RICHMOND, Va. - James Madison redshirt-senior linebacker Stephon Robertson was named as the Dudley Award winner Wednesday night, edging Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke for a trophy given to the best Division I football player in Virginia. Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, a senior, finished third. The award was presented by The Touchdown Club of Richmond and the Richmond Times-Dispatch at a banquet Wednesday night.

The two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-CAA selection, Robertson finished his senior season with 141 total tackles, including 52 solos, 17.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five pass breakups, leading the league in total tackles and tackles for loss. One of the top candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award after finishing second among underclassmen and eighth overall in last year's ballot, Robertson currently is third in the FCS with 11.8 tackles per game and 17th in tackles for loss (1.4 per game). A three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week this season, Robertson recorded a league season-high 5.0 tackles for loss at William and Mary and had double-digit stops in nine of 12 games played while leading the Dukes in tackling in eight of them. Before the season he was named a Sports Network First Team Preseason All-American in 2013 and the 2013 Preseason CAA Defensive Player of the Year.