MONTGOMERY, Ala. | There's a lot to process for a quarterback on the field.
He has to manage the offense, keep teammates happy and execute plays all while reading the defense and protecting himself.
Sometimes there can be more for a quarterback to figure out off the field. Alabama State quarterback
Andrew Body is the very definition of perseverance and maintaining confidence through difficult situations, including three straight years with a season-ending injury.
A belief in himself has helped Body on the way to receiving Stats Perform's 2025 HBCU National Player of the Year Award. Stats Perform's HBCU National Player of the Year Award honors the outstanding player from 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in FCS football. Alabama State quarterback
An eight-person panel selected the recipient, with Body edging Delaware State running back Marquis Gillis among 10 finalists. Body will be honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Body's individual accomplishments this season helped power Alabama State to its first 10-win season in 21 years. Equally impressive is that Body earned the award while playing only the first eight games of the season due to a shoulder injury. The Hornets were 6-2 in his starts.
The 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt junior from Corpus Christi, Texas, was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year. He completed nearly 71% of his passes for 1,770 yards, 20 touchdowns and only one interception, while compiling an elite 203.6 pass efficiency rating. The dual-threat also rushed for 518 yards and four touchdowns. One of the highlights of the season was his six-touchdown performance against Alabama A&M
.
To open the season, Alabama State dropped a back-and-forth, 52-42 result at UAB, with Body passing for 312 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for another 119 yards and a TD, and earning HBCU national player of the week. The Hornets' 38-34 defeat at Jackson State wasn't decided until a final play just outside the reigning SWAC champion's goal line. Body racked up a career-high 442 yards of total offense and passed for a touchdown.
Body was named the SWAC's Offensive Player of the Week three times and earned HBCU National Player of the Week twice. The Corpus Christi, Texas, native led the SWAC in touchdown passes (20) and points responsible for (144) while ranking second in completion percentage (70.5).
Body led a prolific offense that led or ranked second in the he SWAC in 13 categories while ranking in the top 12 in the FCS in seven categories.
| Category |
Value |
SWAC |
FCS |
| 3rd Down Conversions |
51.8 |
1 |
4 |
| Completion Percentage |
69.6 |
1 |
5 |
| Passing Efficiency |
184.1 |
1 |
4 |
| Scoring Offense |
42.5 |
1 |
2 |
| Passing Offense |
248.8 |
1 |
22 |
| Yards Per Completion |
15.5 |
1 |
2 |
| Passes Had Intercepted |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| Red Zone Offense 91.4 (53-of-58) |
91.4 |
1 |
8 |
| Red Zone Scores |
53 |
1 |
-- |
| Red Zone TD |
43 |
1 |
- |
| First Down Offense 266 2/20 |
266 |
2 |
20 |
| Total Offense |
460.5 |
2 |
7 |
| Sacks Allowed |
10 (.83) |
2 |
6 |
| 4th Down Conversion |
66.7 |
3 |
13 |
Body has twice overcome season-ending injuries after one game. Following two seasons as Texas Southern's starting QB – he set the Tigers' single-season record for offensive yards per game with an average of 265.9 in 2021 – he suffered a shoulder injury in the 2023 opener. After transferring to Alabama State in the offseason, he earned the starting role and was ready to lead the 2024 Hornets, but was injured in that season's opener as well.
In 2025, he did not disappoint. He plans to return next season, and a healthy season from Body should again put Alabama State in title contention.
"I'm really at a loss for words," Body said. "Standing on that sideline last season, thinking about what could have been. Doing the work to get back only for God to give me everything I asked for the next season. It truly is a blessing. Like it was all his plan from the beginning."
2025 Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results. A first-place vote was worth three points, a second-place vote two points and a third-place vote one point. The final number is the combined point total.
1.
Andrew Body, QB, Alabama State: 3-3-0-15
2. Marquis Gillis, RB, Delaware State: 3-1-1-12
3. Thomas Johnson, DE, North Carolina Central: 1-2-0-7
4. Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State: 1-0-2-5
T5. Walker Harris, QB, North Carolina Central: 0-1-2-4
T5. Quincy Ivory, DE, Jackson State: 0-1-2-4
7. Harold O'Neal III, LB, Hampton: 0-0-1-1
T8. Kennedy Parker, LB, Prairie View A&M: 0-0-0
T8. James Stewart, DE, Tennessee State: 0-0-0
T8. Jarod Washington, DB, South Carolina State: 0-0-0
Voting Panel: Stan Becton (NCAA.com), Gene Clemons (Stats Perform HBCU Writer), Steven Gaither (HBCU GameDay), Craig Haley (Stats Perform), Sam Herder (HERO Sports), Emory Hunt (CBS Sports Network, Football Gameplan), Zach McKinnell (FCS Football Central on SI) and Reggie Thomas (TheUnderdawg.com).
