Virginia Union sophomore Jada Byers running back ran for a school-record 1,928 yards and lead the nation with 2,256 all-purpose yards.
Byers’ on-field exploits earned him a plethora of awards, including the Don Hansen Division II Offensive Player of the Year, Willie Lanier Award, Super Region 2 Offensive Player of the Year, HBCU College Football All-America Team, First Team All-CIAA and CIAA Offensive Player of the Year.
He was also a finalist for the Harlan Hill Trophy given to Division II football’s most valuable player.
Byers was most recently named the RVA Sports Male Athlete of the Year for not only his achievements on the field but his positive contribution to the Richmond community.
The other finalists for the award included:
Armando Bacot — University of North Carolina basketball player
-First-Team All Atlantic Coast Conference and led UNC to NCAA national championship game
Emiliano Terzaghi — Richmond Kickers soccer player
-USL League One Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot award winner
Justin Verlander — New York Mets pitcher
-2022 World Series champion and 2022 American League Cy Young