By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University senior defensive end Keaton Adams (Colorado Springs, CO/Doherty HS) has been selected Third Team All-Region 6 for the 2021 football season by D3football.com. Adams was chosen All-Region for the first time.

D3football.com honored 76 student-athletes on the 2021 All-Region 6 Football Team. The First Team included 26 players, with 25 players on the Second Team and 25 players on the Third Team. Region 6 includes the Northwest Conference, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Wyatt Smith, senior quarterback at Linfield University, was named Region 6 Offensive Player of the Year. Mackenzie Balanganayi, a senior defensive end at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was chosen Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year. UW-Whitewater Head Coach Kevin Bullis, was voted Region 6 Coach of the Year. 

Adams helped the Willamette defense earn 56 tackles for loss, including 21 quarterback sacks. The Bearcats recovered 10 fumbles and intercepted four passes. On offense, Willamette averaged 18.7 points per game. The Bearcats scored 27 touchdowns.

Third Team All-Region 6

Keaton Adams (Sr., DE) was named Third Team All-Region 6 as the result of strong defensive play throughout the season. He was consistently in the opponents' backfield, providing key tackles and disrupting plays even when he didn't earn a tackle. He earned 51 total tackles, including 31 solo stops. He registered a school record 19.5 tackles for losses of 111 yards, and accumulated a team-high 11 quarterback sacks for 91 yards. He received First Team All-Northwest Conference recognition for the first time. 

In addition, Adams forced two fumbles, recovered four fumbles, and blocked two kicks. He scored a touchdown on a a 41-yard return of a fumble recovery in Willamette's 48-35 non-conference win over the University of Puget Sound on Sept. 4. He also scored two points on a defensive conversion when he blocked an extra point kick and returned it 90 yards to the end zone against Lincoln University (Calif.). He contributed four or more tackles in nine games this fall, including six games with five or more tackles.

Adams has played in 27 games while competing for the Bearcats in three seasons. He saw action in nine games as a first-year player in 2018, and then played in eight games in 2019. The Bearcats did not play any regular season games in 2020. He played in all 10 games this season.

In his career, Adams has recorded 124 total tackles with 78 unassisted tackles and 46 assists. He has provided Willamette with 38 tackles for losses of 193 yards and 19 quarterback sacks for 146 yards lost. He was credited with at least 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks each season, while producing his career highs in both categories this season. His career stats also include five fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks.