Fordham's James Conway became the greatest tackler in FCS history after setting the record for career tackles. Conway's 12th tackle of the day against Lehigh on Saturday, Oct. 25 moved him past the 550 career tackles record set by Illinois State's Boomer Grigsby (2001-04).
Conway finished the day with 16 total tackles, bringing his career total to 555. With four games to play in the 2025 season, the Division I career tackles record set at 577 is in reach for Conway.
| No. of Tackles | Division | Player (Team) | Years Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 633 | Division II | Conner Harris (Lindenwood) | 2012-16 |
| 605 | Division III | Ryan Slager (Grinnell) | 2015-18 |
| 577 | FBS | Carlton Martial (Troy) | 2018-22 |
| 555 | FCS | James Conway (Fordham) | 2021-25 |
| 550 | FCS | Boomer Grigsby (Illinois State) | 2001-04 |
MORE RECORDS: See all of the records in FCS football
The FCS record is the icing on the cake for James Conway's great start to his 2025 season. He has had double-digit tackles in all but one game this season, peaking with 20 tackles against Monmouth.
Conway joins his former Fordham teammate Ryan Greenhagen in the FCS tackling record books after Greenhagen set the FCS single-game tackling record with 31 tackles against Nebraska in 2021.
Conway's career single-game highs in tackles
- 22 — Lehigh, 2021
- 21 — Holy Cross, 2023
- 20 — Monmouth, 2025
- 19 — Holy Cross, 2025
- 17 — Boston College, 2025
- 17 — Holy Cross, 2025
- 16 — Lehigh, 2025
- 16 — Holy Cross, 2021
- 15 — Stony Brook, 2025
- 15 — Stony Brook, 2022
- 15 — UAlbany, 2022
- 15 — FAU, 2021
The FCS record is the latest accomplishment in Conway's great career. In 2024, Conway impressively earned All-Patriot League honors despite playing in only four games due to injury. He's earned all-conference honors in every year of his collegiate career. As a true freshman in 2021, Conway set the Fordham single-season freshman tackles record at 131, also the third-most single-season tackles in Fordham history.
| Year | Games | Tackles | Solo | TFLs | Sacks | FF | FR | INT | PBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 | 131 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 | 12 | 127 | 59 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | 11 | 129 | 55 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 | 49 | 17 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 436 | 192 | 25.5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
*2025 season still underway. Stats not included