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FRISCO, Texas – Florida A&M’s Isaiah Land has been named the 2021 Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award winner.

After being the most dominating pass rusher in FCS college football this season, Land received the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award at the national awards presentation on Friday night.

The 27th annual award, named for legendary Hall of Fame defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, is presented to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS.

A 50-member, national media panel selected the Buchanan winner from a group of 25 finalists following the regular season. Land, a redshirt junior and a combo defensive end/outside linebacker, was first in the voting over linebackers Troy Andersen of Montana State and Patrick O’Connell of Montana.

Land produced 25.5 tackles for loss, 147 yards in losses, 19 sacks and 121 sack yards in losses, which were all FCS-leading totals during the regular season. Adding in one FCS playoff game and the Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive player of the year finished with 43 total tackles, including 32 solos, six quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

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.
 
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