To the outside viewer, Saturday’s Patriot League contest between Lehigh and Fordham may not have been much to watch. The Mountain Hawks kept on rolling through their undefeated season, easily dispatching the Rams 27-6. Fordham is now 1-7 and has no hope of reaching the playoffs this year. All of that, though, can take a spot on the backburner for right now. In the midst of an otherwise forgettable day and season for Fordham, one player in the maroon and white has carved his way into the history books.
Linebacker James Conway is now a part of FCS immortality.
Over the weekend, the grad senior did what he always seems to do and totaled an absurd amount of tackles (16). This heroic performance, however, was even different than the rest. This one saw Conway overtake Illinois State’s Boomer Grigsby (2001-04) for the most all-time tackles. With his 12th stop on Saturday, Conway picked up his 551st career tackle and vaulted him to the top of the FCS’s list in that category; a remarkable feat in what has been a legendary career.
To those who have followed along, this is an accomplishment that seemed as though he was headed for for quite a while. Ever since he came onto the scene as a freshman in 2021, Conway has been a difference maker for the Rams defense. That first season, he set a school record for freshmen with 131 takedowns and rightfully earned all-conference and all-American recognition. From there it would only get better for the Omaha native. He notched 127 stops as a sophomore and 129 more as a junior before having his senior season cut short with an injury just four games in. Still, Conway logged 49 tackles last fall, enough to finish sixth on the team and become the program career record holder.
Watching any Fordham game will show just how dominant he really is. It’s a week-to-week occurrence in which he gets more than ten tackles. A dozen times throughout his career he’s gotten more than 15. His best work came against this same Lehigh team in 2021 when he authored 21… yes, 21… tackles. He’s in on almost every play that there is to be made on defense. He’s a linebacker of a different caliber and the NFL sure seems to be waiting.
With four games left in his illustrious college career, Conway still has some milestones he can chase down. The Division I tackle mark is still out there to be beaten. Troy’s Carlton Martial (2018-22) posted 577 career takedowns and, with Conway being just 22 away, it sure seems like that one is well within reach. The overall NCAA record belongs to Conner Harris (2012-16) of Lindenwood during its DII days. Harris posted a number that seems truly untouchable at 633.
The Rams will take on Richmond this weekend as he begins his final push for those numbers. He is staring down the barrel of another all-American accolade and likely a spot among the finalists for the coveted Buck Buchanan Award. On November 8, Conway will play his last game at Coffey Field. Then, on November 22, it will all come to an end when Fordham squares up with Merrimack. No matter what happens from here on out, though, it cannot be denied that Conway has left his mark on the program, the FCS and the sport as a whole.
