Bears Earn Additional All-America Football Honors
December 20, 2024 | Football
SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State was well represented on the latest FCS All-America Teams, announced Thursday and Friday by the American Football Coaches Association, Phil Steele and FCS Football Central.
Leading the sleuth is senior long snapper Caden Bolz (Overland Park, Kan.) who earned All-America first-team distinction by Phill Steele and second-team laurels by the AFCA. A first-team All-MVFC selection, Bolz was perfect on 112 extra-point, field goal and punt plays this season to earn All-MVFC honors for the third straight season. He had a key solo tackle in the season opener at No. 3 Montana (Aug. 31) and had a critical downed punt in the home win over Youngstown State (Sept. 21). Bolz also matched teammate Grant Burkett for the MSU career games played record (56) and logged a tackle in the final game of his career vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 23). He was a second-team Preseason All-America pick by both Stats Perform and Phil Steele and was named to the Stats Perform All-America first team earlier this week.
Tight end Lance Mason (Jr., Rockwall, Texas) earned a spot on the FCS Football Central All-America Team as a third-team honoree. Earlier this week, he was named to the AP All-America Team as an honorable mention selection. Mason is the MVFC leader in yards per pass reception (17.35) which ranks 28th nationally and tops among all FCS tight ends. He finished the season with 34 receptions for 590 yards (15.4 yds per catch) and six touchdowns. Mason's touchdown total ranks sixth in The Valley and 54th nationally – third among tight ends -- while he also ranks 10th in The Valley in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (49.2). he had a 57-yard TD reception at Ball State (Sept. 7) and logged his first 100-yard receiving game in the win over Indiana State (Oct. 19) with 4 catches for 111 yards and an 82-yard TD reception.
A trio of Bears were also tabbed as Freshman All-America Team selections by Phil Steele with linebackers Dallas Winner-Johnson (first team), Michael Teason (second team) and kicker Yousef Obeid (first team) earning honors.
Obeid (RFr., Dearborn, Mich.) ranks third nationally and first in the MVFC in field goal percentage after converting 11-of-12 (.917) attempts this season. He also ranks seventh in the MVFC in scoring average (7.2) which ranks 37th-best among all FCS players. His 0.92 field goals per game is the fifth-best average in The Valley and 55th nationally. Obeid broke the Missouri State single-season record for extra points (53), while his 86 total points was the third-best season total in MSU history. He finished 53-of-54 on extra points on the season with 47 straight conversions to end the season along with 10 straight made field goals. He produced 11 points in road wins at Illinois State (Oct. 12) and Murray State (Nov. 9) with a season-long 50-yard field goal in the season finale against South Dakota State( Nov. 23). Since the end of the season, he has also been named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team, the Stats Perform Freshman All-America Team.
Â
Winner-Johnson (RFr., St. Louis, Mo.) was on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for FCS National Freshman of the Year and earned Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honors this season. He finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles, including 26 solo stops. He also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss on the season. His top performances included 10 total tackles with four solos and a tackle for loss in MSU's road win at UT Martin (Sept. 21) and nine total stops in the win over Youngstown State (Sept. 28) with a QB hurry. He also posted a sack and four solo tackles in the home opener against Lindenwood (Sept. 14) and logged eight tackles at Ball State (Sept. 7) with a tackle for loss. He also has landed on FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team and Stats Perform Freshman All-America Team.
Teason (RFr., St. Louis, Mo.) finished the season with 51 total tackles, including 22 solo stops, 7.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 2 fumble recoveries. He had a 42-yard scoop-and-score touchdown at Illinois State (Oct. 12) with season-high six tackles, a tackle for loss and QB hurry. He posted a team-high eight total tackles vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 23) in the season finale with 5 solos. Teason also brought down six ball carriers in win at UT Martin (Sept. 21) with a sack and fumble recovery. The standout linebacker also notched six total stops at Ball State (Sept. 7) with 1.5 tackles for loss and 3 solo.
Coach Ryan Beard's Bears finished the 2024 season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 ledger in MVFC play to finish one game behind the league's tri-champions. The Bears won eight straight games from Sept. 14 to Nov. 9 and eclipsed 5,000 total yards, 400 points and 3,600 passing yards in their final season in the Missouri Valley and the FCS ranks. The Bears landed 12 players on the All-MVFC Team, three on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team and two players (Burkett and Mason) announced on the AP FCS All-America Team.Â
The Missouri State program begins its transition to Conference USA and its first season at the FBS level in 2025. Â
Â
Leading the sleuth is senior long snapper Caden Bolz (Overland Park, Kan.) who earned All-America first-team distinction by Phill Steele and second-team laurels by the AFCA. A first-team All-MVFC selection, Bolz was perfect on 112 extra-point, field goal and punt plays this season to earn All-MVFC honors for the third straight season. He had a key solo tackle in the season opener at No. 3 Montana (Aug. 31) and had a critical downed punt in the home win over Youngstown State (Sept. 21). Bolz also matched teammate Grant Burkett for the MSU career games played record (56) and logged a tackle in the final game of his career vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 23). He was a second-team Preseason All-America pick by both Stats Perform and Phil Steele and was named to the Stats Perform All-America first team earlier this week.
Tight end Lance Mason (Jr., Rockwall, Texas) earned a spot on the FCS Football Central All-America Team as a third-team honoree. Earlier this week, he was named to the AP All-America Team as an honorable mention selection. Mason is the MVFC leader in yards per pass reception (17.35) which ranks 28th nationally and tops among all FCS tight ends. He finished the season with 34 receptions for 590 yards (15.4 yds per catch) and six touchdowns. Mason's touchdown total ranks sixth in The Valley and 54th nationally – third among tight ends -- while he also ranks 10th in The Valley in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (49.2). he had a 57-yard TD reception at Ball State (Sept. 7) and logged his first 100-yard receiving game in the win over Indiana State (Oct. 19) with 4 catches for 111 yards and an 82-yard TD reception.
A trio of Bears were also tabbed as Freshman All-America Team selections by Phil Steele with linebackers Dallas Winner-Johnson (first team), Michael Teason (second team) and kicker Yousef Obeid (first team) earning honors.
Obeid (RFr., Dearborn, Mich.) ranks third nationally and first in the MVFC in field goal percentage after converting 11-of-12 (.917) attempts this season. He also ranks seventh in the MVFC in scoring average (7.2) which ranks 37th-best among all FCS players. His 0.92 field goals per game is the fifth-best average in The Valley and 55th nationally. Obeid broke the Missouri State single-season record for extra points (53), while his 86 total points was the third-best season total in MSU history. He finished 53-of-54 on extra points on the season with 47 straight conversions to end the season along with 10 straight made field goals. He produced 11 points in road wins at Illinois State (Oct. 12) and Murray State (Nov. 9) with a season-long 50-yard field goal in the season finale against South Dakota State( Nov. 23). Since the end of the season, he has also been named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team, the Stats Perform Freshman All-America Team.
Â
Winner-Johnson (RFr., St. Louis, Mo.) was on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for FCS National Freshman of the Year and earned Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honors this season. He finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles, including 26 solo stops. He also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss on the season. His top performances included 10 total tackles with four solos and a tackle for loss in MSU's road win at UT Martin (Sept. 21) and nine total stops in the win over Youngstown State (Sept. 28) with a QB hurry. He also posted a sack and four solo tackles in the home opener against Lindenwood (Sept. 14) and logged eight tackles at Ball State (Sept. 7) with a tackle for loss. He also has landed on FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team and Stats Perform Freshman All-America Team.
Teason (RFr., St. Louis, Mo.) finished the season with 51 total tackles, including 22 solo stops, 7.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 2 fumble recoveries. He had a 42-yard scoop-and-score touchdown at Illinois State (Oct. 12) with season-high six tackles, a tackle for loss and QB hurry. He posted a team-high eight total tackles vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 23) in the season finale with 5 solos. Teason also brought down six ball carriers in win at UT Martin (Sept. 21) with a sack and fumble recovery. The standout linebacker also notched six total stops at Ball State (Sept. 7) with 1.5 tackles for loss and 3 solo.
Coach Ryan Beard's Bears finished the 2024 season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 ledger in MVFC play to finish one game behind the league's tri-champions. The Bears won eight straight games from Sept. 14 to Nov. 9 and eclipsed 5,000 total yards, 400 points and 3,600 passing yards in their final season in the Missouri Valley and the FCS ranks. The Bears landed 12 players on the All-MVFC Team, three on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team and two players (Burkett and Mason) announced on the AP FCS All-America Team.Â
The Missouri State program begins its transition to Conference USA and its first season at the FBS level in 2025. Â
Â
#GoBears
Players Mentioned
LS
/ Football
P
/ Football
TE
/ Football
K
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ FootballSunday, September 06
Saturday, September 05
Friday, September 04
Thursday, September 03
