina A&T, R-Sr., Conway, S.C.
OL: Mark Evans, II, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jr., Houston, Texas
OL: Danny Garza, Prairie View A&M, Gr., San Antonio, Texas
OL: Johnathan Bishop, Southern, Sr., Birmingham, Ala.
OL: Jonathan Williams, Alabama A&M, Jr., Mobile, Ala.
OL: Trayvon Taylor, Alabama State, R-Fr., Miami, Fla.
TE: Terrance Ellis, Alabama State, Soph., Stockbridge, Ga.
TE: Ethan Howard, Southern, Soph., Breaux Bridge, La.
WR: Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Alabama A&M, Jr., Miramar, Fla.
WR: Jadakis Bonds, Hampton, Jr., Williamston, N.C.
 
DEFENSE
DL: Jordan Lewis, Southern, Jr., Ocala, Fla.
DL: Christian Clark, Alabama State, Sr., Euclid, Ohio.
DL: Davoan Hawkins, Tennessee State, R-Soph., Hollywood, Fla.
DL: Joshua Pryor, Bowie State, R-Jr., Baltimore, Md.
LB: Keonte Hampton, Jackson State, Soph., West Point, Miss.
LB: BJ Davis, South Carolina State, R-Jr., Blair, S.C.
LB: Aubrey Miller, Jr., Jackson State, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
LB: Isaac Peppers, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jr., Greenville, Miss.
DB: Jalon Thigpen, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Sr., Laurel, Miss.
DB: Decobie Durant, South Carolina State, R-Sr., Lamar, S.C.
DB: Naytron Culpeppper, Alabama State, Jr., Miami, Fla.
DB: Irshaad  Davis, Alabama State, Soph., Opa Locka, Fla.
DB: De'Jahn Warren, Jackson State, Jr., Landover, Md.
DB: Demetri Morsell, Bowie State, Jr., Upper Marlboro, Md.

SPECIALISTS
P: Kenny Amaya, Bowie State, Sr., Bladensburg, Md.
PK: Antonio Zita, Tennessee State, Jr., Fayetteville, Tenn.
RS: Tyrin Ralph, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, R-Sr., New Orleans, La.