Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's record-setting, dual-threat quarterback Tyrie Adams today garnered his second preseason All-America honor as he was dubbed third-team at QB on the STATS FCS Preseason All-America teams released by the organization. The redshirt senior was previously tabbed second-team preseason All-America as an athlete by HERO Sports back in early June.
Adams, the preseason Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-SoCon selection, is poised to continue his onslaught of both the Western Carolina and Southern Conference record books in 2019. Already WCU's all-time leader in career touchdown passes with 53 – ninth in the SoCon records – Adams enters the year with 7,279 career passing yards, just 75 yards through the air shy of the school benchmark of 7,354 and only 251 yards short of 10th-place in conference history. More impressively, Adams is just eight total yards away from eclipsing the WCU football program's record for total offense – entering the season at 9,389, eight in arrears of the record 9,397 and just nine yards from setting a new threshold. He already ranks sixth in the SoCon career records for total offense.
On the ground, the elusive signal-caller has amassed 2,110 career rushing yards that included a SoCon-leading 1,006 yards last season – the only back in the league to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau in 2018. He became just one of 11 quarterbacks in NCAA FCS history to throw for 2,000-plus yards while also rushing for over 1,000 in the same season. Adams sits 11th among all-time WCU rushers in history, just 100 yards shy of cracking the individual career top 10 in that statistical category.
A product of St. Petersburg, Fla., Adams earned both second-team All-America honors from STATS FCS and third-team All-America from HERO Sports following the 2018 season – both honors coming as an all-purpose back. He is a three-time All-SoCon selection over his career, a seven-time recipient of SoCon Offensive Player of the Week accolades during his career, and had dominated the league's September Player of the Month category, collecting the monthly award each of the past three seasons. He finished fourth in the national voting for the Jerry Rice Award after his freshman season, and as a semifinalist for the Walter Payton Award a season ago, finished 19th in the voting.
Combined, Adams is among eight players from the Southern Conference to grace the STATS FCS Preseason All-America team. The league's top defensive weapon, Nasir Player from ETSU, was the lone first-team selection with Chattanooga WR Bryce Nunnelly, Wofford OL Justus Basinger, Furman LB Adrian Hope, ETSU DB Tyree Robinson, and Furman K Grayson Atkins each garnering a second-team nod. Adams was joined by ETSU sophomore tailback Quay Holmes on the third team.
The STATS FCS Preseason All-America team blanketed the nation going three squads deep and featuring 98 players from 60 schools with at least three selections from all 13 NCAA FCS conferences. The Missouri Valley Football Conference gained the most All-America selections with 16, CAA Football was second with 14 and the Big Sky Conference third with 13. Among schools, South Dakota State had the most selections with five, while two-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State, Jacksonville State and James Madison followed with four each.
Western Carolina's football student-athletes officially report for preseason this Thursday, Aug. 1, with the first practice of 2019 fall camp set for Friday, under the lights at 7:30 pm. The full preseason camp schedule will be released on Thursday.
Fans are reminded that season tickets for the six-game home 2019 Catamount football schedule are on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (800) 34-GOWCU or (828) 227-2401, and online at CatamountSports.com. Single-game ticket sales open on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), as well as video updates on the department's YouTube channel (CatamountSports).
Important Upcoming Dates in Catamount Athletics / Catamount Football:
Thurs., Aug. 1 – Catamount Football Student-Athletes Report for fall camp
Fri., Aug. 2 – First scheduled practice of 2019 preseason (helmet only)
Wed., Aug. 7 – Catamount football single-game tickets go on-sale
Fri., Aug. 16 – Western Carolina University Freshman Move-In Day
Mon., Aug. 19 – First day of classes for the fall semester
Fri., Aug. 30 – 15th Annual Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament at the Waynesville Inn – Golf Resort & Spa
Sat., Aug. 31 – 2019 Catamount Football season and home-opener vs. Mercer; postgame fireworks
