West Plains Sports Briefs

Gubrud, Kupp receive 2016 TDC honors

From a walk-on who thought he had the talent, to a national award-winning and record-setting quarterback.

That’s the unlikely journey Eastern Washington sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud took in 2016 as he led the Eagles to a 12-2 record and the Football Championship Subdivision’s semifinal playoff round.

For those accomplishments, Gubrud has been selected as the 2016 FCS Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio.

The TDC also selected EWU senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp to receive its President’s Award and both players have been invited for the presentation of awards at the 62nd Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017.

Gubrud had 5,160 passing yards to break the FCS record of 5,076 set by Taylor Heinicke of Old Dominion in 2012. He threw 48 touchdown passes and rushed for another 606 yards — a school record for a quarterback — and five scores. The 2014 McMinville, Ore. high school graduate finished with 5,766 yards of total offense to come just 33 shy of the 22-year-old FCS record of 5,799 set by Alcorn’s Steve McNair in 1994.

While Kupp has rewritten virtually every imaginable FCS receiving record, some of his most recent accomplishments include being tops in receiving yards per game (130.8), second in receptions per game (9.0) and tied teammate Shaq Hill for the FCS lead in receiving touchdowns (17).

His all-division record of 6,464 career receiving yards was set after a pair of early catches in the first quarter against Richmond on Dec. 10. He surpassed the NAIA record of 6,177 by Chris George of Glenville State from 1991-94.

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Kupp is a four-time All-American

Cooper Kupp’s collegiate career at Eastern Washington came to an agonizing end Dec. 17 in a last-second 40-38 loss to Youngstown State in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinal playoff round.

But the Yakima native added yet another honor to his resume as Kupp became the American Football Coaches Association’s first-ever four-time All-American at the NCAA Championship Subdivision level when the announcement was made, Dec. 19.

Kupp and senior defensive end Samson Ebukam earned first team accolades, and sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud was selected to the second team.