CHARLESTON, SC — South Carolina State junior defensive lineman Javon Hargrave and redshirt junior return specialist Antonio Hamilton were both named 2014 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) winners today. Hargrave is the winner of the 2014 CFPA FCS Defensive Tackle Award, while Hamilton is the winner of the 2014 CFPA FCS Punt Returner Award.

Hargrave (6-2, 295) earned the CFPA's defensive tackle honor with 24 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble return for a touchdown. He was previously named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-American, and was a finalist for the Sports Network's Buck Buchanan Award.

Hamilton (6-0, 185) earned the CFPA's punt return honor with 15 punt returns for 280 yards (25.6 avg.) and two touchdowns. He was named MEAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice during the season for his performances.
 
Hargrave and Hamilton were important components in South Carolina State's 8-4 season. In a 20-14 win over MEAC opponent Bethune-Cookman, Hamilton returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown, while Hargrave tied an FCS-record with six sacks. Their performances contributed to South Carolina State ending the season in the top quartile defensively in the CFPA's team performance index.
 
The 2014 season marks the seventh year of the CFPA's national accolades. Twenty-eight individual winners have been first-round NFL Draft selections. The program, additionally, has received praise from both Republican and Democrat White House Officials.