University of Montana freshman safety Robby Hauck was named to the Hero Sports FCS freshmen all-American team on Monday. Hauck was one of two Big Sky Conference players on the first-team defense, joining Eastern Washington’s Mitchell Johnson.
Hauck, who finished seventh in the voting for the Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the top freshman in FCS football, tallied 95 tackles in 2018, second-best on the Grizzlies behind national leader Dante Olson (151). Hauck’s 95 total tackles ranked No. 47 in the FCS, though he was the national leader among freshmen.
The third consecutive Grizzly to be a finalist for the Rice Award (Gresch Jensen finished No. 3 in 2017, Jerry Louie-McGee No. 7 in 2016) Hauck received a first-place vote for the honor and finished third among defensive players.
Hauck posted four games with double-digit tackle totals, including a career-high 17 in Montana’s win at Cal Poly, and ranked fifth in the Big Sky Conference in tackles.
Jerry Rice Award-winner Josh Daavis was one of six Big Sky Conference players, including Hauck, to be named Hero Sports first-team freshmen all-American. UC Davis duo Ulonzo Gilliam and Jake Parks were honored, as were Eastern Washington’s Mitchell Johnson and Montana State’s Connor Wood. Wood and MSU running back Isaiah Ifanse, an honorable mention selection, represented the Bobcats.
Eastern Washington’s Andrew Boston and UC Davis’ Connor Pettek were also honorable mention selections.
