Thursday, July 9, 2015
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

CHICAGO – Three Pioneer Football League student athletes were among the 100 named to the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team, Wednesday.

Stetson junior defensive back Donald Payne was a first-team selection, Dayton running back Connor Kacsor was a second-team selection and Davidson wide receiver William Morris picked up a third-team nod.

Payne, the returning PFL Defensive Player of the Year, led all FCS defensive players with a PFL record 174 tackles (14.5 per game) last season. He recorded 18.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four interceptions, four pass breakups, two fumbles forced and two fumbles recovered during the 2014 campaign.

Kacsor, the reigning PFL Offensive Player of the Year, rushed for 1,547 yards last season – 300 yards more than any other PFL rusher. He recorded seven 100-yard rushing performances, including a trio of 200-yard efforts and a school-record 301 yard performance in the season opener against Georgetown. Kacsor finished fifth among FCS running backs with 140.6 yards per game.

Morris, a first-team All-PFL returnee, led the PFL and ranked ninth nationally with 1,224 receiving yards – his 102.0 receiving yards per game ranked eighth among FCS receivers. He finished with five 100-yard receiving performances, including an impressive 16-catch, 208-yard performance at VMI in Week 3 that set the PFL's top marks in both categories last seaosn.

STATS LLC, the world’s leading sports technology, data and content company, announced its preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams today to kick off a broad plan that will see it significantly expand its coverage of FCS. The 2015 group is headlined by Villanova quarterback John Robertson, the returning national player of the year, as well as five members of four-time defending champion North Dakota State across the three All-America teams.

STATS, which purchased The Sports Network (TSN) in February, will look to build on the momentum its acquisition has created for rich content in the FCS market. For almost three decades, TSN has served the FCS community with such staples as a pre- and postseason All-America team, weekly Top 25 poll, national players of the week, award watch lists and season-ending awards.