Three Carnegie Mellon Football Players Earn Preseason All-America Honors

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Three players from the Carnegie Mellon University football team have earned preseason All-America honors for the 2016 season. Senior defensive end Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and junior safety Drew Fitzmorris (Omaha, Neb./Westside) were named to the first team by Lindy's College Football Preview Magazine while junior running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) was selected to the second team. Benger also landed a spot on the 2016 Sporting News College Football Preview Preseason All-America team.

In 2015, Benger led the nation with an NCAA Division III-best 2,092 yards averaging 190.2 yards per game while becoming the 21st player in Division III history to reach the 2,000-yard plateau. Benger was named All-America by three organizations; American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Associated Press (AP) and D3football.com, as well as being named Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and University Athletic Association (UAA) Offensive Player of the Year. Benger's 22 rushing touchdowns a year ago broke the school's single-season mark, as he also set the school single-game rushing mark with 303 yards against then nationally ranked Washington & Jefferson College.  Benger also became the Tartans' all-time single-season rushing leader.

Khoury, a 2015 All-America Honorable Mention honoree by D3football.com, was named UAA Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-PAC. Khoury was a finalist for the 2015 Cliff Harris Award, which is presented to the top small college defensive player in the nation. He broke the school single-season record with 13.5 sacks and the single-game sack record with 4.0.

Fitzmorris, also a 2015 All-America Honorable Mention honoree by D3football.com, was a first team All-PAC and second team All-UAA honoree after leading Carnegie Mellon with 87 tackles which ranked second in the UAA and eighth in the PAC in 2015.  He also led both the PAC and UAA with six interceptions.

Carnegie Mellon will open the 2016 season on Saturday, September 3, when the Bears of Washington University in St. Louis travel to Gesling Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.