Since before the announcement of the SWAC’s postseason award honorees, there has been controversy surrounding who should be the rightful owner of the achievement.
Now that the award winners have been announced, the debates about if the right person won the award continue.
This is felt most in the Defensive Player of the Year discussion between winner Isaiah Major and snub Colton “Bubba” Adams.
Major finished the season with impressive numbers, logging 94 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, an interception, two pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery.
The debate comes in when you see Adams finished the year with more total tackles (124), tackles for loss (17.0), sacks (4.0), and quarterback hurries (6) than Major while also recording two forced fumbles.
The most obvious reason why Major won the award is he is on the best team that not only won the SWAC East division title over Adam’s Alabama State team but also had the best defense in the conference.
However, even individually, he makes a strong case for why he deserved the achievement.
Photo by Terrell Slater/Alabama State University
In the respective teams’ clash in week four of the season, the Rattlers’ defender made more of an impact, leading his team to a 23-10 victory.
Major put his imprint on the game, scoring a 40-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for the Rattlers. He also accumulated 12 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry.
Adams also put forth a solid performance in his own right, with six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
When comparing each player’s best performance during the season, Major’s numbers are better, and he did it against better competition.
In FAMU’s game against FBS opponent South Florida, Major was spectacular, posting 11 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks, nearly leading his team to an upset win.
Although Adams’ best performance was not too shabby either as it came in a high-stakes contest against Jackson State.
He led his team into a hostile environment, finishing with 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry spoiling the Tigers’ homecoming.
While Adams was a great candidate for the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award, making for an interesting debate, Major was undoubtedly the award’s rightful owner.
