2016 Football
Payton Usher
- Height:
- 5-7
- Weight:
- 170
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Letters:
- 3
- Hometown:
- Newnan, Ga.
- High School:
- Northgate HS
2014 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll
2014 FCS Running Back Watch List (CFPA)
2013 PFL Academic Honor Roll
2015 at MERCER: Appeared in 10 games, despite suffering a mid-season injury … Carried the ball 26 times for 142 yards and one touchdown … Averaged 5.5 yards per carry … Also returned one kick-off nine yards … Rushed for a season-high 40 yards and a score against ETSU (Oct. 17) … Provided a spark for the Bears’ in the season finale against Samford (Nov. 21), running for 35 yards on just four carries thanks to a season-high 8.8 yards per tote.
2014 at MERCER: Played in nine games during sophomore campaign, after battling through a mid-season injury … Named to the CFPA Running Back Watch List … Selected to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll ... Rushed 35 times for 268 yards and one touchdown … Ranked second on the team with 7.7 yards per carry … Tallied three games with 50 yards rushing or more … Returned eight kicks for 153 yards including a season-long return of 34 yards in the win over Reinhardt (Aug. 28) … Carried the ball five times for 59 yards and a touchdown in the victory at Stetson (Sept. 13) … Took back his only reception of the year 53 yards for a score in a win over Ave Maria (Sept. 20), while also rushing for a season-high 78 yards on just seven carries.
2013 at MERCER: Played and started in nine games at running back during redshirt freshman season … Named to the Pioneer Football League Honor Roll … Carried the ball 114 times for 776 yards and two TDs on the year … Posted 6.8 yards per carry … Led the team with 86.2 rushing yards per contest … Ranked second on the team with 105 all-purpose yards per game … Topped the team in rushing on five occasions … Eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in four contests … Also returned two kicks for 61 yards … Led the team with an average of 30.5 yards per return … Tallied 115 yards rushing on 18 carries in collegiate debut against Reinhardt … Ran for 98 yards on 12 carries in a victory over Warner … Recorded a season-best 154 yards rushing including a 65-yard scamper to go along with his first collegiate touchdown in a win over Berry … Had 109 yards on 19 carries in a triumph over Valparaiso … Helped lead Mercer past Valparaiso with 115 yards on just seven carries.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Northgate High School in Newnan, Ga., where he was an honor student … Earned four varsity letters in football and four in golf … Under head football coach Tommy Walburn, Usher earned First Team All-County and All-Region accolades.
PERSONAL: Born Dec. 29, 1992 to parents James and Amy Usher in Atlanta … Has three brothers named Sterling, Connor and Landon … Chose Mercer for its beautiful campus and academic rigor … Majoring in chemical commerce.
