MONTGOMERY, Alabama - The awards came pouring in for Alabama State safety Kejuan Riley last year, but the former Wetumpka High star didn’t let the acclaim go to his head this offseason.
“I put in twice the work I usually do,” he said. “I just know what I have to do and keep working. I just thank my teammates for (all the awards) because without them I wouldn’t have any of this.”
Riley was the Southeastern Athletic Conference’s only returning Football Championship Subdivision All-American, a consensus pick in 2011 along with Prairie View A&M defensive end Adrian Hamilton, but was not the preseason choice as SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. That award went to Jackson State defensive end Joseph LeBeau, who was voted the league’s top newcomer in 2011.
Both Riley and LeBeau are among the 20 players on the watch list released Thursday for the 18th annual Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the nation’s top FCS defensive player. The watch list includes six finalists from last season, including Riley, who ranks second among returning players who received votes for last year’s award.
With 17 career interceptions, he is the FCS leader among active players and needs just one this season to set the school record. He had nine last season to rank second nationally.
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