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Defense
FS: Christian Dudzik
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
When talking about fan favorites, a lot of the senior defensive players on the 2014 team come up. While many believed the NDSU dynasty was coming to an end after 2013 with 24 seniors and a departing coaching staff, the Bison had several veterans on the defense that kept this run going.
Dudzik started 61 career games and was named to several All-MVFC teams throughout his four years of starting. He was a key member in the locker room that kept the Bison culture going. [divider]
SS: Robbie Grimsley
2015, 2017, 2018
Grimsley replaced a Bison legend in Colten Heagle as a true freshman in 2015 and never left the starting lineup since. He has a long list of All-Conference and All-American awards while his smarts on the field have been praised by head coach Chris Klieman.
Grimsley started 52 straight games to end his career and ranks second in Bison history with 17 interceptions and third with 159 unassisted tackles. [divider]
CB: Marcus Williams
2011, 2012, 2013
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A playmaker of all playmakers, Williams has NDSU's career interceptions record with 21. Seven of those were returned for touchdowns, an FCS record.
Williams was a three-time All-American and the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. He went undrafted but had a nice role with the New York Jets from 2014-2017, where he recorded nine interceptions. Williams is currently with the Chicago Bears. [divider]
CB: CJ Smith
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Smith started opposite of Williams in 2013 before filling the role of shutdown corner the next two seasons. Smith didn't have the splashy plays like Williams did, but he finished his career fourth in FCS history with 57 passes defended.
He was a First Team Valley selection in 2015. Smith is currently an NFL free agent after playing in a combined 13 games for Philadelphia in 2016 and Cleveland in 2017. [divider]
OLB: Jabril Cox
2017, 2018
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Cox was only a sophomore in 2018, but he's confidently put on this list. The Bison have never had a player like Cox before. Quite frankly, a lot of Big 12 defenses could use the Kansas City native who is 6-foot-3, 231 pounds and runs like a safety.
Cox already owns MVFC Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. He's been named to several All-American teams. And he's only halfway through his Bison career. [divider]
OLB: Travis Beck
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
A freak of an athlete, Beck had the toughness to play the run and the quickness to stay on the field on third down and cover receivers downfield. A small-town guy from Munich, N.D., Beck became a legend his redshirt freshman year in 2011 after his interception return to the goal line sealed NDSU's first national title.
Beck was one of the best linebackers in the FCS during his playing days, although his stats and postseason awards won't show that. He has 128 career unassisted tackles, eighth all-time at NDSU. [divider]
MLB: Nick DeLuca
2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
NDSU has had plenty of great middle linebackers in its Divison I era. But none that quite looked and moved like DeLuca. He wasn't just a thumper at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. DeLuca could also move and even played some outside linebacker to start his senior season.
He played as a true freshman in 2013, then started five games in 2014 after Beck got hurt. DeLuca burst onto the scene in 2015 with 135 total tackles. A 2016 injury allowed him to return for a fifth season, where he earned multiple First Team All-American honors. DeLuca ranks eighth in school history with 329 career tackles and is currently playing in the NFL for Jacksonville. [divider]
DE: Kyle Emanuel
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Emanuel was a four-year starter who got better every year. He was on another level in 2014, winning the Buck Buchanan Award for best defensive player in the FCS as he posted 19.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss during that season.
Emanuel owns school records with 69 career tackles for loss and 41 sacks. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and has started 29 games since the 2016 season. [divider]
DE: Greg Menard
2014, 2015, 2018
Right behind Emanuel is Menard with 40 career sacks and 59 TFLs. As a true sophomore in 2015, he was a Valley First Team pick and a Third Team All-American with 10 sacks and 15 quarterback hurries.
Menard followed that with another All-American season in 2016 before suffering a season-ending ACL injury the next year. That allowed a fifth season and Menard became a rare three-time All-American, finishing 2018 with 9.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs. [divider]
DT: Leevon Perry
2011, 2012, 2013
A three-year starter with plenty of postseason awards, Perry was a disruptive force with 27 career TFLs. At 6-foot-4, 282 pounds, Perry was a tremendous athlete who played some running back in high school. He totaled 14 career sacks and returned one fumble for a touchdown. [divider]
DT: Nate Tanguay
2014, 2015, 2017
Tanguay was a force in the middle of NDSU's run defense at 6-foot-4, 291 pounds. He started all 16 games as a redshirt freshman in 2014 and earned All-MVFC Honorable Mention honors the next year. Tanguay's junior season saw him get named to the All-Conference Second Team despite playing in only nine games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Tanguay returned in 2017 and got another MVFC Honorable Mention nod. While eating a lot of double teams throughout his career, he finished it with 18 tackles for loss.
