by SIOUX FALLS – All-American cornerback Solomon St. Pierre (Yankton Sioux), who starred at the University of Sioux Falls, has been invited to attend the San Diego Chargers minicamp that begins on Friday.
“I look forward to an opportunity with the Chargers,” said St. Pierre, a Wagner, S.D., native, and USF’s most decorated player at the DII level with 16 total All-American honors. A two-time All-NSIC selection, St. Pierre was also named HERO Sports National Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and a USF’s first-ever finalist for the Cliff Harris Defensive Player of the Year Award. St. Pierre helped USF to a 9-3 record in 2015 and the school’s first-ever NCAA DII playoff berth. Over the past two years, USF, led by the cornerback tandem, has gone 20-4 and been ranked in 23 straight national polls.
St. Pierre, who was named to the AP Little American Team (2nd straight year), AFCA (2nd straight year), CCA DII, Instant Scouting and D2Football.com, finished fifth in the nation with nine interceptions just one year after picking off 10 passes, which tied a school record and was tied for the most in NCAA DII. He finished his career with 22 picks, which not only set a USF school record but established a new NSIC career mark. He had a league-best (5th nationally) nine picks and 21 interceptions in the final 24 games of his career. St. Pierre had 24 passes (2.0 per game) defended in 2015 which ranked third nationally and second in the NSIC.
He finished the 2015 season with 22 solo stops, nine assisted tackles and 31 overall stops as well as 15 pass breakups, a forced fumble and TFL. He finished his career with a school record six interception returns for TDs, including three in 2015. Three of his interception TD returns covered more than 70 yards. The six interception TD returns is the best in school history.
At USF, he set or tied five school records. Named first team All-NSIC for the second straight year in 2015, he was the only player in NCAA DII during 2014 and 2015 with nine or more interceptions in consecutive seasons.
Over the course of his standout career, St. Pierre appeared in 41 games, making 30 starts with 145 career tackles and 105 solo stops. On his 22 interceptions, he has 518 return yards, which ranks first all-time at USF and is one of the league’s top career totals.
