Montana State defensive end Dane Fletcher has been named to the preseason Buck Buchanan Award candidate list, the Sports Network announced on Tuesday.
The Sports Network announced the first four candidates for the Buchanan and Walter Payton Awards and will continue to name more prior to the start of the 2009 season. A total of 20 candidates will be on each list. The Buchanan goes to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision, while the Payton goes to the top offensive player.
Fletcher, a 6-foot-2, 242-pound senior defensive end from Bozeman, Mont., is among the top pass rushers in the Big Sky. He tallied 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss to earn second team All-Conference honors. He also had 44 total tackles, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks in helping the Bobcats to a 7-5 overall record in 2008.
In his three-year career, Fletcher has 9.5 sacks, 109 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 13 pass breakups.
“Dane is very productive,’’ said MSU coach Rob Ash. “I love all the tackles and sacks. But he has a presence on the field that’s just contagious in a positive way. He is a competitor and a leader, and he makes his team better. He is very deserving of this recognition.”
Big Sky Conference players have claimed the Buck Buchanan Award each of the last two seasons. Montana’s Kroy Biermann, now of the Atlanta Falcons, won the honor in 2007. Greg Peach, a rookie for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, captured the honor with Eastern Washington in 2008.
Former Idaho State great Jared Allen, now an NFL All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings, won the honor in 2003.
Joining Fletcher on Tuesday’s list are defensive end Christian Anthony of Grambling, defensive end Danny Batten of South Dakota State and strong safety Tony Connors of Southeastern Louisiana.
The first four players named to the Walter Payton Award Watch list are 2008 winner Armanti Edwards, a quarterback from Appalachian State, Samford running back Chris Evans, South Carolina State running back Will Ford and Northern Iowa QB Pat Grace.
Big Sky Conference players have claimed six Walter Payton Awards, more than any other FCS conference. The last to claim the honor was Eastern Washington QB Erik Meyer in 2005.
The lists will be updated throughout the course of the 2009 season. A panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will select the winners at the conclusion of the regular season. The winners will be announced on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night before the NCAA Division I Championship.