Colorado State University Athletics
Long Named Third-Team All-American
12/15/2025 10:00:00 AM | Football
Sophomore captain becomes first Ram defender recognized by AP since 1995
 FORT COLLINS – Outstanding from start to finish, Colorado State sophomore linebacker Owen Long can now add All-American to his resume.
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The product of Whittier, Calif., was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, becoming the 13th Colorado State player to be recognized by the organization, one of the five main All-American teams which determine consensus status. It is the second consecutive season a Ram has been honored by AP, with center Jacob Gardner named to the third team in 2024.
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The year began with the true sophomore being named a team captain, and when play started, he came blasting out of the chutes with a 13-tackle effort against Washington. He opened the campaign – his first full season as a starter – with a run of six games with double-digit tackles, a string culminated with a career-best 17 stops in a win over Fresno State. He posted 10 games with at least 10 tackles, capped by him matching his career-best total against Air Force.
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His 151 tackles led the nation, a figure which ranks seventh on CSU's list for a single season. He added a pair of sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and defended five passes.
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Only four Colorado State defenders have been recognized by the group, with Greg Myers being the most recent in 1995 when he was named to the first team and won the Jim Thorpe Award. Defensive lineman Mike Bell was named to the second-team twice (1977-78), with linebacker Jeff Harper earning honorable mention recognition in 1982. The last time any CSU defender earned All-America recognition from a group was 2023, when Mohammed Kamara was named to the second team by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele.
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Previously Long was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection while earning first-team All-American Group of 5 honors from Hero Sports.
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The product of Whittier, Calif., was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, becoming the 13th Colorado State player to be recognized by the organization, one of the five main All-American teams which determine consensus status. It is the second consecutive season a Ram has been honored by AP, with center Jacob Gardner named to the third team in 2024.
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The year began with the true sophomore being named a team captain, and when play started, he came blasting out of the chutes with a 13-tackle effort against Washington. He opened the campaign – his first full season as a starter – with a run of six games with double-digit tackles, a string culminated with a career-best 17 stops in a win over Fresno State. He posted 10 games with at least 10 tackles, capped by him matching his career-best total against Air Force.
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His 151 tackles led the nation, a figure which ranks seventh on CSU's list for a single season. He added a pair of sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and defended five passes.
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Only four Colorado State defenders have been recognized by the group, with Greg Myers being the most recent in 1995 when he was named to the first team and won the Jim Thorpe Award. Defensive lineman Mike Bell was named to the second-team twice (1977-78), with linebacker Jeff Harper earning honorable mention recognition in 1982. The last time any CSU defender earned All-America recognition from a group was 2023, when Mohammed Kamara was named to the second team by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele.
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Previously Long was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection while earning first-team All-American Group of 5 honors from Hero Sports.
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Players Mentioned
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