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CHICAGO – Shedeur Sanders' consistent excellence has been pivotal in the Tigers' championship season and one of the big reasons why on Monday he was named the 2021 recipient of the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the national freshman player of the year in Division I FCS.
 
A 50-member, national media panel selected the Rice Award after the regular season, with Sanders winning over runner-up Darius Hale of Central Arkansas from a group of 23 finalists. The Rice Award, now in its 11th season, is named for legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, and past recipients include Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds (Fordham) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (North Dakota State).
 
Shedeur Sanders was on campus as a redshirt during his father's first season this past spring. After winning the starting job in the summer, he has gone on to be the offensive leader of Jackson State's first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship squad since 2007. The Tigers (11-1) next face South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl Saturday in Atlanta.
 
During the regular season, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanders, from Canton Texas, completed 248 of 361 passes (68.7 percent) for 2,971 yards (over 200 in every game) and 28 touchdowns with only five interceptions – a 160.5 passer efficiency rating that ranked fifth in the FCS – and rushed for three more scores. He went over 3,000 yards and added a 29th TD pass in the SWAC championship game.
 
Sanders will be honored at the FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas, with a broadcast of the festivities to begin airing the next day on Bally Sports Regional Networks. Stats Perform also will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
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.