CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois safety PJ Jules finished sixth in the Stats Perform FCS voting for the Buchanan Award, given annually to the nation’s top FCS defensive player. Thirty players representing every FCS conference were among the finalists.
Jules, a senior and preseason All-American, was the highest finisher for the award in school history. Previous finalists for SIU included safety Alexis Moreland (16th in 2003), linebacker Brandin Jordan (9th in 2009), cornerback Korey Lindsey (21st in 2010) and safety Jeremy Chinn, (17th in 2019).
The leader of SIU’s top-10 ranked defense, Jules started all 13 games for the Salukis, who finished 8-5 and won a playoff game for the third time in the last four seasons. He led the team and ranked among the nation’s leaders in tackles (109), tackles for loss (13.0) and pass breakups (11).
Jules had double-digit tackles in five games, including 15 at SEMO, for which he was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week. He also had 12 tackles twice (Northern Illinois, Indiana State) and 10 tackles twice (South Dakota State, South Dakota).
The Buchanan Award, first presented in 1995, has a distinguished history of recipients, including two-time winner Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats.
