Jan. 25, 2011

Center Valley, Pa. - Colgate junior running back Nate Eachus and Lehigh senior offensive lineman Will Rackley added to their already impressive haul of All-America honors with a selection to the College Sporting News squad last week.

Eachus takes his eighth significant postseason honor after earning the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award in November. He earned consensus first-team All-America status from the four major awarding organizations when he was tabbed by The Sports Network/Fathead.com, Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Walter Camp. He also received a second-team spot from Phil Steele's, All-Star nod from the ECAC, finished sixth in the balloting for the Walter Payton Award and was named the Elite FCS Running Back by College Football Performance Awards.

Rackley previously earned first-team honors from the Associated Press and Phil Steele's, third-team from The Sports Network/Fathead.com and an All-Star spot from the ECAC.

Eachus had one of the best seasons for a running back in school and Patriot League history. He carried 317 times for 1,871 yards and 21 touchdowns for the season, and also caught 17 passes for 160 yards and a score. The 1,871 rushing yards stand third in a single-season in Patriot League history, just four yards behind former teammate Jordan Scott (2007). Eachus averaged 170.1 rushing yards per game, which leads the FCS by nearly 25 yards per contest ahead of any other player. It is the second-best mark in Patriot League annals, just behind Scott's 170.5 average in 2007.

Eachus' 22 total touchdowns also tie for the lead the nation, and he single-handedly topped the FCS charts with 12.0 points per game. The rushing-touchdown mark tied for the third-best single-season total in League history, while the 12.0 points per game are the second highest in League annals. Eachus matched a Patriot League record with four 200-yard rushing performances, including a single-game League and school-record 291-yard rushing day against Cornell on Oct. 16. He ran for 124 yards or more in 10 of Colgate's 11 games.

One of the most dominant offensive linemen in Patriot League history, Rackley started the final 40 games of his career for Lehigh. He anchored an offensive line that allowed just 14 sacks in 2010 and ranked second in the Patriot League in passing offense and scoring offense.

The College Sporting News Sweet 63 Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team differs from all other honor squads in that it is designed like an actual team that could take the field and play in an actual game. It has everything from quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and a full defense to a complete special teams unit that includes a long snapper.

This is the first year that the CSN All-America squad has featured 63 players, a number that signifies the amount of scholarships available to teams at the FCS level. The squad also included individual awards for Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Lineman, Coach, Special Teams Player and Freshman of the Year, as well as a Playoff Most Valuable Player award.

Eachus and Rackley were each among a group of five players at their position.

For the complete release from College Sporting News, click here