JONESBORO, Ark. (12/12/19) – Arkansas State senior wide receiver and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Omar Bayless became the first player in school history to be named a Walter Camp All-America selection on Thursday, earning second team honors.
Bayless was one of four players chosen at the wide receiver position on the 130th edition of the Walter Camp All-America Team, making it the oldest of its kind in the nation. The Laurel, Miss., native was also one of just four players from the Group of 5 to make the 51-man list comprised of first-and-second-team selections.
He is the first A-State player since 1987 to be named All-America by the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association (FWAA), Sporting News or Walter Camp, which are used to determine consensus All-America.
Also a 2019 Pro Football Focus (PFF) Honorable Mention All-America choice, Bayless ended the regular season with 84 receptions for 1,473 yards and 16 touchdowns while also adding a pair of blocked kicks. His two blocked kicks are tied for the most in the nation, while he ranks second in both receiving touchdowns and yards and tied for 12th in receptions per game (7.0).
Bayless has set the single-season Arkansas State and Sun Belt records for receiving yards and touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games (7). His 84 catches stand as the third most in school history. Even with one game still left to play, Bayless is already one of just 19 players this century to combine for at least 84 receptions, 16 receiving touchdowns and 1,473 in a single season.
Additionally, Bayless is Arkansas State’s all-time career leader for touchdown receptions with 25, a total that also ranks second as the second most ever by a Sun Belt Conference player. He has 168 career receptions and 2,595 receiving yards to his credit, which stand as the second and third most in school history, respectively.
The 2019 Walter Camp All-America Team will be honored at the organization’s 53rd annual national awards banquet on Jan. 18, 2020, at the Yale University Commons in New Haven, Conn.
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