St. John’s Jackson Erdmann And Lake Forest’s Jordan McInerney Headline The 2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams
December 4, 2019
St. John’s (Minn.) quarterback Jackson Erdmann and Lake Forest (Ill.) defensive lineman Jordan McInerney headline the 2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
RELATED ARTICLE: AFCA Announces 2019 Division II Coaches’ All-America Team
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.
Erdmann leads the nation in passing yards with 4,291 and is second in total offense with 365.1 yards per game. The 2018 Gagliardi Trophy winner has led St. John’s to the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs and owns several Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference records including passing touchdowns with 133. McInerney led the conference and ranks second in the nation with 14.5 sacks and 22.0 tackles for loss on the season. The Midwest Conference Defensive Line MVP led his team with 76 total tackles and recorded one forced fumble and one block.
2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team – First Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB *Jackson Erdmann 6-4 215 Sr. St. John’s (Minn.) Gary Fasching Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount)
RB Wesley Schools 5-11 190 Sr. Grove City (Pa.) Andrew DiDonato Port Jervis, N.Y. (Port Jervis)
RB Robert Shufford 5-7 170 Jr. Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) Tony Joe White McKenzie, Ala. (McKenzie)
WR Justin Hill 6-0 195 Sr. Mount Union (Ohio) Vince Kehres Circleville, Ohio (Circleville)
WR Andrew Kamienski 6-0 181 Jr. North Central (Ill.) Jeff Thorne Pingree Grove, Ill. (South Elgin)
TE Jacob Maher 6-4 230 Sr. Framingham St. (Mass.) Tom Kelley Marshfield, Mass. (Marshfield)
OL Joe Krall 6-4 300 Sr. Monmouth (Ill.) Chad Braun New Berlin, Ill. (New Berlin)
OL Quinn Meinerz 6-3 320 Jr. Wisconsin-Whitewater Kevin Bullis Hartford, Wis. (Hartford Union)
OL Jordan Patti 6-0 285 Sr. Ferrum (Va.) Rob Grande Moneta, Va. (Staunton River)
OL Zach Smith 5-10 264 Sr. Hope (Mich.) Peter Stuursma Suttons Bay, Mich. (Suttons Bay)
OL Nic Vetter 6-4 290 Sr. Wartburg (Iowa) Rick Willis Hampton, Iowa (Hampton Dumont)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Frankie Feaster 6-2 240 Sr. Muhlenberg (Pa.) Nate Milne Montvale, N.J. (Bergen Catholic)
DL Dallas McRae 6-0 261 Sr. Wheaton (Ill.) Mike Swider Crown Point, Ind. (Diamond Ranch Academy)
DL Tim Ousley 6-1 250 Sr. Muskingum (Ohio) Erik Ieuter McArthur, Ohio (Vinton County)
DL Jordan McInerney 6-5 215 Sr. Lake Forest (Ill.) Jim Catanzaro Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville)
LB Re’Shaun Myers 5-11 237 Sr. Bridgewater (Va.) Michael Clark Ringgold, Va. (Dan River)
LB Tevin Jones 6-0 220 Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Pete Fredenburg Belton, Tex. (Belton)
LB Emmett Forde 5-9 195 Jr. Hobart (N.Y.) Kevin DeWall South Boston, Mass. (Catholic Memorial)
DB *Danial Shelton 5-11 190 Sr. Susquehanna (Pa.) Tom Perkovich District Heights, Md. (Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.)
DB Peyton Haynes 5-11 200 Sr. LaGrange (Ga.) Earl Chambers Old Hickory, Tenn. (Mount Juliet)
DB Tramon Wiley 5-9 185 Jr. Heidelberg (Ohio) Scott Donaldson Eastpointe, Mich. (Eastpointe)
DB Jeff Hector 6-0 185 Sr. Redlands (Calif.) Mike Maynard Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif. (Palos Verdes Peninsula)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK Jon Alberts 6-1 190 Sr. Central (Iowa) Jeff McMartin Huntley, Ill. (Huntley)
P Alex Berg 6-0 210 Sr. Concordia (Minn.) Terry Horan Moorhead, Minn. (Fargo Shanley)
AP Joe Vitelli 5-6 160 Sr. Merchant Marine (N.Y.) Mike Toop Warrington, Pa. (Central Bucks South)
*-2018 AFCA All-American #-2017 AFCA All-American
2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team – Second Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Broc Rutter 6-2 204 Sr. North Central (Ill.) Jeff Thorne Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
RB Jaquan Hemphill 5-11 185 Sr. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) Jesse Burleson Coleman, Tex. (Coleman)
RB Josh Parks 5-10 202 Sr. St. Thomas (Minn.) Glenn Caruso Chisago City, Minn. (Chisago Lakes)
WR Will Gladney 6-3 215 Sr. Ithaca (N.Y.) Dan Swanstrom Binghamton, N.Y. (Owego Free Academy)
WR Ruhann Peele 6-2 210 Sr. Wesley (Del.) Chip Knapp Linden, N.J. (Linden)
TE *Ryan Curtiss 6-1 236 Sr. Muhlenberg (Pa.) Nate Milne Franklin Lakes, N.J. (Ramapo)
OL Sharmore Clarke 6-0 260 Jr. North Central (Ill.) Jeff Thorne Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest)
OL Daniel Small 6-5 280 Sr. Shenandoah (Va.) Scott Yoder Atlanta, Ga. (Dutchtown)
OL Tyler Norwood 6-5 295 Sr. Salisbury (Md.) Sherman Wood Milford, Del. (Milford)
OL Russell Howard 6-3 310 Sr. Cortland (N.Y.) Dan MacNeill New Fairfield, Conn. (New Fairfield)
OL Brad Wienhold 6-0 280 Sr. Heidelberg (Ohio) Scott Donaldson Madison, Ohio (Madison)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL *Joey Longoria 6-1 285 Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Pete Fredenburg Pearland, Tex. (Pearland)
DL Kyle Johnston 6-4 215 Sr. Massachusetts Maritime Jeremy Cameron Raynham, Mass. (Bridgewater-Raynham)
DL Liam Vincifora 5-11 240 Jr. Millsaps (Miss.) Aaron Pelch Covington, La. (Covington)
DL Manny Longoria 5-10 230 Sr. Texas Lutheran Carl Gustafson Geronimo, Tex. (Navarro)
LB Logan Rickard 6-0 220 Sr. Coe (Iowa) Tyler Staker Lisbon, Iowa (Lisbon)
LB Mark Niles 5-10 215 Sr. Ohio Northern Dean Paul Miramar, Fla. (Miramar)
LB Dillon Keefe 6-2 215 Jr. Chapman (Calif.) Bob Owens Orange, Calif. (El Modena)
DB Raeqwon Greer 5-10 185 Jr. Alfred (N.Y.) Bob Rankl Buffalo, N.Y. (Canisius)
DB Eddie Graham 5-10 170 Jr. North Carolina Wesleyan Jeff Filkovski Hudson, Fla. (Hudson)
DB Blaze Barista 6-3 195 Sr. Dubuque (Iowa) Stan Zweifel Wheaton, Ill. (Warrenville South)
DB Obasi Dees 5-10 160 Sr. California Lutheran Ben McEnroe Antioch, Calif. (De La Salle)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK Alex Raya 6-2 180 Sr. Redlands (Calif.) Mike Maynard Jamul, Calif. (Steele Canyon)
P *Zach Warcola 6-5 200 Sr. College of New Jersey Casey Goff Mendham, N.J. (Mendham)
AP Eric Pacheco 5-11 180 Jr. Buena Vista (Iowa) Grant Mollring Kearney, Neb. (Kearney Catholic)
*-2018 AFCA All-American
Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. 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 — Division I-A and Division I-AA.
In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. The AFCA began selecting an NAIA-only team in 2006. Also in 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively.
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. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Selection Process: The AFCA’s Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA’s eight 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.
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
Top Teams: Mount Union has been represented a total of 29 times by 27 players on the AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team since 1972. The Purple Raiders are followed by Linfield (23/21), Mary Hardin-Baylor (23/20), Wisconsin-Whitewater (21/19), Wittenberg (21/19), Washington & Jefferson (21/18), Augustana (Ill.) (19/17), Wisconsin-La Crosse (18/18), Wheaton (18/17), St. John’s (Minn.) (17/16), Springfield (17/14), Wesley (17/14), Widener (17/13), Central (Iowa) (16/15), Ithaca (15/15), Montclair State (15/13), St. Thomas (Minn.) (15/12), Emory & Henry (13/13), Salisbury (13/13), Frostburg State (13/12), John Carroll (12/12), North Central (12/11), Hardin-Simmons (11/11), Wabash (11/11), Ferrum (11/10) and Hampden-Sydney (11/10).
Consecutive Years: With Justin Hill’s selection in 2019, Mount Union has had a player chosen to the AFCA All-America Team for nine straight seasons (2011-19), the longest active streak. Wesley had a player chosen for 11 consecutive years, from 2005-15, which is the longest streak in AFCA Division III All-America Team history. Second on the list is Mount Union, which had a player chosen for 10 consecutive years, from 2000-09. Tied for third on the list are Washington & Jefferson, which had a player chosen for nine straight seasons (2002-10), and Mary Hardin-Baylor, which had a player chosen from 2006 to 2014. Emory & Henry is fourth on the list, having had a player named AFCA All-American for eight straight seasons from 1985-1992. Augustana (Ill.) and Wheaton have had players selected for six consecutive seasons from 2000-05 and 2003-08, respectively.
Repeat After Me: Five players have earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team honors three times. They are: DB Tom Deery, Widener, 1979-80-81; RB Scott Reppert, Lawrence, 1980-81-82; RB Joe Dudek, Plymouth State, 1983-84-85; DL Sean Brewer, Millsaps, 1990-91-92; and P Jeff Shea, California Lutheran, 1995-96-97.
Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 39 seniors and 11 juniors.
First Time Schools: This year, running back Robert Shufford of Birmingham Southern, defensive back Peyton Haynes of LaGrange and defensive lineman Kyle Johnston of Massachusetts Maritime all earned All-America honors for their schools for the first time.
Back-to-Back: St. John’s (Minn.) quarterback Jackson Erdmann, Susquehanna defensive back Danial Shelton, Muhlenberg tight end Ryan Curtiss, Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive lineman Joey Longoria and College of New Jersey punter Zach Warcola earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America honors for a second consecutive season in 2019.
It’s Been A While: Offensive lineman Zach Smith of Hope has earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for his school for the first time since 1982.
Three Players, Two Schools: Tight End Jacob Maher joins punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein as the only players to earn AFCA 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. Maher was named to the Division III Coaches’ All-America Team in 2017 while at Worcester State, then repeated the honor in 2019 after transferring to Framingham State.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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St. John’s (Minn.) quarterback Jackson Erdmann and Lake Forest (Ill.) defensive lineman Jordan McInerney headline the 2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
RELATED ARTICLE: AFCA Announces 2019 Division II Coaches’ All-America Team
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.
Erdmann leads the nation in passing yards with 4,291 and is second in total offense with 365.1 yards per game. The 2018 Gagliardi Trophy winner has led St. John’s to the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs and owns several Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference records including passing touchdowns with 133. McInerney led the conference and ranks second in the nation with 14.5 sacks and 22.0 tackles for loss on the season. The Midwest Conference Defensive Line MVP led his team with 76 total tackles and recorded one forced fumble and one block.
2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team – First Team
Offense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | *Jackson Erdmann | 6-4 | 215 | Sr. | St. John’s (Minn.) | Gary Fasching | Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount) |
| RB | Wesley Schools | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | Grove City (Pa.) | Andrew DiDonato | Port Jervis, N.Y. (Port Jervis) |
| RB | Robert Shufford | 5-7 | 170 | Jr. | Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) | Tony Joe White | McKenzie, Ala. (McKenzie) |
| WR | Justin Hill | 6-0 | 195 | Sr. | Mount Union (Ohio) | Vince Kehres | Circleville, Ohio (Circleville) |
| WR | Andrew Kamienski | 6-0 | 181 | Jr. | North Central (Ill.) | Jeff Thorne | Pingree Grove, Ill. (South Elgin) |
| TE | Jacob Maher | 6-4 | 230 | Sr. | Framingham St. (Mass.) | Tom Kelley | Marshfield, Mass. (Marshfield) |
| OL | Joe Krall | 6-4 | 300 | Sr. | Monmouth (Ill.) | Chad Braun | New Berlin, Ill. (New Berlin) |
| OL | Quinn Meinerz | 6-3 | 320 | Jr. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Kevin Bullis | Hartford, Wis. (Hartford Union) |
| OL | Jordan Patti | 6-0 | 285 | Sr. | Ferrum (Va.) | Rob Grande | Moneta, Va. (Staunton River) |
| OL | Zach Smith | 5-10 | 264 | Sr. | Hope (Mich.) | Peter Stuursma | Suttons Bay, Mich. (Suttons Bay) |
| OL | Nic Vetter | 6-4 | 290 | Sr. | Wartburg (Iowa) | Rick Willis | Hampton, Iowa (Hampton Dumont) |
Defense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | Frankie Feaster | 6-2 | 240 | Sr. | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | Nate Milne | Montvale, N.J. (Bergen Catholic) |
| DL | Dallas McRae | 6-0 | 261 | Sr. | Wheaton (Ill.) | Mike Swider | Crown Point, Ind. (Diamond Ranch Academy) |
| DL | Tim Ousley | 6-1 | 250 | Sr. | Muskingum (Ohio) | Erik Ieuter | McArthur, Ohio (Vinton County) |
| DL | Jordan McInerney | 6-5 | 215 | Sr. | Lake Forest (Ill.) | Jim Catanzaro | Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville) |
| LB | Re’Shaun Myers | 5-11 | 237 | Sr. | Bridgewater (Va.) | Michael Clark | Ringgold, Va. (Dan River) |
| LB | Tevin Jones | 6-0 | 220 | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | Pete Fredenburg | Belton, Tex. (Belton) |
| LB | Emmett Forde | 5-9 | 195 | Jr. | Hobart (N.Y.) | Kevin DeWall | South Boston, Mass. (Catholic Memorial) |
| DB | *Danial Shelton | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | Susquehanna (Pa.) | Tom Perkovich | District Heights, Md. (Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) |
| DB | Peyton Haynes | 5-11 | 200 | Sr. | LaGrange (Ga.) | Earl Chambers | Old Hickory, Tenn. (Mount Juliet) |
| DB | Tramon Wiley | 5-9 | 185 | Jr. | Heidelberg (Ohio) | Scott Donaldson | Eastpointe, Mich. (Eastpointe) |
| DB | Jeff Hector | 6-0 | 185 | Sr. | Redlands (Calif.) | Mike Maynard | Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif. (Palos Verdes Peninsula) |
Specialists
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK | Jon Alberts | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | Central (Iowa) | Jeff McMartin | Huntley, Ill. (Huntley) |
| P | Alex Berg | 6-0 | 210 | Sr. | Concordia (Minn.) | Terry Horan | Moorhead, Minn. (Fargo Shanley) |
| AP | Joe Vitelli | 5-6 | 160 | Sr. | Merchant Marine (N.Y.) | Mike Toop | Warrington, Pa. (Central Bucks South) |
*-2018 AFCA All-American #-2017 AFCA All-American
2019 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team – Second Team
Offense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Broc Rutter | 6-2 | 204 | Sr. | North Central (Ill.) | Jeff Thorne | Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley) |
| RB | Jaquan Hemphill | 5-11 | 185 | Sr. | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | Jesse Burleson | Coleman, Tex. (Coleman) |
| RB | Josh Parks | 5-10 | 202 | Sr. | St. Thomas (Minn.) | Glenn Caruso | Chisago City, Minn. (Chisago Lakes) |
| WR | Will Gladney | 6-3 | 215 | Sr. | Ithaca (N.Y.) | Dan Swanstrom | Binghamton, N.Y. (Owego Free Academy) |
| WR | Ruhann Peele | 6-2 | 210 | Sr. | Wesley (Del.) | Chip Knapp | Linden, N.J. (Linden) |
| TE | *Ryan Curtiss | 6-1 | 236 | Sr. | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | Nate Milne | Franklin Lakes, N.J. (Ramapo) |
| OL | Sharmore Clarke | 6-0 | 260 | Jr. | North Central (Ill.) | Jeff Thorne | Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest) |
| OL | Daniel Small | 6-5 | 280 | Sr. | Shenandoah (Va.) | Scott Yoder | Atlanta, Ga. (Dutchtown) |
| OL | Tyler Norwood | 6-5 | 295 | Sr. | Salisbury (Md.) | Sherman Wood | Milford, Del. (Milford) |
| OL | Russell Howard | 6-3 | 310 | Sr. | Cortland (N.Y.) | Dan MacNeill | New Fairfield, Conn. (New Fairfield) |
| OL | Brad Wienhold | 6-0 | 280 | Sr. | Heidelberg (Ohio) | Scott Donaldson | Madison, Ohio (Madison) |
Defense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | *Joey Longoria | 6-1 | 285 | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | Pete Fredenburg | Pearland, Tex. (Pearland) |
| DL | Kyle Johnston | 6-4 | 215 | Sr. | Massachusetts Maritime | Jeremy Cameron | Raynham, Mass. (Bridgewater-Raynham) |
| DL | Liam Vincifora | 5-11 | 240 | Jr. | Millsaps (Miss.) | Aaron Pelch | Covington, La. (Covington) |
| DL | Manny Longoria | 5-10 | 230 | Sr. | Texas Lutheran | Carl Gustafson | Geronimo, Tex. (Navarro) |
| LB | Logan Rickard | 6-0 | 220 | Sr. | Coe (Iowa) | Tyler Staker | Lisbon, Iowa (Lisbon) |
| LB | Mark Niles | 5-10 | 215 | Sr. | Ohio Northern | Dean Paul | Miramar, Fla. (Miramar) |
| LB | Dillon Keefe | 6-2 | 215 | Jr. | Chapman (Calif.) | Bob Owens | Orange, Calif. (El Modena) |
| DB | Raeqwon Greer | 5-10 | 185 | Jr. | Alfred (N.Y.) | Bob Rankl | Buffalo, N.Y. (Canisius) |
| DB | Eddie Graham | 5-10 | 170 | Jr. | North Carolina Wesleyan | Jeff Filkovski | Hudson, Fla. (Hudson) |
| DB | Blaze Barista | 6-3 | 195 | Sr. | Dubuque (Iowa) | Stan Zweifel | Wheaton, Ill. (Warrenville South) |
| DB | Obasi Dees | 5-10 | 160 | Sr. | California Lutheran | Ben McEnroe | Antioch, Calif. (De La Salle) |
Specialists
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK | Alex Raya | 6-2 | 180 | Sr. | Redlands (Calif.) | Mike Maynard | Jamul, Calif. (Steele Canyon) |
| P | *Zach Warcola | 6-5 | 200 | Sr. | College of New Jersey | Casey Goff | Mendham, N.J. (Mendham) |
| AP | Eric Pacheco | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. | Buena Vista (Iowa) | Grant Mollring | Kearney, Neb. (Kearney Catholic) |
*-2018 AFCA All-American
Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. 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 — Division I-A and Division I-AA.
In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. The AFCA began selecting an NAIA-only team in 2006. Also in 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively.
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. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Selection Process: The AFCA’s Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA’s eight 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.
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
Top Teams: Mount Union has been represented a total of 29 times by 27 players on the AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team since 1972. The Purple Raiders are followed by Linfield (23/21), Mary Hardin-Baylor (23/20), Wisconsin-Whitewater (21/19), Wittenberg (21/19), Washington & Jefferson (21/18), Augustana (Ill.) (19/17), Wisconsin-La Crosse (18/18), Wheaton (18/17), St. John’s (Minn.) (17/16), Springfield (17/14), Wesley (17/14), Widener (17/13), Central (Iowa) (16/15), Ithaca (15/15), Montclair State (15/13), St. Thomas (Minn.) (15/12), Emory & Henry (13/13), Salisbury (13/13), Frostburg State (13/12), John Carroll (12/12), North Central (12/11), Hardin-Simmons (11/11), Wabash (11/11), Ferrum (11/10) and Hampden-Sydney (11/10).
Consecutive Years: With Justin Hill’s selection in 2019, Mount Union has had a player chosen to the AFCA All-America Team for nine straight seasons (2011-19), the longest active streak. Wesley had a player chosen for 11 consecutive years, from 2005-15, which is the longest streak in AFCA Division III All-America Team history. Second on the list is Mount Union, which had a player chosen for 10 consecutive years, from 2000-09. Tied for third on the list are Washington & Jefferson, which had a player chosen for nine straight seasons (2002-10), and Mary Hardin-Baylor, which had a player chosen from 2006 to 2014. Emory & Henry is fourth on the list, having had a player named AFCA All-American for eight straight seasons from 1985-1992. Augustana (Ill.) and Wheaton have had players selected for six consecutive seasons from 2000-05 and 2003-08, respectively.
Repeat After Me: Five players have earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team honors three times. They are: DB Tom Deery, Widener, 1979-80-81; RB Scott Reppert, Lawrence, 1980-81-82; RB Joe Dudek, Plymouth State, 1983-84-85; DL Sean Brewer, Millsaps, 1990-91-92; and P Jeff Shea, California Lutheran, 1995-96-97.
Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 39 seniors and 11 juniors.
First Time Schools: This year, running back Robert Shufford of Birmingham Southern, defensive back Peyton Haynes of LaGrange and defensive lineman Kyle Johnston of Massachusetts Maritime all earned All-America honors for their schools for the first time.
Back-to-Back: St. John’s (Minn.) quarterback Jackson Erdmann, Susquehanna defensive back Danial Shelton, Muhlenberg tight end Ryan Curtiss, Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive lineman Joey Longoria and College of New Jersey punter Zach Warcola earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America honors for a second consecutive season in 2019.
It’s Been A While: Offensive lineman Zach Smith of Hope has earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for his school for the first time since 1982.
Three Players, Two Schools: Tight End Jacob Maher joins punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein as the only players to earn AFCA 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. Maher was named to the Division III Coaches’ All-America Team in 2017 while at Worcester State, then repeated the honor in 2019 after transferring to Framingham State.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
