COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) announced Colorado Mesa’s Eystin Salum, CSU-Pueblo’s Brandon Payer and Chadron State’s Zack Kozlik as the 2018 RMAC Football Preseason Players of the Year.
Salum, the 2017 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year, was fourth in the RMAC last season in passing average per game (224.1) and had the highest pass efficiency. As a junior last campaign he completed 137-of-245 (56 percent) of his pass attempts for 20 touchdowns as he helped the Mavericks finish with a share of the RMAC Championship title. In addition, he earned three RMAC Player of the Week honors.
Payer, a 2017 All-RMAC selection, helped the ThunderWolves earn a share of the RMAC crown, leading the conference with 12 solo and four assisted tackles for loss, four of which were sacks. On the season he finished with 110 total tackles with an impressive 71 being solo with an additional three forced fumbles.
Kozlik finished his first season with the Eagles setting a new program record with an average of 41.37 yards per punt. His average ranked second in the RMAC last campaign. He also tallied nine punts that went over 50 yards.
The preseason awards were voted on by all 11 head coaches. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
The rest of the Preseason All-RMAC teams and Preseason Coaches Poll results will be announced prior to the RMAC Football Kickoff at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 30. For more information on the event,
click here.