Buies Creek – Campbell quarterback Daniel Smith has been named First Team Freshman All-America by Phil Steele.
Phil Steele also named Smith the PFL’s Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-PFL in the publication’s FCS all-conference teams announcement. Emmanuel Olenga (DL), Jack Ryan (LB) and Carlos Merritt (DB) were also named First Team All-PFL, while Aaron Blockmon (WR), Shuler Littleton (OL) and Jaquan Brooks (PR) joined Smith on Steele’s All-PFL Second Team. Ray Miller (LB) was named Third Team All-PFL.
See the full Phil Steele FCS All-America and all-conference teams here.
Smith was also named 2017 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-PFL by the conference’s coaches.
Smith was a finalist for the STATS Jerry Rice Award for FCS freshman player of the year, finishing fourth in the final voting, and was also named to the STATS Walter Payton Award watch list, as well as the College Football Performance Awards’ (CFPA) 2017 midseason watch list for the FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy..
Smith finished the 2017 regular season with the fourth-most rushing yards in the country, with his 1,272 yards on the ground leading all FCS freshmen and quarterbacks. Smith also leads the nation in rush yards per carry (9.13), while standing second in rushing yards per game, fifth in points responsible for per game, ninth in total offense, 11th in points responsible for, 11th in rushing touchdowns, 17th in all-purpose yards, 18th in total touchdowns, 20th in passing yards per completion and 24th in scoring.
Smith set Campbell single-season records for rushing yards, total offense (3,161), all-purpose yards (1,272) and touchdowns responsible for (30). After just one season, Smith is already Campbell’s career leader in touchdown passes with 18.
The Leesburg, Va. native rushed for 12 touchdowns on the season, adding 1,889 yards passing.
At Davidson, Smith exploded for 289 yards rushing, the third most overall and the most by a quarterback in a single game in the FCS this season. He added four rushing touchdowns, adding another passing in Campbell’s 42-29 win.
During the season, Smith rushed for over 100 yards six times in just 10 games.
