— Senior quarterback Nash Nance ( Calhoun, GA/ Tennessee) and senior wide receiver Holton Walker (Lynchburg, VA/ Brookville) have both been named Second Team Preseason All-Americans by d3football.com. Both earned 2013 All-America honors last season while helping lead the Tigers to their eighth ODAC Championship and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. This season, the Tigers enter the year with preseason rankings of ten (USA Today) and 21 (d3football.com), respectively.
Nance had a stellar 2013 campaign, earning Honorable Mention All-America, First Team All-Region, All-State, and All-ODAC honors while also being named the d3football. com South Region Offensive Player of the Year. The play caller led the ODAC in nearly every statistical category for quarterbacks, throwing for 3,504 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also led the league in rushing touchdowns with 17 to go with 545 yards. After two seasons, his
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5,156 career passing yards and 51 touchdowns both rank fifth in school history. He broke one school record last season, completing 45 passes against Christopher Newport.
Walker returns for his season year after a record breaking 2013 in which he was named Second Team All-America, First Team All- Region, All- State, and All- ODAC. Additionally, he was named the Tight End/Receiver of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond while being honored as a Lanier Award finalist, given to the top player in the state in Division II, III, and NAIA. The Lynchburg native broke five school records while leading the nation with 1,723 receiving yards. His 111 receptions and 16 touchdowns are program bests. Through three seasons, he is third on the school’s all-time receiving yards and touchdown lists with 3,204 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Hampden-Sydney opens its season with a much anticipated match up with No. 16 Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. on Sept. 6.
In other college football news:
JT Palmer Named to CFPA Punt Returner Watch List
— Mercer University’s JT Palmer was named to the 2014 College Football Performance Awards Punt Returner Watch List, becoming one of 34 return men from the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to receive recognition.
Palmer returned 10 punts in 2013, posting 11.2 yards per return to rank second in the Pioneer Football League. The Calhoun native also hauled in 30 receptions for 521 yards and seven touchdowns.
The junior wide receiver is the fifth Bear to garner preseason recognition from the CFPA this year, as tight end Robert Brown, quarterback John Russ, running back Payton Usher and placekicker Tyler Zielenske were each named to the watch list for their respective positions this summer.
The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferment in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Twenty-eight CFPA winners have been first-round NFL Draft selections.
Mercer will open up its 2014 season under the lights on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., when it hosts Reinhardt at Mercer University Stadium. — Mercer Athletics contributed to this report.