Grandy, Abdullah Earn All-America Honors From The Associated Press

NORMAL, Ill. – A pair of standout newcomers to the Illinois State football team have earned top honors among their FCS peers, as tight end Cam Grandy and linebacker Amir Abdullah were each selected to the 2023 Associated Press FCS All-America team announced Tuesday.

Grandy was named a First-Team All-American by the AP, while Abdullah garnered Third-Team honors. Both players previously earned All-America nods from FCS Football Central, which chose Grandy as a first-team selection and Abdullah as a third-teamer.

A native of Benson, Illinois, Grandy was named a Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team All-Conference performer at tight end and earned a spot on the league's All-Newcomer Team in his first season with the Redbirds. Grandy made an immediate impact for the Redbird offense after transferring from Missouri Western, as he led all tight ends and ranked 10th in the MVFC in receiving yards. 

He ranked second on the team with 63 receptions for 612 yards with three touchdowns and averaged 9.7 yards per catch and 55.6 yards per game. Grandy recorded a season-high 112 yards on a season-best 11 receptions including a touchdown against UNI and had seven games with five receptions and 50 yards or more while playing the final four games of the season with a cast on his left hand.

Abdullah also earned MVFC First-Team All-Conference and All-Newcomer Team honors in his first season with the Redbirds, following a transfer from Nebraska-Kearney prior to the season. He finished in a tie for second in the 2023 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year vote and was ninth in the voting for the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the top defensive player in FCS football. 

The Chicago native tied for the league lead with 9.5 sacks and led the MVFC with 14.0 tackles-for-loss. He ranked fourth on the team with 64 total tackles (34 solo) and was also credited with two forced fumbles, a pass breakup and one interception on the year. He recorded three games with two sacks or more, including a 2.5 sack and 3.5 tackles-for-loss effort at Eastern Illinois and was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week after racking up nine tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and an interception against Murray State.

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