SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State senior Rodney Hammond, Jr., was named an FCS second team All-American as an all-purpose player by FCS Football Central and Stats Perform. Hammond becomes the 35^th Hornet to earn All-America honors in the school's FCS era.
 
In his first season with the Hornets, Hammond led the team in rushing, kick return yards and all-purpose yards. He moved into ninth place in school single-season history with 1,213 rushing yards and averaged a whopping 6.49 yards per carry which ranks sixth in the Sacramento State record book. Hammond starred during Big Sky play, leading the conference with an average of 132.3 yards per game and surpassing 100 yards in seven of the eight games.
 
He set his season high at Eastern Washington with 208 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The yardage total was the 23^rd-most all-time by a Hornet. Hammond rushed for a pair of touchdowns in four games and finished the year with 14 total TDs. He thrived on the big play, tying the school record with an 87-yard rush against Portland State as part of his three runs of at least 50 yards during the season.
 
Along with his rushing abilities, the Norfolk, Va., native also caught 15 passes for 147 yards and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass during the year. Hammond also shined as a kick returner where he averaged 28.44 yards per return on 16 attempts which is the second-best in school history and the highest since 1991. His season was highlighted by a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Weber State.
 
Hammond joins an elite group of Sacramento State running backs to be named an FCS All-American. Charles Roberts earned the honor in 1998 and 1999, Elijah Dotsonin 2019 and Cameron Skattebo in 2022. The only other Hornet to earn All-America honors as an all-purpose player was quarterback Asher O'Hara in 2022.