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South Dakota State University Athletics
STRONG, KRAFT EARN PAIR OF ALL-AMERICA AWARDS
12/14/2021 3:04:00 PM | Football
South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and tight end Tucker Kraft were each named to a pair of Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams Tuesday, with Strong garnering first-team recognition from both the Associated Press and HERO Sports.
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A senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong leads the FCS with 1,592 rushing yards, averaging 113.7 yards per game and seven yards per carry. He has scored 17 rushing touchdowns and also has thrown for four scores for a Jackrabbit squad that has advanced to the FCS semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.
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Strong has topped the 100-yard mark in nine of 14 games this season to move into third place in career rushing at South Dakota State with 4,433 yards.
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A two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS ranks, Strong was honored for the third season in a row on the HERO Sports FCS All-America team and moved up to the AP All-America First Team after a third-team selection in 2019.
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Kraft, a sophomore from Timber Lake, was a first-team selection by HERO Sports and a second-team honoree on the AP honor squad. He emerged as a top receiving target for the Jackrabbits in 2021, catching 59 passes for 677 yards and six touchdowns so far this season.
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Strong and Kraft were joined on the HERO Sports All-America First Team by a pair of teammates — offensive lineman Mason McCormick and linebacker Adam Bock.
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McCormick, a junior guard from Sioux Falls, has helped clear the way for a Jackrabbit offense that has averaged 37.5 points and 441.3 yards of total offense per game. He also was honored on the HERO Sports All-America team this past spring.
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A sophomore from Solon, Iowa, Bock has been the Jackrabbits' leading tackler each of the past two seasons, including registering 119 stops so far this fall. His 2021 season totals also include nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles.
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Both Bock and Kraft also were honored on HERO Sports' FCS Sophomore All-America Team, as was running back Isaiah Davis. Although limited to action in three regular season games due to injury, Davis has further bolstered the Jackrabbits' rushing attack in their playoff run to the tune of 499 yards and six touchdowns in three postseason contests to up his season totals to 688 yards and seven scores.
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With an 11-3 overall record heading into Saturday's playoff matchup at Montana State, South Dakota State has matched its school record for wins in a season. The Jackrabbits have qualified for the FCS playoffs each of the last 10 seasons, including reaching the national championship game during the 2020-21 campaign.
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A senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong leads the FCS with 1,592 rushing yards, averaging 113.7 yards per game and seven yards per carry. He has scored 17 rushing touchdowns and also has thrown for four scores for a Jackrabbit squad that has advanced to the FCS semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.
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Strong has topped the 100-yard mark in nine of 14 games this season to move into third place in career rushing at South Dakota State with 4,433 yards.
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A two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS ranks, Strong was honored for the third season in a row on the HERO Sports FCS All-America team and moved up to the AP All-America First Team after a third-team selection in 2019.
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Kraft, a sophomore from Timber Lake, was a first-team selection by HERO Sports and a second-team honoree on the AP honor squad. He emerged as a top receiving target for the Jackrabbits in 2021, catching 59 passes for 677 yards and six touchdowns so far this season.
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Strong and Kraft were joined on the HERO Sports All-America First Team by a pair of teammates — offensive lineman Mason McCormick and linebacker Adam Bock.
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McCormick, a junior guard from Sioux Falls, has helped clear the way for a Jackrabbit offense that has averaged 37.5 points and 441.3 yards of total offense per game. He also was honored on the HERO Sports All-America team this past spring.
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A sophomore from Solon, Iowa, Bock has been the Jackrabbits' leading tackler each of the past two seasons, including registering 119 stops so far this fall. His 2021 season totals also include nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles.
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Both Bock and Kraft also were honored on HERO Sports' FCS Sophomore All-America Team, as was running back Isaiah Davis. Although limited to action in three regular season games due to injury, Davis has further bolstered the Jackrabbits' rushing attack in their playoff run to the tune of 499 yards and six touchdowns in three postseason contests to up his season totals to 688 yards and seven scores.
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With an 11-3 overall record heading into Saturday's playoff matchup at Montana State, South Dakota State has matched its school record for wins in a season. The Jackrabbits have qualified for the FCS playoffs each of the last 10 seasons, including reaching the national championship game during the 2020-21 campaign.
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