PHILADELPHIA- Justin Arias will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats to wear the orange and back. The senior quarterback set numerous single-game, season and career records at Idaho State and to cap of his senior season he was invited to Philadelphia as one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, an honor that goes to the most outstanding player in FCS football.
At the 28th annual FCS Awards ceremony put on by the Sports Network at the Sheridan Society Hill Hotel, it was announced that Villanova's John Robertson won the award and Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams finished second with Arias third in the voting.
"It was a great experience," Arias said. "Being a part of this program meant a lot to me. It was a lot of fun rebuilding this with coach (Mike) Kramer and (Don) Bailey. It was an awesome experience. I am glad I got the opportunity and that the year ended the way it did."
Arias threw for a single-season school record 4,076 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading No. 24 Idaho State to an 8-4 record. He had a stretch where he threw for over 400 yards in four straight games while tossing two touchdowns or more in every game this season.
Arias will leave Idaho State with his bachelor's degree and a masters in athletic administration.
Arias leaves behind a legacy with coach Kramer that will not be forgotten.
"Thoroughness and doing everything right academically socially and athletically is what defines
Justin Arias," Kramer said. "He got the most out of his ability every single day."
Arias' wasn't added to the Payton Award Watch List until November 4 when the Bengals were 6-3 on the season. To be named a finalist as one the Top three players in FCS football so late in the season shows the dedication Arias had to make the Bengals better.
"We were competitive and he is competitive," Kramer said. "We didn't get to 8-4 just because we were talented. We got to 8-4 because we had enough heart to be what we thought we could be when no one else around us expected us to be anything."
The results:
2014 Walter Payton Award.......1st....2nd....3rd....4th....5th....Total
1. John Robertson, Villanova.......66.....22......9......9......4.....467
2. Vernon Adams Jr., E. Washington.29.....33.....24.....11.....12.....383
3.
Justin Arias, Idaho State.......22.....11.....15......6......9.....220
4. Vad Lee,
James Madison...........9.....18.....12.....17.....12.....199
5. Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State.8......8.....20.....16......8.....172
6. Zach Zenner, South Dakota State..5......5......8.....17.....11.....114
7. Alex Ross, Coastal Carolina......3......8......8.....11......7.....100
8. R.J. Harris, New Hampshire.......3......8......8.....10......3......94
9. Gus Johnson, Stephen F. Austin...3......4......9......7.....14......86
10. David Johnson, Northern Iowa.....2......6......5......8.....13......78
11T.DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State.1......8......3......4.....17......71
11T.Jacob Huesman, Chattanooga.......1......6......6......7.....10......71
13. Dakota Prukop, Montana State.....2......4......6......6......3......59
14. Tyler Varga, Yale................0......4......7......4......8......53
15. Chase Edmonds, Fordham...........0......2......6......9......6......50
16. Khairi Dickson, Saint Francis....1......4......5......3......6......48
17. Malcolm Cyrus, Alabama State.....2......3......1......2......1......30
18. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington..1......1......3......1......5......25
19. Dy'Shawn Mobley, E. Kentucky.....1......1......1......4......4......24
20. DaMarcus James, Jacksonville St..1......0......2......2......3......18
21. Bryan Bennett, SE Louisiana......0......1......1......3......1......14
22. Herb Walker Jr., Morgan State....0......1......1......2......1......12
23. MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois.0......1......0......1......0.......6
24. Connor Kacsor, Dayton............0......1......0......0......1.......5
25. Rob Hollomon, Central Connecticut0......0......0......0......1.......1
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth- place vote one point.
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