TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Florida A&M quarterback Daniel Richardson was named one of the top 35 players in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) after being named to a Walter Payton Award finalist.

In Richardson's first season with the Rattlers, he threw for over 2,400 yards and 21 touchdowns with one game left. Richardson is one of the most accurate passers in the nation, ranked fourth with a 69.7 passing completion. 

Richardson ranks top 25 in the nation in the following categories: yards per pass attempt (22), completions per game (21), passing touchdowns (21), passing yards per game (21), passing yards (19), passing efficiency (13), and completion percentage (4).

Richardson joins a list that includes Mark Adams (Davidson), Hope Adebayo (St. Thomas), Kayvon Britten (Tarleton State), Jeff Caldwell (Lindenwood), Zach Calzada (UIW), Efton Chism III (Eastern Washington), Jacob Clark (Missouri State), Jermaine Corbett (Merrimack), Jaden Craig (Harvard), Jamar Curtis (Lafayette), Paxton DeLaurent (Southeast Missouri State), Roland Dempster (Stony Brook), Cole Gonzales (Western Carolina), Charles Grant (William & Mary), Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State), Miles Hastings (UC Davis), Malachi Hosley (Penn), Elijah Howard (Central Connecticut State), Targhee Lambson (Southern Utah), Lan Larison (UC Davis), Antonio Martin (Southeastern Louisiana), Dwayne McGee (Mercer), Maverick McIvor (Abilene Christian), Tommy Mellott (Montana State), Cam Miller (North Dakota State), Eric Phoenix (South Carolina State), ShunDerrick Powell (Central Arkansas), Irv Mulligan (Jackson State), Derek Robertson (Monmouth), Ralph Rucker IV (Bucknell), J'Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central), Sam Vidlak (Stephen F. Austin), Jalen Walthall (UIW), and Jameson Wang (Cornell).

All 13 FCS conferences are represented by a finalist, and the list includes 16 quarterbacks, 15 running back, three receivers, and one offensive lineman. The winner will be selected by a national voting panel, and will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org