University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Schult Named Madness FCS Defensive Player of the Year
12/7/2016 9:38:00 AM | Football
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Senior defensive lineman Karter Schult has been named the Madness FCS Defensive Player of the Year, announced today by College Sports Madness along with its 2016 FCS All-America teams.
Schult, who was also named MVFC Defensive Player of the Year, earned first-team All-America by College Sports Madness, joining five other Missouri Valley Football Conference student-athletes on the first-team list.
This is Schult's second-career All-America honor, also being selected to the STATS FCS All-America second-team in 2015. He finished his career at UNI ranked first all-time in career tackles for loss (56.0), yards from tackles for loss (266), yards from sacks (215) and quarterback hurries (20), also ranking second in career sacks (35.5).
In 2016, he ended the regular season leading all Division I football in sacks with 17.0, ranking him second all-time in single-season quarterback hits. He also racked up 24.0 tackles for loss, beating his previous UNI record of 23.0 that he set in 2015, tying him for second in FBS & FCS football to end the regular season.
The Tripoli, Iowa, native recorded 69 tackles in 2016, leading all defensive linemen in the league. Along with his towering sack and tackles for loss totals, Schult compiled four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, a blocked kick, a safety and his first-career interception.
He has been a finalist for three national awards this year, including two on the academic side of collegiate football. The senior was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman, along with the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Award after earning CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team for the second season in a row.
Schult is one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player in the country. He was also one of three finalists chosen to attend the annual STATS FCS Awards Dinner where the winner will be announced on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.
