MSU Athletics

The Christian File

Parents: Mark and Tonya Christian

Birthday: Oct. 27, 1994

Major: Criminal Justice

Honors

Cliff Harris Award 2015 LSC Male Athlete of the Year 2016 Associated Press Little All American 2015 (2nd) AFCA Division II All American 2015 (1st) D2CCA All American 2015 (1st) D2Football.com All American 2015 (1st) Don Hansen All American 2015 (3rd) D2CCCA All-Super Region Four 2015 (1st) Daktronics All-Super Region Four 2013 (2nd) Don Hansen All-Super Region Four 2013 (2nd), 2014 (2nd), 2015 (1st) Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 4 2014 (2nd) J.V. Sykes LSC Defensive Player of the Year 2015 LSC Defensive Back of the Year 2015 All-Lone Star Conference 2013 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2015 (1st) BSN National Defensive Player of the Week 9/30/13 LSC Defensive Player of the Week (4 times) 10/7/13, 10/21/13, 9/8/15, 9/21/15 LSC Special Teams Player of the Week 11/5/12

Statistics

2012 2013 2014 2015

At Midwestern State

Senior (2015)
- won Cliff Harris Award as nation's top small college defensive player (D2, D3, NAIA).
- became the first MSU defensive player named to the Associated Press Little All America team since 1952 (Lavern Robbins) taking second-team honors.
- earned first-team All-America mention from the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) and D2CCA (Sports Information Directors).
- first MSU played to earn J.V. Sykes/LSC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was the league's defensive back of the year.
- finished career as program's all-time leading tackler with 295.
- key member of LSC's top-ranked defense in yards allowed per game (382.9) and scoring defense (23.4 points per game).
- logged 10-or-more tackles in 16 career games.
- started 10 games at the WHIP position and two times at free safety as a senior.
- second on team with 95 tackles including 49 solo stops and two tackles for loss.
- twice named LSC Defensive Player of the Week (9/8 and 9/21).
- scored second collegiate touchdown on a 63-yard fumble return in a 26-21 win over Eastern New Mexico (11/7).
- had a season-high 13 tackles in a 28-24 come-from-behind win over Eastern New Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (9/19).
- made team-high 12 tackles in NCAA Division II second-round playoff game against Colorado State-Pueblo.
- accounted for 11 tackles in season-opening 31-3 win over Truman State (9/5).
- recovered fumbles in each of MSU's last three games of the season against Eastern New Mexico, Texas A&M-Commerce and Colorado State-Pueblo.
- made nine tackles with a sack and forced a fumble in the Mustangs' 16-13 overtime win at Colorado Mesa (9/12).

Junior (2014)
- a first-team All-Lone Star Conference performer for the second consecutive season.
- started eight games at free safety missing Tarleton State game on Sept. 27 due to injury and Texas A&M-Kingsville game on Nov. 1 after he was flagged for targeting against Texas A&M-Commerce.
- led MSU with 81 tackles including 39 solo and a sack.
- recorded interceptions against Missouri S&T on Sept. 13 and Tarleton State on Nov. 15.
- accounted for four pass breakups.
- his 18 tackles against Eastern New Mexico on Sept. 20 at AT&T Stadium were the fourth most in a single game for an MSU player and the most since Esrom Martinez made 19 tackles at Northeastern State (Okla.) on Oct. 28, 2000.
- recorded at least 10 tackles in each of his first five games of the season going for 11 against MIssouri S&T and McMurry and 10 against West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce in addition to his 18 against ENMU.
- had 16 tackles in the season finale against Tarleton State on Nov. 15.
- enters senior campaign with 200 career tackles needing 67 to pass Ryan Craven (267 tackles from 2007-10) as MSU's all-time leader in tackles.

Sophomore (2013)
- started all 10 games at whip safety for Midwestern.
- earned second-team All-Super Region 4 at safety on both the Daktronics and Don Hansen Football Gazette teams.
- led the Mustangs in tackles with 95 for the season (with 45 unassisted tackles), the most for a Midwestern player in nine seasons.
- his 9.5 tackles per game ranked him fifth in the LSC and 46th in NCAA Division II.
- tallied 2.5 tackles for losses of six yards.
- also posted four pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
- recorded five games of double-digit tackles, second most in a season in MSU's Division II era.
- recorded 15 tackles in the Comcast SportsNet Houston regionally televised game against Texas A&M-Kingsville, the most by a Mustang defender since 2006, on his way to LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
- picked up Beyond Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week honors the week prior with his 13 tackles (nine solo) at Texas A&M-Commerce.
- tabbed LSC Defensive Player of the Week a second time in leading the MSU D with 10 tackles in the 45-21 Homecoming upset of No. 8 West Alabama.
- the leader of a secondary that helped MSU lead the Lone Star Conference and rank 20th in NCAA II in pass efficiency defense (109.33 rating), and paced the LSC and rank 25th nationally in passing yards allowed (188.5 yards per game).

Freshman (2012)
- played in all 11 games as a true freshman for the Mustangs.
- ranked 13th on the MSU Tackle Chart with 24 stops, 11 unassisted.
- intercepted one pass, at Texas A&M-Kingsville with a 1-yard return, ending at Javelina scoring threat.
- will be remembered for the wild play that helped beat No. 12 West Texas A&M in Canyon where he picked up a bad punt snap with less than a minute to play and returned it 18 yards for the Mustangs go ahead touchdown.
- chalked up a season-high five tackles at Abilene Christian, while recording four each against Eastern New Mexico and West Georgia.

At Spring High School

- a first-team All-District 13-5A pick for coach Sam Parker at Spring High.
- posted 90 tackles with two fumble recoveries, two touchdowns and five pass breakups as a senior.