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Cooper Kupp, Gage Gubrud, Samson Ebukam win more national honors

Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud won another national honor on Tuesday. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
From staff and wire reports

For the second straight day, three Eastern Washington University football players won national recognition when STATS released its postseason All-America squad on Tuesday.

Senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named to the team for the fourth consecutive year, while sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud and senior defensive end Samson Ebukam earned recognition for the first time.

Gubrud will be either a first-team or second-team choice, pending the outcome of the announcement of voting totals for the Walter Payton Award. Ebukam was selected to the third team.

Kupp was recognized for the third time on the Walter Camp Football Foundation FCS All-America team. He has earned first-team honors on all five teams that have been announced so far – STATS, Walter Camp, American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and College Sports Madness. He was an All-American for the fourth consecutive season by STATS, AP and the AFCA.

Four Eagles have been honored as All-Americans from the 2016 squad. Besides being honored by STATS, Gubrud was a second-team selection by the AFCA, AP and CSM. Ebukam earned first-team accolades from the AFCA and third-team from AP and STATS. In addition, senior wide receiver Shaq Hill was on the third team by College Sports Madness.

Gubrud and Kupp combined for a record-breaking season of offense for the Eagles. Gubrud broke three FCS records, seven Big Sky marks and 15 school records. Kupp broke one all-division collegiate record, 15 FCS records, 11 Big Sky marks and 26 EWU records during his illustrious career. That duo finished in the top three in the voting for the Payton Award presented this year by STATS, and the winner will be presented on Jan. 6.

Ebukam has 24 sacks in his career to rank sixth in school history and 188 total tackles total in 53 games (38 as a starter). One of six Eagles co-captains for the 2016 season, he received second-team All-Big Sky honors in 2014 and 2015, and first-team accolades in 2016. He was a second-team Freshman All-America selection in 2013.