College football: Keystone grad Gideon Lampron taking his two FCS All-America honors and heading to Bowling Green

Gideon Lampron just put the finishing touches on a season for the ages with the Dayton Flyers. The redshirt sophomore linebacker and former Keystone standout was named to two NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams, a first-team selection by the Associated Press on Tuesday and a third-team honoree by Stats Perform on Wednesday. He's also one of 35 finalists for the Stats Perform SBC Buck Buchannan Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding defensive player in FCS. The winner will be announced Jan. 4 at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet in Frisco, Texas. "It's always been a goal," Lampron said of the All-America awards. "It's pretty hard to get it in high school, especially at a small school. To be able to do it at the Division I FCS level felt fulfilling. Especially after all the work I put in with my friends and all the different coaches who have helped me. It just makes it all worth it even more. That's the biggest thing." And now he's moving to the Mid-American Conference. Lampron announced on X that he will transfer to Bowling Green for his final two years of eligibility. He received more than 10 offers since entering the transfer portal Dec. 9. Other MAC schools that were pursuing him included Kent State, Ball State and Eastern Michigan. "I loved my time at Dayton," Lampron said. "People, players, coaches, I loved it all. But out of high school I just feel like I wasn't given a fair shot at somewhere bigger. Now I'm getting opportunities to do what I always dreamed of doing and thought I could do myself. I'm pretty excited to see what my next chapter is." At the conclusion of the regular season, Lampron was second in FCS in tackles for a loss (2.1 per game), tied for sixth in blocked kicks (two), 13th in fumbles recovered (two) and tied for 25th in solo tackles (5.1 per game). He is sixth in the Pioneer Football League and led Dayton with nine solo tackles per game. With his help, the Flyers defense allowed the fewest yards (242.9 per game), the fewest passing yards (122.9) and the fewest first downs (12.9) in FCS this season. He was also a first-team All-Pioneer Football League selection. "The biggest thing is just effort," Lampron said. "Our coaches ingrained that into us. We're definitely well-coached. I'm so thankful for my linebacker coach, (Paul) Amakihe, and our defensive coordinator, coach (John) Bowes. They just did such an incredible job in teaching us the scheme and being able to practice and walk through it every single day so we'd know what we're doing and get us prepared for the games. We had so much potential, but our coaches were able to put it together to be as best as it could have been this year." Lampron won four weekly PFL awards — Defensive Player of the Week three times and Special Teams Player of the Week — in addition to two national Player of the Week awards. His stellar season began with a bang when he led the Flyers with 11 tackles, six solo, three for a loss and one sack while forcing two fumbles and recovering one in an 18-10 win over St. Francis in the season opener. One of his tackles for a loss resulted in a safety, and his fumble recovery set up Dayton's first touchdown drive. After that, he was named both the PFL Defensive Player of the Week and the Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31. "I was kind of nervous," Lampron said. "I just went out there and it felt like another practice just because I was so prepared from my coaches. That's the game where I won FCS national defensive player of the week in my first start. That really launched my confidence really high. We just beat a bigger school and I was nationally recognized for my performance. The competition was going to get better, but I knew what I could do against anyone." His second honor came Sept. 14 in a 24-13 loss to Indiana State following a bye week. He piled up 13 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, helping Dayton hold ISU to 92 total yards, five first downs and one offensive touchdown. Lampron was named Special Teams Player of the Week and the Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 13 after blocking two field goal attempts in a 16-14 win against Davidson, which was half of the four kicks Dayton blocked as a team. His final Defensive Player of the Week award came Nov. 17, making him the only PFL player to win four weekly awards this season. He led the Flyers with 11 total tackles, six solo and two for a loss in a 26-14 win over Valparaiso. One of his tackles for a loss came on a fourth-and-1, leading to a Dayton touchdown on the ensuing possession. "I've definitely grown as a person within the past three years," Lampron said. "I came in a little young lad who thought he was ready to play right when I got there. I learned instantly that college football is not the same as the (Lorain County League). It took a year for me to start gaining that confidence back, doing the work every single day." Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.