Football | 12/23/2021 8:52:00 AM

TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete C.J. Lyons is a nominee for the Cliff Harris Award, which is presented annually to the top small college defensive football player in the country representing almost 500 NCAA Division II, III and NAIA colleges and universities.

A senior cornerback, Lyons (Rocky Mount, NC / St. Stephens-St. Agnes) played all 13 games for the Engineers, totaling 52 tackles, including 36 unassisted, which was second on the team. He had a team-high six pass breakups and tied for the team-lead in forced fumbles with two.

He had at least two tackles in 11 contests with a season-high 10 once and another game with eight stops, all solos. Lyons had two pass breakups in two different games, including in an NCAA First Round matchup at Endicott.

He began the year with six unassisted stops in a win over Montclair State when the defense did not allow any points. He had a career-high 10 tackles, including four unassisted and 0.5 for lost yards, with a pass breakup the next game (Stevenson) and then registered four tackles (3 solos) to help the Engineers defeat WPI in the Transit Trophy Game. Lyons made four more tackles (3 solos) with two pass breakups and a forced fumble against Buffalo State in early October before making eight unassisted tackles with a pass breakup in a double overtime win at St. Lawrence a month later. He concluded the campaign with five unassisted tackles in the NCAA Quarterfinals at North Central.

Lyons, a transfer from Dartmouth College who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, was chosen to the All-Liberty League First Team, D3football.com All-Region 2 First Team and D3football.com All-America Third Team. 

As a team, the Engineers tied the school record for wins in a season (11-2), recorded their seventh consecutive playoff appearance in 2021 and finished the year having earned the Transit Trophy, the Dutchman Shoes Trophy and their third Liberty League title in four years. The Elite 8 appearance was its second in the last three seasons.