Lion running back Richard Cooper and offensive lineman Shane Thompson picked up All-American honors from D2Football.com as announced by the organization Thursday.
Cooper, a junior from Angleton, Texas, led the Lions with 1,380 yard and averaged 110.9 yards per game on the ground. He became the first Lion running back to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a single-season since the 2005 season. Cooper was the only back in the Lone Star Conference to rush for 100 yards in the six conference games. He opened the 2015 season with eight straight 100-yard rushing games to set new school record and finished the season with nine 100-yard games. His best game of the season came on the road at Texas A&M-Kingsville when he ran for 158 yards on 28 carries.
Cooper finished the season ranked third in the LSC and 26th in the NCAA with his 110.9 yards per game. He also finished 14th in the NCAA in rushing yards.
Thompson, a senior from Keller, Texas, was the anchor on the offensive line for the Lions. Thompson saw the majority of his action at right guard, but did have to fill in at center for a game in a half. With Thompson and Co. leading the way, the Lions saw two backs eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in school history. The Lions sported the 25th best offense in the NCAA including quarterback Harrison Stewart finishing 12th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion.
The Lions ended the 2015 season in the NCAA Playoffs for the first time in 20 years. They also completed the LSC season at 6-0 taking the program's 22nd LSC Championship. It was also the Lions second straight LSC title after taking the 2014 title.