Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Land was named the winner of the Buck Buchanan Award at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Friday in Frisco, Texas.
Land beat out Montana State's Troy Andersen and Montana's Patrick O'Connell for the award, which is given annually to the best defensive player in the FCS. Land, a junior, logged 25.5 tackles-for-loss and 19 sacks among his 43 total tackles while earning Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
O’Connell, also junior, recorded 91 tackles, which included 40 solos, 13 sacks, and 19.5 tackles behind the line. Andersen collected 111 tackles this season, including 57 solos, with 9.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He picked off two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and broke up seven others. Andersen also recovered a fumble and hurried the quarterback once.
The full voting results can be found below.
2021 Buck Buchanan Award Voting Results
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point.
1. Isaiah Land, LB, Florida A&M: 11-9-8-4-2-125
2. Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State: 15-5-2-0-2-103
3. Patrick O’Connell, LB, Montana: 11-1-4-4-4-83
4. Justin Ford, CB, Montana: 3-7-4-9-4-77
5. James Houston, DE, Jackson State: 4-6-2-1-5-57
6. Darius Joiner, S, Western Illinois: 1-4-5-5-5-51
7. Isaiah Chambers, DE, McNeese: 1-4-5-4-1-45
8. Forrest Rhyne, LB, Villanova: 2-3-1-3-0-31
9. Nate Lynn, DE, William & Mary: 0-4-1-3-4-29
10. Jacob Dobbs, LB, Holy Cross: 0-1-3-3-5-24
11.(tie) Kelechi Anyalebechi, LB, UIW: 0-4-3-0-2-23
11.(tie) Adam Bock, LB, South Dakota State: 1-1-1-4-3-23
13. Stone Snyder, LB, VMI: 1-0-3-1-6-22
14. Devonnsha Maxwell, DE, Chattanooga: 0-1-2-3-2-18
15. Jahari Kay, DE, Sam Houston: 0-0-3-2-1-14
16. Matthew Jackson, LB, Eastern Kentucky: 0-0-1-3-0-9
17. Markquese Bell, S, Florida A&M: 0-0-2-0-0-6
18. Decobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State: 0-1-0-0-0-4
19. Jalen Mackie, LB, Dartmouth: 0-0-0-0-3-3
20. Vaughn Taylor Jr., DE, Morehead State: 0-0-0-1-0-2
21. Titus Leo, LB, Wagner: 0-0-0-0-1-1
22.(tie) Brevin Allen, DE, Campbell: 0-0-0-0-0-0
22.(tie) Shaundre Mims, DL, Charleston Southern: 0-0-0-0-0-0
22.(tie) Koby Perry, S, Austin Peay: 0-0-0-0-0-0
22.(tie) Jeremiah Tyler, LB, Princeton: 0-0-0-0-0-0
