MANHEIM, Pa. – For the third-straight season, the Valdosta State football team has a student-athlete named finalist for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award in senior offensive lineman Ralph Singleton.
 
The award is presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club and voted on by the nation's NCAA Division II sports information directors. Two finalists advance from each of the four NCAA Division II super regions. All nominees must be seniors or graduate players/transfers.  The finalists include five offensive linemen, two defensive ends and a defensive tackle.
 
Click here or on the link to the right for the complete release on the finalists for the 2021 Gene Upshaw Award, presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club.  
 
In 2018, former Blazer and current VSU football graduate student Jeremy King was runner-up for the award as he helped lead VSU to its fourth national title that season with a perfect 14-0 record.  In 2019, former Blazer offensive lineman and NFL free agent signee Adonis Sealey was a finalist.  Sealey signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, after a standout career with the Blazers.  Both King and Sealey helped lead VSU to the national title in 2018, a Gulf South Conference-record 25-straight victories and back-to-back GSC titles.  
 
Singleton, a native of Sumter, S.C., has had an outstanding season on the offensive line for the Blazers.  He earned First Team All-GSC honors this season and second team accolades in 2019.  He has started all 11 games for the three-time GSC champion Blazers and helped lead the team to a 10-1 record and a berth in the NCAA Quarterfinals this coming Saturday against Bowie State.  
 
For his career, Singleton has played in 36 games with 35 starts, going 34-2 for his career.  He has graded out at over 91 percent this season with over 40 pancake/knockdown blocks.  He hasn't allowed a single pressure or sack all season as VSU has allowed just one sack as a team for the season to lead the nation.  Singleton has blocked for an offense that is second nationally in total offense at 525.7 yards per game and tallied a school-record 719 yards of offense on Saturday in a 66-35 victory in the second round of the playoffs over No. 13 West Georgia.  In addition, Singleton has blocked for an offense that is fifth nationally in scoring offense (44.3), fifth in rushing offense (269.8) and 20^th in passing efficiency at a 153.39 clip.  
 
Six of the eight finalist NCAA Division II Playoff qualifying teams as the playoffs began on Nov. 20.  On Saturday, there will be two finalists for the award in Valdosta with Singleton and Bowie State offensive lineman Mark Murphy.  
 
The national round of voting began on Friday, Nov. 26, and will close on Friday, Dec. 3. The winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 6. The award recipient has an invitation to participate in front of professional scouts and coaches at the East-West Shrine Game in Las Vegas, Nev. The winner will also be recognized at the Manheim Touchdown Club's annual banquet. 
 
The NFL recognizes, endorses and supports the winner of the award by guaranteeing a place in the all-star games. The support comes as recognition and appreciation for the late Mr. Upshaw, who was not only an All-Pro lineman for the Oakland Raiders, but later served as the executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years. Upshaw, a former standout offensive lineman at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M Kingsville), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 in his first year of eligibility.