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South Dakota State University Athletics
EIGHT JACKS LAND ON HERO SPORTS HONOR SQUADS
5/21/2021 10:26:00 AM | Football
A total of eight South Dakota State football players were honored this week on a variety of All-America teams selected by HERO Sports.
Senior linebacker Logan Backhaus was one of three Jackrabbits to be named to the HERO Sports FCS All-America Team for all classes. The Spirit Lake, Iowa, native tallied 72 tackles in 10 games, including a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss with two sacks. Backhaus also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in helping lead a Jackrabbit defense that allowed only 15 points per game en route to reaching the Football Championship Subdivision national title game.
Earning All-America recognition from the Jackrabbit offense were running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and offensive lineman Mason McCormick. Strong rushed for 707 yards (78.6 yards per game) and three touchdowns during the 2020-21 spring season. The junior from Little Rock, Arkansas, also ranked third on the team with 20 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown.
McCormick, a sophomore from Sioux Falls, started all 10 games at left guard for a Jackrabbit offense that averaged 29.2 points and more than 400 yards of total offense per contest, including 231.7 on the ground.
McCormick was joined on the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America Team by right tackle Garret Greenfield and wide receiver Jaxon Janke. Greenfield has been honored on multiple All-America squads this spring, while Janke posted team bests of 32 receptions, 473 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Madison native also averaged 13.2 yards on eight punt returns.
A trio of Jackrabbits were honored on the Freshman All-America Team: linebacker Adam Bock, running back Isaiah Davis and quarterback Mark Gronowski.
Bock, a redshirt freshman from Solon, Iowa, registered a team-best 74 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
A true freshman from Joplin, Missouri, Davis ended the season as the Jackrabbits' leading rusher with 818 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8.5 yards per carry. He topped the 100-yard mark four times, including a 178-yard, three-touchdown performance against Sam Houston in the FCS national title game. Davis also recorded seven catches for 107 yards and averaged 32.6 yards on seven kickoff returns.
Gronowski, also a true freshman, was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year as a dual-threat quarterback and finished the year with 1,565 passing yards and 577 rushing yards. He accounted for 22 touchdowns – 15 passing and seven rushing – against only three interceptions. The Naperville, Illinois, native rushed and passed for 100-plus yards in the same game three times.
South Dakota State completed the 2020-21 season with an 8-2 overall record. The Jackrabbits won a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and made their ninth consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs, advancing to the national championship game for the first time in program history.
-GoJacks.com-
Senior linebacker Logan Backhaus was one of three Jackrabbits to be named to the HERO Sports FCS All-America Team for all classes. The Spirit Lake, Iowa, native tallied 72 tackles in 10 games, including a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss with two sacks. Backhaus also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in helping lead a Jackrabbit defense that allowed only 15 points per game en route to reaching the Football Championship Subdivision national title game.
Earning All-America recognition from the Jackrabbit offense were running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and offensive lineman Mason McCormick. Strong rushed for 707 yards (78.6 yards per game) and three touchdowns during the 2020-21 spring season. The junior from Little Rock, Arkansas, also ranked third on the team with 20 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown.
McCormick, a sophomore from Sioux Falls, started all 10 games at left guard for a Jackrabbit offense that averaged 29.2 points and more than 400 yards of total offense per contest, including 231.7 on the ground.
McCormick was joined on the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America Team by right tackle Garret Greenfield and wide receiver Jaxon Janke. Greenfield has been honored on multiple All-America squads this spring, while Janke posted team bests of 32 receptions, 473 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Madison native also averaged 13.2 yards on eight punt returns.
A trio of Jackrabbits were honored on the Freshman All-America Team: linebacker Adam Bock, running back Isaiah Davis and quarterback Mark Gronowski.
Bock, a redshirt freshman from Solon, Iowa, registered a team-best 74 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
A true freshman from Joplin, Missouri, Davis ended the season as the Jackrabbits' leading rusher with 818 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8.5 yards per carry. He topped the 100-yard mark four times, including a 178-yard, three-touchdown performance against Sam Houston in the FCS national title game. Davis also recorded seven catches for 107 yards and averaged 32.6 yards on seven kickoff returns.
Gronowski, also a true freshman, was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year as a dual-threat quarterback and finished the year with 1,565 passing yards and 577 rushing yards. He accounted for 22 touchdowns – 15 passing and seven rushing – against only three interceptions. The Naperville, Illinois, native rushed and passed for 100-plus yards in the same game three times.
South Dakota State completed the 2020-21 season with an 8-2 overall record. The Jackrabbits won a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and made their ninth consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs, advancing to the national championship game for the first time in program history.
-GoJacks.com-
Players Mentioned
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