CHICAGO, Ill. – It is a rare career that sees eight All-American honors, especially with two seasons of eligibility remaining, but that is exactly what Alabama A&M senior wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) has accomplished as he has been named a 2022 Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason Third-Team All-American as announced by that organization on Monday, August 1.
 
A former tryout participant and a freshman walk-on, Ibrahim has added to a mantle that includes, in order, All-American honors from Hero Sports (2019 FCS Freshman), BOXTOROW (Spring 2021 Preseason, Spring 2021 First-Team), American Football Coaches Association (Spring 2021 Second-Team), Hero Sports (Spring 2021 Sophomore) and BOXTOROW (Fall 2021 Preseason, Fall 2021 First-Team).
 
This year's recognition from Stats Perform marks the second All-American nod from an organization that covers primarily Historically Black Colleges and Universities (AFCA being the other), meaning that he accomplished the feat while being up against all FCS programs.
 
Ibrahim is one of just 105 individuals selected as All-Americans from that level in 2022 and is regarded as one of the top seven wideouts in the country. Overall, he is one of seven members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to be named to the team, joining Florida A&M's Isaiah Land (LB, First-Team), Jah'Marae Sheread (PR, First-Team), Xavier Smith (WR, Third-Team), Bethune-Cookman's Kemari Averett (TE, Second-Team) and Jackson State's Isaiah Bolden (KR, Second-Team) and Travis Hunter (DB, Third-Team).
 
A LOOK BACK AT IBRAHIM'S FALL 2021 CAMPAIGN
What got him among that august group was a tremendous Fall 2021 campaign that saw him be one of just 16 individuals to record at least 1,000 yards receiving at the FCS level and the only one to do so in the SWAC.
 
His 1,008 yards in 10 games ranked 15^th in the country with every one of the 14 individuals in front of him playing in at least 11 games. In terms of the SWAC, he led the league in yards receiving by nearly 100 - over teammate Odieu Hilaire - and also topped the conference with an average of 100.8 per game as the only player to average triple digits.
 
His 6.7 catches per game trailed only Hilaire (7.1), as did his 67 receptions, and his eight touchdowns were sixth, trailing two of his teammates. Nationally, his receiving yards per game ranked fifth with his receptions per game and total receiving yards ranking eighth and 15^th respectively.
 
His second career 1,000-yard season featured numerous standout performances, including 177 on eight grabs against Tuskegee (9/25), 133 with a career-high 10 catches the following week at Grambling (10/2) and 104 with a score against Alabama State (10/30) in the Magic City Classic.
 
He saved his best for the final two games of the season, however, snagging eight balls for 176 yards and a pair of scores - including one from 81 yards out - at Texas Southern (11/13) and 115 yards on seven catches, two of which he would house, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/20).
 
Named a BOXTOROW All-American, an All-SWAC and Phil Steele All-SWAC First-Team selection, Ibrahim added another impressive honor during the season, one which only three other Bulldogs have ever achieved. That would be CoSIDA Academic All-District, recognizing him as one of the top receivers on the field and in the classroom out of District 4.
 
The latter includes FCS and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. This year he has also been named an All-SWAC Preseason First-Team selection.
 
UP NEXT
A&M and Ibrahim return to action next month as they kick off the season under the lights at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) on Thursday, September 1. Stay tuned to www.AAMUSports.com, the official online home of Bulldogs Athletics, for complete coverage of the 2022 season.
 
2022 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN FIRST-TEAM
Previous Season(s) as First-Team Postseason All-American Listed in Parentheses
OFFENSE
QB – Xavier Shepherd, 6-0, 205, Junior, Kennesaw State (2021 All-Purpose)
RB – Isaiah Davis, 6-1, 220, Junior, South Dakota State
RB – Isaiah Ifanse, 5-10, 202, Senior, Montana State
FB – Hunter Luepke, 6-1, 236, Senior, North Dakota State (2020, 2021)
WR – Xavier Gipson, 5-9, 170, Senior, Stephen F. Austin (2021)
WR – Taylor Grimes, 5-11, 190, Senior, UIW
TE – Tucker Kraft, 6-5, 255, Junior, South Dakota State (2021)
OL – Michael Corbi, 6-6, 335, Senior, Villanova
OL – McClendon Curtis, 6-6, 328, Senior, Chattanooga
OL – Matthan Hatchie, 6-2, 310, Senior, UT Martin
OL – Cody Mauch, 6-6, 303, Senior, North Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick, 6-4, 310, Senior, South Dakota State
 
DEFENSE
DL – Nate Lynn, 6-3, 255, Junior, William & Mary (2021)
DL – Devonnsha Maxwell, 6-3, 296, Senior, Chattanooga (2021)
DL – Josiah Silver, 6-2, 234, Sophomore, New Hampshire
DL – Spencer Waege, 6-5, 278, Senior, North Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, 6-0, 232, Senior, Holy Cross (2021)
LB – Ryan Greenhagen 6-1, 245, Graduate, Fordham
LB – Isaiah Land 6-4, 215, Senior, Florida A&M (2021)
LB – Patrick O'Connell, 6-2, 225, Redshirt-Senior, Montana (2021)
LB – Stone Snyder, 6-3, 240, Senior, VMI (2020)
DB – Anthony Adams, 6-0, 185, Senior, Portland State (2019)
DB – Justin Ford, 6-2, 190, Redshirt-Senior, Montana (2021)
DB – Ferlando Jordan, 6-0, 180, Redshirt-Senior, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Kedrick Whitehead, 5-11, 195, Senior, Delaware (2020)
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Matthew Cook, 5-11, 180, Junior, Northern Iowa
P – Grant Burkett, 6-1, 191, Sophomore, Missouri State
LS – Robert Soderholm, 6-1, 230, Senior, VMI
KR – Malik Flowers, 6-2, 200, Redshirt-Senior, Montana
PR – Jah'Marae Sheread, 5-7, 175, Redshirt-Senior, Florida A&M
AP – Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., 5-9, 189, Senior, UC Davis
AP – Jacob Saylors, 5-11, 195, Senior, ETSU
 
2022 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN SECOND-TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Jason Shelley, 5-11, 197, Senior, Missouri State
RB – Juwon Farri, 5-10, 195, Redshirt-Senior, Monmouth
RB – Malik Grant, junior, 5-9, 200, Senior, Sacred Heart
RB – Jaleel McLaughlin, 5-9, 195, Senior, Youngstown State
WR – Avante Cox, 5-10, 170, Senior, Southern Illinois (2020)
WR – Jakob Herres, 6-4, 225, Graduate, Richmond (2020)
TE – Kemari Averett, 6-6, 260, Senior, Bethune-Cookman
TE – Ryan Miller, 6-2, 221, Redshirt-Senior, Furman
OL – Noah Atagi, 6-4, 325, Junior, Weber State
OL – Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 295, Senior, South Dakota State (2020)
OL – Alex Jensen, 6-7, 280, Senior, South Dakota
OL – Kyle Nunez, 6-2, 340, Graduate, Stony Brook
OL – Anderson Tomlin, 6-5, 296, Redshirt-Senior, Furman
 
DEFENSE
DL – Brevin Allen, 6-4, 265, Senior, Campbell
DL – Malik Hamm, 6-3, 260, Senior, Lafayette
DL – Jeblonski Green, 6-3, 265, Redshirt-Junior, South Carolina State
DL – Jordan Lewis, 6-3, 195, Junior, Southern (2020)
DL – Clay Patterson, 6-3, 267, Junior, Yale
DL – B.J. Thompson, 6-6, 210, Senior, Stephen F. Austin
LB – Kelechi Anyalebechi, 6-0, 240, Graduate, UIW
LB – Adam Bock, 6-1, 215, Sophomore, South Dakota State
LB – Spencer Cuvelier, 6-3, 245, Redshirt-Senior, Northern Iowa
LB – David Hoage, 6-3, 250, Junior, Northern Colorado
LB – Titus Leo, 6-4, 245, Graduate, Wagner
LB – Tristan Wheeler, 6-2, 228, Redshirt-Junior, Richmond
DB – Zy Alexander, 6-3, 185, Sophomore, Southeastern Louisiana
DB – Montrae Braswell, 6-0, 190, Junior, Missouri State
DB – Robby Hauck, 5-10, 185, Redshirt-Senior, Montana
DB – Michael Tutsie, 5-11, 193, Senior, North Dakota State
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Kyle Sentkowski, 6-0, 209, Senior, Sacramento State
P – Max Quick, 5-10, 185, Junior, Stephen F. Austin
LS – Dalton Godfrey, 6-2, 230, Senior, South Dakota
KR – Isaiah Bolden, 6-2, 205, Senior, Jackson State
PR – Devon Harper, 5-9, 165, Junior, Mercer (2020)
AP – Jake Chisholm, 5-9, 191, Senior, Dayton
AP – Javon Williams Jr., 6-2, 245, Junior, Southern Illinois (2020)
 
2022 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN THIRD-TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Trae Self, 6-4, 190, Senior Stephen F. Austin
RB – Ailym Ford, 5-9, 213, Junior, Chattanooga
RB – Geno Hess, 5-8, 209, Senior, Southeast Missouri
RB – Ty Son Lawton, 5-10, 215, Senior, Stony Brook
WR – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, 6-1, 190, Senior, Alabama A&M
WR – Jaxon Janke, 6-3, 210, Senior, South Dakota State
WR – Xavier Smith, 5-10, 170, Graduate, Florida A&M
TE – Marshel Martin, 6-2, 209, Junior, Sacramento State
OL – Nick Correia, 6-6, 330, Redshirt-Junior, Rhode Island
OL – Mark Evans II, 6-4, 295, Senior, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OL – Levi Nesler, 6-1, 318, Redshirt-Senior, Murray State
OL – Jake Parks, 6-3, 285, Senior, UC Davis
OL – Evan Roussel, 6-2, 290, Sophomore, Nicholls
 
DEFENSE
DL – Ty French, 6-3, 230, Junior, Gardner-Webb
DL – Jonathan Hammond, 6-2, 227, Junior, Davidson
DL – Logan Jessup, 6-3, 255, Junior, Central Arkansas
DL – VJ Malo, 6-1, 270, Senior, Portland State
DL – Kevin Peprah, 6-2, 235, Senior, Sacred Heart
DL – Markel Perry, 6-2, 220, Redshirt-Senior, Sam Houston
LB – Ty Boeck, 6-1, 218, Senior, Chattanooga
LB – John Ford II, 6-3, 230, Graduate, UT-Martin
LB – Matthew Jackson, 6-2, 205, Redshirt-Senior, Eastern Kentucky
LB – James Kaczor, 6-0, 212, Senior, North Dakota State
LB – Trevor Williams, 5-9, 205, Senior, Sam Houston
DB – Cole Coleman, 5-10, 193, Senior, Elon
DB – Eddie Heckard, 5-10, 190, Junior, Weber State
DB – Travis Hunter, 6-1, 165, Freshman, Jackson State
DB – Deven Sims, 6-2, 200, Redshirt-Senior, UT Martin
DB – Lance Wise, 5-8, 185, Junior, Mercer
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Chris Campos, 5-10, 220, Redshirt-Sophomore, Stephen F. Austin
P – Ryan Kost, 6-2, 200, Graduate, Monmouth
LS – Brian McNamara, 5-9, 190, Senior, Sacred Heart
KR – Calvin Jones, 5-10, 175, Sophomore, Western Carolina
PR – Jayden Price, 6-0, 197, Senior, North Dakota State
AP – Narii Gaither, 5-10, 181, Senior, Gardner-Webb
AP – Darius Hale, 5-11, 225, Sophomore, Central Arkansas
AP – Tommy Mellott, 6-0, 195, Sophomore, Montana State