(Editor's note: University of Montana)
MISSOULA - Montana linebacker Dante Olson [gogriz.com] has added yet another major preseason accolade to his resume, being named to the STATS FCS Preseason All-America First Team, the news organization announced Tuesday. The recognition follows his selection by STATS as a First-Team All-American in 2018.
Olson is the only defender from the Big Sky Conference to earn a place on the preseason first-team, and one of only 13 players from the league to receive first, second or third-team preseason honors.
This is the sixth preseason accolade for the record-breaking senior heading into the 2019 season, having already been named Big Sky Preseason Defensive MVP and the only FCS player to earn a place on the Butkus Award Watch List. Olson was also named to the Athlon Sports and HERO Sports Preseason All-America teams, and the College Football America Yearbook FCS Preseason Starting Lineup.
The 6-3, 237-pound native of Medford, Ore., set a new Montana school record in 2018 with a Big Sky best 151 total tackles. His 13.7 tackle per-game average was also the highest in all of FCS and FBS football. He also ranked sixth in the Big Sky in sacks (6), ninth in TFLs (11), and second in forced fumbles (3).
Olson finished the 2018 season as a top-three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and received seven different All-America accolades in addition to first-team All-Big Sky honors. He was named the FCS and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele Magazine, won Montana's Steve Carlson Team MVP and Defensive MVP awards, and was named ROOT Sports Big Sky Player of the Week three separate times.
He is a three-time Academic All-Big Sky selection, was named to the FCS Athletic Director's Association Academic All-Star Team in 2018, currently carries a 3.9 GPA, and will graduate in the Fall of 2019 with a Business Administration degree in Management. He also mentors and serves as a pen-pal with a class of underprivileged kids in Northern California, encouraging them to pursue a college education.
2019 STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Jake Maier, senior, 6-0, 200, UC Davis
RB - A.J. Hines, senior, 5-11, 225, Duquesne
RB - James Robinson, senior, 5-10, 220, Illinois State
WR - Michael Bandy, senior, 5-11, 190, San Diego
WR - Josh Pearson, senior, 6-4, 205, Jacksonville State
WR - Nathan Stewart, senior, 6-0, 180, Sam Houston State
TE - Charlie Taumoepeau, senior, 6-3, 240, Portland State
OL - J'Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 350, Central Connecticut State
OL - Noah Johnson, senior, 6-4, 302, Idaho
OL - Zack Johnson, senior, 6-6, 317, North Dakota State
OL - Zach Larsen, senior, 6-1, 305, Southern Utah
OL - Kyle Murphy, senior, 6-4, 312, Rhode Island
DEFENSE
DL - Sully Laiche, senior, 6-2, 270, Nicholls
DL - Nasir Player, senior, 6-5, 271, ETSU
DL - Chris Terrell, senior, 6-3, 270, Central Arkansas
DL - Nick Wheeler, senior, 6-2, 255, Colgate
LB - Jabril Cox, junior, 6-3, 233, North Dakota State
LB - Cam Gill, senior, 6-3, 230, Wagner
LB - Zach Hall, senior, 6-0, 230, Southeast Missouri
LB - Dante Olson [gogriz.com], senior, 6-3, 237, Montana
DB - Marlon Bridges, senior, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville State
DB - Manny Patterson, senior, 5-10, 180, Maine
DB - Rashad Robinson, senior, 5-11, 185, James Madison
DB - Isiah Swann, senior, 6-0, 190, Dartmouth
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Aidan O'Neill, senior, 6-1, 199, Towson
P - Alex Pechin, graduate, 6-0, 210, Bucknell
LS - Bradey Sorenson, junior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
KR - Jean Constant, senior, 5-9, 180, Stony Brook
PR - D'Angelo Amos, junior, 6-1, 186, James Madison
ATH - Shane Simpson, senior, 5-9, 200, Towson
ATH - Troy Andersen, junior, 6-3, 215, Montana State
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tom Flacco, senior, 6-1, 208, Towson
RB - Josh Davis, sophomore, 5-9, 195, Weber State
RB - Pierre Strong Jr., sophomore, 5-11, 200, South Dakota State
RB - De'Shawn Waller, senior, 5-11, 210, Alcorn State
WR - Cade Johnson, junior, 5-10, 175, South Dakota State
WR - Bryce Nunnelly, junior, 6-2, 190, Chattanooga
WR - Aaron Parker, senior, 6-3, 191, Rhode Island
TE - Briley Moore, senior, 6-3, 242, Northern Iowa
OL - Justus Basinger, senior, 6-4, 305, Wofford
OL - Spencer Blackburn, senior, 6-2, 290, Eastern Washington
OL - Liam Fornadel, junior, 6-4, 307, James Madison
OL - Drew Himmelmann, junior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL - Marcus Pettiford, senior, 6-4, 293, North Carolina A&T
DEFENSE
DL - Darin Greenfield, senior, 6-3, 240, South Dakota
DL - Aaron Patrick, senior, 6-4, 245, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Derrek Tuszka, senior, 6-5, 243, North Dakota State
DL - Kayon Whitaker, senior, 6-2, 255, Maine
LB - Bryson Armstrong, junior, 5-11, 212, Kennesaw State
LB - Jeremiah Chambers, senior, 6-1, 220, Abilene Christian
LB - Jonas Griffith, senior, 6-4, 240, Indiana State
LB - Adrian Hope, sophomore, 6-1, 210, Furman
LB - Christian Rozeboom, senior, 6-2, 225, South Dakota State
DB - Abu Daramy-Swaray, senior, 5-10, 190, Colgate
DB - Franklin "Mac" McCain III, junior, 5-11, 173, North Carolina A&T
DB - Tyree Robinson, junior, 5-11, 184, ETSU
DB - Dorian Walker, senior, 6-0, 181, Kennesaw State
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Grayson Atkins, junior, 5-10, 187, Furman
P - Cade Coffey, junior, 6-1, 198, Idaho
LS - Josh Brady, senior, 6-3, 238, Jacksonville State
KR - Rashid Shaheed, junior, 6-0, 175, Weber Stat
PR - Nick Rinella, senior, 5-10, 200, Saint Francis
ATH - Kentel Williams, senior, 6-0, 190, Austin Peay
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Tyrie Adams, senior, 6-2, 180, Western Carolina
RB - Juwon Farri, sophomore, 5-10, 185, Monmouth
RB - Quay Holmes, sophomore, 6-1, 216, ETSU
RB - Jordan Meachum, senior, 5-10, 200, Sacred Heart
WR - Jequez Ezzard, senior, 5-9, 190, Howard
WR - Reed Klubnik, senior, 6-3, 200, Yale
WR - Kristian Wilkerson, senior, 6-1, 210, Southeast Missouri
TE - Adam Trautman, senior, 6-6, 253, Dayton
OL - Darius Anderson, junior, 6-3, 305, Jacksonville State
OL - Jack Badovinac, junior 6-2, 290, Colgate
OL - Mitch Brott, senior, 6-6, 290, Montana State
OL - Reily Radosevich, senior, 6-3, 265, Princeton
OL - Ty Whitworth, junior, 6-4, 295, Weber State
DEFENSE
DL - Ron'Dell Carter, senior, 6-3, 273, James Madison
DL - Maurice Jackson, senior, 6-2, 265, Richmond
DL - Bryce Sterk, senior, 6-5, 250, Montana State
DL - Khristian Tate, senior, 6-0, 280, Georgetown
LB - Glenn Cunningham, junior, 6-2, 226, Fordham
LB - Da'Jon Lee, senior, 6-2, 235, Saint Francis
LB - Solomon Muhammad, senior, 6-1, 235, Alcorn State
LB - DeShawn Stevens, junior, 6-1, 250, Maine
LB - Evan Veron, senior, 6-0, 215, Nicholls
DB - Tymere Berry, junior, 6-1, 175, Monmouth
DB - Jeremy Chinn, senior, 6-2, 211, Southern Illinois
DB - Zyon McCollum, junior, 6-4, 190, Sam Houston State
DB - Ju'Anthony Parker, senior, 5-11, 165, Prairie View A&M
DB - Will Warner, senior, 6-3, 201, Drake
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Chase Vinatieri, senior, 6-1, 225, South Dakota State
P - Chris Faddoul, junior, 6-1, 182, Florida A&M
P - Garret Wegner, junior, 6-0, 193, North Dakota State
LS - Chandler Collins, senior, 6-4, 242, Missouri State
KR - Jimmie Robinson, senior, 5-8, 162, Bethune-Cookman
KR - Juwan Petit-Frere, senior, 5-9, 180, Southeastern Louisiana
PR - Chris Rowland, senior, 5-8, 170, Tennessee State
ATH - Caylin Newton, junior, 6-0, 195, Howard
