NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State football standouts Amir Abdullah and Mason King were recognized as two of the top returning players in the Football Championship Subdivision on Monday, as the duo was named to the 2024 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team by the organization.
Abdullah was picked as a First-Team selection in the annual preseason list, while King was tabbed a Third-Team selection. They are among 24 Missouri Valley Football Conference players named as part of this year's team.
In his first season with the Redbirds following a transfer from Nebraska-Kearney, Abdullah earned Third-Team All-America honors from Stats Perform, FCS Football Central, and the Associated Press last season and was selected as a Second-Team All-American by Phil Steele. The Chicago, Illinois, native finished ninth in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award presented by Stats Perform, which honors the national defensive player of the year in FCS football.
Abdullah was voted an All-MVFC First-Team and All-Newcomer Team pick at linebacker in 2023, after he ranked No. 6 in the FCS in sacks per game (0.86) and No. 26 in tackles for loss per game (1.3). He tied for the league lead with 9.5 sacks and led the MVFC with 14.0 tackles for loss on the season. His 64 total tackles (34 solo) ranked fourth on the ISU defense and he had three games with two sacks or more, including a 2.5 sack and 3.5 tackle for loss effort at Eastern Illinois.
King was selected as the 2023 MVFC Newcomer of the Year and earned All-MVFC First-Team honors at running back in his first season with the Redbirds after transferring from Northern Illinois. A MVFC All-Newcomer Team pick, the Centralia, Illinois, native played in 10 games leading the team with 983 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 84 points scored.
His 14 touchdowns and 98.3 yards per game led the MVFC and he averaged 6.6 yards per carry, which ranked him in the top 10 in the FCS. King tallied five games with over 100 yards rushing, including a season-high 170 yards with three touchdowns in a win over Western Illinois and he also ran for 169 yards and three scores in a win over Murray State.
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