​BIRMINGHAM — Alabama State football quarterback Andrew Body hasn’t been lacking for accolades ahead for the 2026 season.The most recent honor for the reigning HBCU National Player of the Year was being named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List. The award recognizes the best offensive player in the FCS, and Body was the only HBCU college football player to make the list.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”Just reassurance. At the end of the day, though, this is all just preseason,” Body told the Montgomery Advertiser at SWAC Football Media Day at the Sheraton in Birmingham on Wednesday, July 15.Before going down with an injury in Week 10, Body put together his best collegiate season yet. He led the SWAC in passing touchdowns (20) and QB efficiency (203.6) in the 2025 season. But the competitor he is, there were plenty of personal boxes that weren’t checked for Body.The Walter Payton Award is one of those boxes that were left unchecked for Body in 2025, but after being named to the watch list on Wednesday, Body’s focus was on winning for his teammates because he knows it’s too early to predict what will happen.”God’s been working on me, letting me marinate in the oven because sometimes you just have to let that thing cook. If you let that bacon out too early, it’s not going to be ready,” Body said. “So, right now I’m taking advantage of the confidence it gives me and using it for ways I can help my team.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt would be easy for Body to wear these accolades with arrogance, but instead he would rather get caught up in being a good teammate. He credited his family, meditating and prayer to keep him grounded.”I’m still the same kid that come out from Corpus Christi, Texas with one Division I offer,” Body said with a smile. “So, I’m always remembering where I came from.”WHAT ANDREW BODY SAID ABOUT WRS: What Andrew Body said about 2026 Alabama State football receiversWHY BODY CHOSE ALABAMA STATE: Why Andrew Body chose Alabama State football for 2026 season1 / 41Alabama State head football coach Eddie Robinson, Jr., speaks during the SWAC Football Media Day in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday July 15, 2026.(Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)Jaeden Day covers high school sports, Alabama State football and Auburn recruiting for the Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today. You can find him on X at dayjaeden12, or reach him at JDay@montgome.gannett.com.This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama State football QB Andrew Body reflects on preseason accolades