LEXINGTON, Ky. – Five members of the Eastern Kentucky University football team have been selected to the 2025 Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame's Collegiate All-Commonwealth Team, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
The five Colonels selected are
Jeremiah Bailey,
Marcus Calwise Jr.,
Gabe Fletcher,
Vito Tisdale, and
Jaheim Ward.
The All-Commonwealth Team is a pre-season recognition award for football players attending a Kentucky college or university. It represents the best college football players in the Commonwealth.
Bailey earns the honor after a stellar 2024 season where he recorded 43 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and five tackles for a loss, earning Fourth Team Phil Steele, All-UAC honors.
He is joined by fellow defensive lineman
Gabe Fletcher, who recorded five tackles for loss and three sacks in 2024, playing in all 13 games.
Wide receiver
Marcus Calwise Jr. adds the accolade to his growing resume of honors after earning Freshman All-American Honors in 2024 as he led the Colonels in receiving statistics with 42 receptions for 526 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensive back
Vito Tisdale adds the honor after his debut season in Maroon & White, starting in 12 of EKU's 13 games last season, making 35 total tackles with one interception while adding eight pass breakups.
Fellow defensive back
Jaheim Ward earns the honor on top of an All-UAC selection a season ago, recording the third-most total tackles on the team with 66, including five tackles for loss.
Ward was also a ball hawk with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups.
A ceremony recognizing the 2025 Collegiate All-Commonwealth Team will be held Friday, June 27, in Frankfort. The players will also be honored during the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame's Purple Jacket Dinner Party and Induction Ceremony that evening at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Lexington.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Founded in 2003, the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing players, coaches, officials, media figures, and executives with ties to Kentucky who have impacted professional football. With 112 inductees to date and five more joining this year, the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame continues to honor NFL legends and pioneering figures who exemplify dedication, skill, and passion. The Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame has a clear mission: "Celebrating Kentucky's Football Legends to support Kentucky's children and young people." Over the years, the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame has raised over $1 million for youth and children's charities, with the Foster Care Council of Kentucky as its current beneficiary.
