BALTIMORE, Md. (Nov. 7, 2023) — There has been growing recognition for Morgan State's Jordan Toles as a playmaker for the Bears and people are starting to take notice.
Toles, a senior safety from Baltimore, was named as a 2nd Annual Aeneas Williams Award semifinalist, announced by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) Tuesday.
Toles was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Bears' 24-21 heartbreaker at Akron. He recorded his first two INTs of the season and added five stops. In Week 3 versus Towson, Toles blocked a field goal, picked the ball up and raced 53-yards for a touchdown.
Toles currently leads the MEAC with three interceptions (T-No. 2 in the FCS) and has recorded 48 (25 solo).
Toles joins a list of 10 players who are among the nation's best defensive backs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Division I college football.
AENEAS WILLIAM AWARD 2023 SEMIFINALISTS
| Name |
School |
| Jordan Toles |
Morgan State |
| Khalil Baker |
North Carolina Central |
| Jordan Carter |
Southern |
| Jason Chambers |
North Carolina Central |
| Kriston Davis |
Southern |
| Kenny Gallop Jr. |
Howard |
| Terron Mallory |
Norfolk State |
| Emari Pait |
Alabama A&M |
| Mikey Victor |
Alabama State |
| Kendall Bohler |
Florida A&M |
The semifinalists are selected by a screening committee, in partnership with DraftHBCUPlayers and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, whose members compile a list of up to 10 players based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
The Aeneas Williams Award serves as the first award of its kind in HBCU history. Established in 2022 in honor of its namesake, Southern University walk-on and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Aeneas Williams, it is awarded to the best defensive back in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Division I college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The contribution of HBCUs to the landscape of college football and the NFL has forever left an impact on the game. HBCUs hold an incredibly rich athletic tradition, tied to the game of football, that continues to exemplify the culture of these schools for over the past century.
The Aeneas Williams Award Committee will reconvene at the end of November to select three award finalists. The award finalists will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 5, following the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Finalists announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
