Every year, I get to vote on the major FCS awards of the year, including the Walter Payton award (for the best offensive player in FCS), the Buck Buchanan award (defense), and Eddie Robinson award (head coach). I've been voting on these awards for years, but never have I had a Patriot League player on top of the list.The one I submitted this year did, though.
I've seen a lot of quarterbacks this year, and Holy Cross senior QB Dom Randolph is, in my opinion, the most deserving.
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There are players with gaudier stats (like Stephen F. Austin junior QB Jeremy Moses, with 36 TDs), already-legendary players (Appalachian State senior QB Armanti Edwards) and high-profile FBS transfers (Jacksonville State senior QB Ryan Perriloux).
But no team in FCS meant more to his team than Randolph.
Why? Let me count the ways.
His 37 TDs - 31 through the air, 6 on the ground - was 77 percent of the Crusaders' touchdowns this year. More than three quarters!
As a sophomore, he was not a hugely mobile QB, but by his senior year he had added the ability to take off with the ball running to his already-bursting arsenal. This year he led the team in rushing (474 yards), while crushing a ton of different Patriot League records with his 3,429 yards passing.
Since his first collegiate football game (against Marist in 2006), he scored at least one touchdown a game. Until Holy Cross' regular season-ending loss to Bucknell, Randolph had 20 consecutive multi-touchdown games. Twenty!
He is the active FCS career leader in total offense (13,887 yards), passing
yards (13,108 yards), passing touchdowns (114) and ranks second in touchdowns responsible for (129). He led FCS in total offense - more than Perriloux or Armanti.
And here's the final reason why he deserves the honor more than anybody else: without Perriloux, 8-3 Jacksonville State still would have been a pretty stacked team. Without Armanti, Appalachian State still would have put up points. It's awfully hard to picture the Crusaders winning this year's Patriot League championship without Randolph at the controls. (And had he not found junior WR Freddie Santana against Lehigh with under a minute to play, they may not have.)
No player meant more to his team than Randolph. No-bo-dy.
Comments
But no CANDIDATE in THE FCS meant more to his team than Randolph.
Engineering major?
I too can say I played the game. My name is Bill Belichick. Prove me wrong, tough guy.
I think Skeleton probably has a better chance due to size.