Jordan and Karim named Walter Camp All-Americans
12/14/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Dec. 14, 2009
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Southern Illinois senior inside linebacker Brandin Jordan and senior running back Deji Karim were selected to the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2009 Football Championship Subdivision All-America team that was released on Monday.
This is the first All-America selection for Karim and the second for Jordan, who was honorable mention in 2007. The duo led Southern Illinois to an 11-2 record, the 2009 Missouri Valley Football Conference Championship and a spot in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons.
Jordan, a 2009 finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award that is given out to the nation's top defensive player, led the Salukis with 85 tackles. He had 8.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, eight quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one interception that he returned 24 yards. Jordan was a first team All-MVFC selection for the second-straight year and he rounded out his career with 370 tackles, which is the fourth-most in school history.
Karim rebounded from a knee injury that cost him the 2008 season to have a record-breaking year. He was the 2009 Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most outstanding player in the FCS.
Karim's 2,339 all-purpose yards this year broke the school record and his 1,694 rushing yards are the third most by a Saluki in single-season history. He scored 18 touchdowns rushing the ball and 20 total on the year, both of which rank second in the FCS. His 1,694 rushing yards are the most in the Football Championship Subdivision this season and Karim also ranked third in all-purpose yardage.
The All-America team was selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the FCS schools and certified by UHY Advisors, a New Haven-based accounting firm.
Winners of the 2009 Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards will be announced at the Sports Network Awards banquet on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the site of the national championship game.
