Garoppolo, West, Daly lead AP FCS All-America team

Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and fellow Walter Payton Award finalist Terrance West of Towson were selected to The Associated Press FCS All-America team released Wednesday.

Garoppolo, of Arlington Heights, passed for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns and won the Payton award as the top player in FCS. The senior led Eastern Illinois (12-2) to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs. He is the second EIU player to win the Payton award, joining Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (2002).

West has run for 2,295 yards and tied an FCS record with 39 touchdowns to help Towson (12-2) reach this weekend’s semifinals after it eliminated Eastern Illinois last week.

Montana State defensive end Brad Daly, who won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS, was selected to the first-team defense, along with cornerback Marcus Williams of two-time defending national champion North Dakota State.

North Dakota State also placed offensive tackle Billy Turner on the first team. Turner, Williams and Eastern Illinois receiver Erik Lora are first-team All-Americans for the second consecutive season.

Towson offensive lineman Eric Pike joined teammate West on the first team. Eastern Washington, which hosts Towson in Saturday’s semifinal, also had two first-team All-Americans in redshirt freshman receiver Cooper Kupp and offensive lineman Ashton Miller.

Samford has linebacker Justin Shade and Fabian Truss at all-purpose player on the first team. Montana had two first-teamers in offensive lineman Danny Kistler and linebacker Jordan Tripp.

EWU quarterback Vernon Adams, who was runner-up to Garoppolo in the Payton voting, made the second team, and North Dakota State quarterback Brock Jensen was a third-team selection.

South Dakota State’s Zach Zenner, who ran for 2,015 yards and 23 touchdowns, is the other first-team running back. MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois is the All-American tight end. Furman’s Dakota Dozier rounds out the offensive line. Seth Sebastien of Southeastern Louisiana is the kicker.

James Madison’s Stephon Robertson, who was runner-up to Daly for the Buchanan award, joined Tripp and Shade at linebacker.

The other first-team defensive linemen are: Shaquille Riddick of Gardner-Webb; Davis Tull of Chattanooga; and Sullivan Grosz of Cal Poly.

Joining Williams in the defensive backfield is Daniel Fitzpatrick of Tennessee State, who leads the nation with eight interceptions. Caleb Schaffitzel of Missouri State and Jerome Couplin of William & Mary complete the secondary.

Kyle Loomis of Portland State is the All-America punter.