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DAYTON, Ohio – Last year at this time, University of Dayton’s James Vercammen was getting prepared to head into his first year as the full-time starter for the Flyers at the “Flyer” position. This year, after leading the Pioneer Football League and finishing third in the nation in total tackles (134), Vercammen is getting All-America attention.
He was named to the Buchanan Award Watch List, and has been added to two preseason All-American teams, Phil Steele’s Football Championship Subdivision Pre-Season All-America Third Team and most recently The Sports Network Preseason All-American First Team. Vercammen is the only player from the PFL on the first team and one of four from the league on any of the Sports Network preseason teams. Drake’s Dain Taylor, Butler’s Zach Watkins, and Jacksonville’s Josh Philpart each made the third team preseason list.As a redshirt junior, Vercammen’s 134 tackles set a new single-season record in the PFL and earned him a spot on the Football Championship Subdivision All-American Second Team and All-PFL First Team. He posted eight games of double-digit tackles, including a 19 tackle, 1.5 tackle for loss and one pass breakup game against conference foe San Diego. Vercammen is back for his fifth-year and is one of three defensive starters returning from 2009. Last year the Flyers finished with the league’s best total and scoring defense. Their 9-2 record earned them a share of their 10th PFL title and marked the 23rd time in school history UD has had at least nine wins in a season. Dayton enters the year with a total of 13 returning starters and 84 letterwinners, and opens the season on September 4, against Robert Morris at Welcome Stadium. News Release By: Doug Hauschild, Dayton SID
Dayton, Ohio – Coming off a record-setting year on defense, the University of Dayton’s James Vercammen has been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List by The Sports Network for the upcoming season.
A 2010 co-captain, Vercammen headlined a stout Dayton defense that finished the 2009 campaign as the Pioneer Football League’s best. His 134 total tackles set a new PFL single-season record, were 25 more than anyone else in the PFL, and placed him third-best in the nation on the Football Championship Subdivision level. Playing the hybrid “Flyer” position, Vercammen was all over the field last year and finished as a Second Team FCS All-American and First Team All-PFL selection.He is now amongst 20 players throughout the country on the preseason list. The Buchanan Award is named after Junious “Buck” Buchanan, a long time Kansas City Chief and former Grambling State University defensive lineman. Created in 1995, the trophy annually honors the defensive player of the year in the FCS and will be presented to the FCS' national defensive player of the year on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. The 2009 winner was James Madison's Arthur Moats, a draft choice of the Buffalo Bills this year.. Of its 16 recipients, nine have gone on to play in the NFL, including three-time All-Pro selection Jared Allen.Vercammen is the first player in UD’s football program’s history to be named to the preseason watch list. Fellow teammate Steve Valentino was named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List last week, which goes to the nation’s FCS Player of the Year.The Flyers open up the 2010 season on Saturday, September 4 against Robert Morris at Welcome Stadium.News Release By: Doug Hauschild, Dayton SID
Dayton, Ohio – Reigning Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year and University of Dayton quarterback, Steve Valentino has been named to the 2010 Walter Payton Award Watch List by The Sports Network, it was announced today. It is the first time in the football program’s history that a player has been named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton award.
Valentino is the definition of a “do-it-all” player. He started every game for the Flyers in 2009, one at receiver, before an injury to several quarterbacks forced him to move under center for the remaining 10 games. After making the transition, Valentino led the Flyers to a 9-1 record (9-2 overall) and a share of the Pioneer Football League title. In the same year, he also led the PFL in total offensive yards (281.6 ypg.) and all quarterbacks in rushing yards with 722.A starter of all 11 games last year, Valentino opened the season at wide receiver before injuries forced him to step under center and play quarterback for the final 10 games. He would only go on to lead the Flyers to a share of the PFL title and be named the Pioneer Football League’s Offensive Player of the Year. He led the league in total offense, accounting for over 280 yards per game, and completed 59.4% (170 of 286) of his passes. Over his career, Valentino has been a First Team All-PFL selection twice, once as a wide receiver in 2008 and once as a quarterback in 2009. He enters the year as co-captain and is one of the top players on a dominate Dayton offense that finished third in total offense in 2009. The Flyers return a total of 13 starters in 2010.News Release By: Doug Hauschild, Dayton SID
Dayton, Ohio- Phil Steele’s College Football Preview has selected seven University of Dayton football players on its pre-season All-Pioneer Football League team. In addition, Defensive back James Vercammen was named to the magazine’s Football Championship Subdivision Pre-Season All-America Third Team.
Six Flyers were named to the PFL first team, which tied with Jacksonville for the most first team selections. Quarterback Steve Valentino, center Justin Griffis, offensive guard Tyler Friedrich, defensive end Brandon Wingeier, linebacker Joe Ries, and Vercammen were all named to the first team. Fifth-year senior Justin Watkins rounded out Dayton’s list as a second team selection at wide receiver.Vercammen headlines the first team pre-season picks on defense as the only PFL player who was named to the Steele All-America teams. Playing Dayton’s unique “Flyer” position, the senior led the PFL in total tackles (134), finished second in tackles for loss (17) and ninth in the league with six sacks. He was named Second Team FCS All-American by The Sports Network in 2009 and is on the preseason list in 2010. Wingeier, a 2009 First Team All-PFL choice, joins Vercammen on the PFL first team. Wingeier, a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, has made 22 straight starts for the Flyers. Last year he finished with a team-high 6.5 sacks while recording 11.5 tackles for loss on 39 hits. Ries recorded 70 tackles (2nd on team) and three interceptions (1st on team) in 2009, including a two-interception, one-forced-fumble, eight-tackle game versus Davidson. The Cincinnati St. Xavier High School graduate started every game at linebacker for the Flyers and is a 2010 co-captain. A starter of all 11 games last year, Valentino opened the season at wide receiver before injuries forced him to step under center and play quarterback for the final 10 games. He would only go on to lead the Flyers to a share of the PFL title and be named the Pioneer Football League’s Offensive Player of the Year. He led the league in total offense, accounting for over 280 yards per game, and completed 59.4% (170 of 286) of his passes. Protecting Valentino were fellow first teamers Griffis and Friedrich. The two were a part of a Dayton offensive line that only allowed 16 sacks in 2009 and returns five starters in 2010. Between them they have 26 starts under their belt and both earned All-PFL honors last year.Watkins is coming off his most productive year in Red and Blue. In 2009, the Englewood, OH native caught 47 passes and led the team in receiving yards with 927. His 84.3 yards per game ranked him second in the league.The Flyers, who were 9-2 in 2009, return 13 starters in total and open the season on Saturday, September 4 at home against Robert Morris.
