STATS FCS All-America Team

(STATS)--Senior linebacker Don Cherry (Trumbull, Conn.) was named to the STATS FCS All-America Team in an announcement made on Tuesday afternoon. Cherry was a second team All-America selection after a strong 2015 season in which he led the Wildcats dominant corps of linebackers. This is the second straight season that Cherry has been an All-American and he also earned first team All-CAA Football accolades last month.

Cherry made 88 total tackles during his final collegiate season, including 36 solo tackles and 52 assisted stops. He led Villanova with 12.5 tackles for loss, registered three total sacks and had two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. At the end of the regular season, Cherry was tied for fourth in CAA Football in tackles for loss and ranked ninth in the league in total tackles made. He had a season-high 10 stops (four solo, six assisted) in a September 19 win over Delaware and finished his stellar four-year career with 12 games where he posted double figures in tackles.

Villanova was led by its defense in 2015 and Cherry was one of the key players that enabled the Wildcats to rank second in CAA Football in both total defense (309.1 yards per game) and pass defense (171.4 yards per contest) while also ranking third in scoring defense (18.4 points per game). Villanova allowed a total of 202 points on the season but gave up a combined seven touchdowns on offense (four interception returns, two fumble returns) and special teams (one kickoff return), making the Wildcats defense responsible for giving up just 19 total touchdowns. Cherry earned All-CAA Football accolades for the third straight year, including his second consecutive season being a first team selection. He became one of only six linebackers during the Andy Talley era to be a three-time all-conference selection. Cherry was named to the preseason watch list for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Award after finishing second in the balloting for the award last season.

In his four years on the Main Line, Cherry racked up 331 tackles (185 solo, 146 assisted), 46.5 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles, seven pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and one interception. In the final game of his collegiate career, he also contributed to the Villanova offense. He made three goal-line carries for a total of two yards and a rushing touchdown in the Wildcats season finale at James Madison.