By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State tight end Hunter Budke added another All-America honor to his collection for the 2021 season on Tuesday (Dec. 14). After receiving first team honors at tight end from the AFCA, Budke received the same honors from the D2CCA.
Budke was one of the top receiving tight ends in the nation in 2021, finishing with 47 receptions for 620 yards and eight touchdowns. He twice had over 100 receiving yards in a game in 2021 with nine catches for 122 yards as his season high at Missouri Western. He produced four or more receptions in seven of 11 contests and led the Tigers in receiving touchdowns for the season. Budke ranked eighth in the MIAA in receptions per game, all among a top 10 list that only included wide receivers aside from him. He was fourth in the MIAA in receiving touchdowns, only behind a trio of All-MIAA wide receivers that had 10 each. He finished 14th in receiving yards overall in the conference, the best among tight ends.
Fort Hays State has now had at least one individual football player earn multiple All-America honors in the same year for the last six seasons going back to 2015. Other players in that span include Brock Long (2015), Sie Doe, Jr. (2016), Nathan Shepherd (2017), Jose Delgado (2018), and Dante Brown (2018 & 2019).