FRISCO, Texas – Having already been named to seven different All-American teams and earning four different Defensive Player of the Year Awards, Tennessee State football’s Terrell Allen garnered his biggest postseason award on Saturday night as he was named the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award winner at the FCS National Awards Banquet, given annually to national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football. Allen, who was named the Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year led the FCS in in sacks (14.5), sack yardage (-123), tackles for loss (28), and tackle yardage for loss (149) during the regular season.
The Little Rock native finished the season with 65 tackles (44 solo, 21 assists), forcing five fumbles and logging 10 QB hurries. He had a four-game span of finishing with 4.0+ TFLs and set a TSU record with 6.5 sacks against Lindenwood, while recording 10 tackles and 4.5 sacks in the contest. His 28.0 TFLs is a new TSU single-season record.
The second-year Tiger has played in 21 games for TSU after transferring in from Austin Peay. Allen has recorded 101 tackles, 40 TFLs, and 19 sacks as a member of Eddie George’s team. He has 152 career stops, 62 TFLs, and 24.0 sacks.
Allen becomes the sixth HBCU player to win the award and the third Ohio Valley Conference player.
The Buchanan Award, first presented in 1995 and in its 29th season, is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career.
Past HBCU recipients of the award include North Carolina A&T linebacker/defensive end Chris McNeil in 1997, linebacker Isaiah Land of Florida A&M in 2021, Southern defensive end Jordan Lewis in 2020, Norfolk State linebacker Deon King in 2015 and Bethune- Cookman defensive back Rashean Mathis in 2002.
The award show will air Sunday afternoon on Bally Sports at 4:00 p.m. CT.
