2011 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 13, 2011
AFCA CONTACT: Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations
MARS HILL'S JONAS RANDOLPH AND MISSOURI WESTERN STATE'S GREG ZUERLEIN HEADLINE THE
2011 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES' ALL-AMERICA TEAM
WACO, TEX. — Mars Hill runningback Jonas Randolph and Missouri Western State kicker Greg Zuerlein headline the 2011 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Randolph picked up his third straight AFCA All-America Team honor by leading the nation in total rushing yards (2,170) and rushing yards per game (197.27), and finished second in the nation in all-purpose running with 207 yards per game. Zuerlein led the nation in field goals per game, making 23 of 24 attempts. He was a perfect nine of nine from beyond 50 yards with a long of 58 yards. This is Zuerlein's second AFCA All-America honor. He was named to the All-America team in 2009 when he played for Nebraska-Omaha.
2011 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Trevor Kennedy 6-0 200 Sr. Mercyhurst Marty Schaetzle Akron, Ohio (Firestone)
WR Tyler Steffan 6-4 210 Jr. Mary Myron Schulz Dickinson, N.D. (Dickinson)
OL Garth Heikkinen 6-4 305 Jr. Minnesota-Duluth Bob Nielson Duluth, Minn. (Central)
OL Amini Silatolu* 6-3 320 Sr. Midwestern St. Bill Maskill Tracy, Calif. (West)
OL Kyle Thornton 6-4 345 Sr. North Alabama Terry Bowden Dallas, Texas (St. Mark's)
OL Rob Stoner 6-2 295 Sr. Edinboro Scott Browning Edinboro, Pa. (General McLane)
OL Ryan Schraeder 6-7 319 Sr. Valdosta St. David Dean Wichita, Kan. (Maize)
QB Dane Simoneau 6-3 227 Sr. Washburn Craig Schurig Salina, Kan. (Sacred Heart)
RB David Carter 5-10 225 Jr. Morehouse Rich Freeman Marietta, Ga. (Sprayberry)
RB Joe Glendening 5-10 188 Jr. Hillsdale Keith Otterbein East Grand Rapids, Mich. (East)
RB Jonas Randolph*** 5-10 185 Sr. Mars Hill Tim Clifton Daleville, Ala. (Daleville)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Brandon Williams* 6-3 325 Jr. Missouri Southern St. Bart Tatum Kirkwood, Mo. (Rockwood Summit)
DL Aston Whiteside 6-2 285 Sr. Abilene Christian Chris Thomsen Vernon, Texas (Vernon)
DL Todd Storm 6-3 250 Sr. Michigan Tech Tom Kearly Calumet, Mich. (Calumet)
DL Tim Green 6-1 215 Jr. Lincoln (Pa.) O.J. Abanishe Fanwood, N.J. (Scotch Plains)
LB Deon Lacey 6-2 208 Jr. West Alabama Will Hall Brighton, Ala. (Hueytown)
LB Chad Kilgore 6-1 230 Sr. Northwest Missouri St. Adam Dorrel Orrick, Mo. (Excelsior Springs)
LB Nate Dreiling 6-4 228 So. Pittsburg St. Tim Beck Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson)
DB Dontae Smith 6-1 176 Sr. East Central Tim McCarty Deland, Fla. (Deland)
DB Jeremy Jones 5-10 189 Sr. Wayne St. (Mich.) Paul Winters Grand Rapids, Mich. (Rockford)
DB Rontez Miles 6-1 210 Jr. California (Pa.) John Luckhardt Braddock, Pa. (Woodland Hills)
DB Marvin Matthews 6-0 197 Jr. St. Cloud State Scott Underwood Roseville, Minn. (Roseville Area)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Gregg Berkshire 6-2 210 Sr. Ashland Lee Owens Ashland, Ohio (Ashland)
PK Greg Zuerlein** 6-0 190 Sr. Missouri Western St. Jerry Partridge Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X)
AP Dominique Fitzgerald 6-0 180 Sr. Winston-Salem St. Connell Maynor Danville, Va. (George Washington)
*-2010 AFCA All-American
**-2009 AFCA All-American
***-2009 & 2010 AFCA All-American
Team Background: The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.
Selection Process: The AFCA's Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
Top Teams: Texas A&M-Kingsville has been represented a total of 33 times by 29 players on the AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team. Trailing Texas A&M-Kingsville is Indiana (Pa.) (18/16), Pittsburg State (18/15), Northwest Missouri State (17/13), North Alabama (16/15), Abilene Christian (15/14), Grand Valley State (15/14), American International (14/13), Carson-Newman (14/13), Ferris State (14/12), Texas A&M-Commerce (14/12), New Haven (13/13), Valdosta State (12/11), Indianapolis (10/10) and Saginaw Valley State (10/10).
Consecutive Years: Texas A&M-Kingsville had at least one player named to the AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team for 18 straight seasons, from 1986 to 2003, the longest streak by any team in Division II. Northwest Missouri State has the longest current streak with a player selected to the AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Team at 16 straight seasons, from 1996 to present.
Repeat After Me: Texas A&M-Kingsville's Johnny Bailey is the only player to earn Coaches' All-America honors in four consecutive years at any level. Bailey was a four-year pick at runningback in 1986-87-88-89.
Three-peat: Mars Hill runningback Jonas Randolph was named to the Division II Coahes' All-America Team for a third straight year in 2011, tying him with Minnesota State-Mankato's Tywan Mitchell (1996-98) as the only players to earn three straight Division II Coaches' All-America Team honors.
Back-to-Back: Midwestern State offensive lineman Amini Silatolu and Missouri Southern State defensive lineman Brandon Williams are the only players to earn AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2011.
Two Players, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein are the only players to earn Coaches' All-America honors at two different schools. Bounds was named to the AFCA College Division I team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned I-A All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991. Zuerlein was named to the Division II Coaches' All-America Team in 2009 while playing for Nebraska-Omaha. He transferred to Missouri Western State after Nebraska-Omaha dropped its football program and earned Division II honors in 2011 as a Griffon.
Class Distinction: This year's Division II Coaches' All-America Team is made up of 15 seniors, nine juniors and one sophomore.
First Time Schools: Defensive lineman Tim Green of Lincoln (Pa.), wide receiver Tyler Steffan of Mary and wide receiver Trevor Kennedy of Mercyhurst have all earned AFCA Coaches' All-America Team honors for the first time for their schools this year.
For more information on the AFCA and its programs log on to the AFCA's website at www.afca.com.