Birmingham, AL (Sports Network) - The NCAA has granted a sixth year of eligibility to both Samford quarterback Andy Summerlin and defensive lineman Jeremy Towns, the Southern Conference announced on Friday.

Summerlin, a graduate student, was Samford's starting quarterback last season after transferring in from the University of Memphis, where he dealt with several injuries during his career. He completed 244-of-365 passes for 2,269 and 10 touchdowns last season.

Towns missed the 2010 and '11 seasons due to injury, but returned last season to play in all 11 games on the defensive line. He finished the campaign with 21 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss and one sack.

"We are excited to have both Andy and Jeremy back for another year," Samford coach Pat Sullivan said. "They are quality young men both on and off the field. They contribute greatly, not only to our football program, but to our university as a whole."

Samford is coming off a 7-4 season, including its first five-win conference mark since joining the SoCon in 2008.

The Sports Network