FHSU Sports Information Department
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State had four players named to the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team, released on Wednesday (Dec. 2). Earning first team honors were Brock Long, Shaquille Cooper, and Daniel Lindsey while Matt Erbert earned second team honors. The teams are selected by sports information directors throughout Super Region 3.
Long, a 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy and Cliff Harris Award candidate earned the all-super region first team nod at linebacker with an amazing overall defensive performance in the regular season. He had 159 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception to lead the Tiger defense. The senior linebacker enters the Mineral Water Bowl just five tackles shy of the single-season record of 164 at FHSU, set by Alex Whitehill in 2011. At the end of the regular season, Long ranked in the top 15 nationally in four categories, which included tackles (5th), tackles for loss (T-8th), forced fumbles (T-6th), and sacks (T-14th). With 252 career tackles in just two seasons, he ranks sixth on the tackles list at FHSU for the school’s NCAA era.
Cooper, the only unanimous All-MIAA First Team selection on offense this year, earned a first-team selection at running back alongside the nation’s leading rusher, Ja’Quan Gardner of Humboldt State. Cooper finished the regular season with 1,406 rushing yards against the rigorous MIAA schedule, posting six games of at least 100 yards and two with at least 200. Gardner finished the regular season with 1,981 yards rushing and added 285 in the postseason which continues his national lead at 2,266 yards. However, when Humboldt State ran into Northwest Missouri State of the MIAA in the Super Region 3 semifinals, Gardner was held to a season-low 24 yards rushing after going over 100 in all 11 previous games. Cooper added 301 receiving yards and a few return yards to currently sit with 1,710 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns for the season.
Lindsey earned first team honors as a safety after earning All-MIAA First Team honors this year. He finished the regular season with 80 tackles, with 50 of those as solo stops. He also collected 11 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Lindsey is also a great asset to the Tigers on special teams with four blocked kicks this year. He has also added 267 kick return yards, averaging 24.3 yards per attempt with one touchdown.
Erbert earns a second-team selection on the offensive line after earning an All-MIAA First Team selection. Erbert anchors the offensive line at left tackle, helping the Tigers lead the MIAA in rushing during the regular season at 264.5 yards per game and rank 12th nationally. He has started 22 consecutive games on the line for FHSU dating back to the start of the 2014 season.