Bucknell University Athletics
Byers Earns Another All-America Honor
12/23/2014 11:01:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell senior linebacker Evan Byers (Raleigh, N.C./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)/Trinity Pawling (N.Y.)) this week earned his third postseason All-America honor. The Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year was named to The Sports Network All-America Second Team on Tuesday. He previously was honored with spots on the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team and the Associated Press All-America Second Team.
Byers is the third Bison in four years to earn All-America honors from The Sports Network, following Bryce Robertson (First Team in 2011) and Tracey Smith (Third Team in 2013). Byers was one of five Patriot League players cited.
Also this week, Byers was honored by the ECAC with a spot on its FCS All-Star Team. He was also recognized as the organization's Defensive Player of the Year.
A three-time All-Patriot League selection, Byers finished his career with 382 stops. He posted a third consecutive 100-tackle campaign in 2014 as he led the Bison with 119 this fall. He also recorded 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks and recently won three awards at the team's postseason banquet.
Byers finished his Bison career as one of only three members of the senior class to play in all 44 games over the last four years. He totaled 40 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, six fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and four interceptions to go along with his record-breaking tackle figure.
Bucknell's first Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year since 2004, Byers was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection as a sophomore and followed that with back-to-back first-team honors. He led the Patriot League in tackles this year and was in the top five in both tackles for loss and sacks. Byers currently stands second nationally in solo tackles per game (7.2), while his 10.8 tackles per game place him eighth nationally.
The owner of 17 career double-figure tackle outings, including a 23-stop performance in the 2014 season opener vs. VMI, Byers had at least six tackles in 32 of his final 33 games played as a Bison.
Byers this fall helped Bucknell to its best season in nearly two decades as the Bison posted an 8-3 overall record and finished in second place in the Patriot League standings with a 4-2 mark. It was just the fifth season with at least eight wins in program history as Bucknell recorded its third above-.500 finish in the last four years.
Evan Byers' Postseason Honors
The Sports Network Second Team All-American
Associated Press Second Team All-American
AFCA All-American
First Team All-Patriot League
Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year
ECAC FCS All-Star Team
ECAC Defensive Player of the Year
Keating-Rieu Memorial Award (team award)
Tom Gadd Coaches Award (team award)
Sledge Hammer Award (team award)
