NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State senior defensive back Davontae Harris and senior defensive tackle Dalton Keene continue to be recognized among the best defensive players in the Football Championship Subdivision, as the duo was named 2017 STATS FCS All-America Team announced Tuesday.
The 2017 STATS FCS All-America Team featured players from 54 schools and all 13 conferences. The Missouri Valley Football Conference led all conferences with 17 selections. Harris was a first-team selection, while Keene was a second-team pick.
Harris and Keene were each previously named to the 2017 Phil Steele FCS All America First Team and Harris was also tabbed as a 2017 Associated Press FCS All-America Second Team selection. The duo will represent Illinois State one more time, when they play in the 93rd East-West Shrine Game® to be held January 20, 2018, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
A two-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection, Harris led the Redbirds and tied for second in the MVFC with 14 passes defended (12 PBU, 2 INT) during the 2017 season. He also ranked third on the team with 57 tackles, including two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, and was credited with three quarterback hurries.
The Wichita, Kansas, native finished his career at ISU with 208 tackles (152 solo stops), 38 passes defended, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions and three sacks in 49 games played for the Redbirds.
Keene finished third in the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year voting, and led all defensive linemen and ranked second in the MVFC overall with eight sacks in 2017. He also tied for third in the MVFC with 13 tackles for loss and finished the season with 45 tackles, six pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries.
The Jacksonville, Illinois, native earned MVFC honorable mention honors as a sophomore in 2015 and second-team plaudits in 2016, before finishing his illustrious career with his first-team selection in 2015. He finished his career ranked No. 9 in sacks (17.5), No. 11 in tackles for loss (33.0) and with an even 200 total tackles.
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