Alabama runningback Mark Ingram and Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh headline the 2009 AFCA 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.

Ingram has been the focus of the Crimson Tide rushing attack and enters the SEC Championship Game with 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Suh is one of the most dominant defenders in college football this year having posted 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for the Huskers this season.

Team Background: The teams now chosen for each of the AFCA’s five divisions 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 has selected an NAIA All-America Team since 2006.

Top Team: Oklahoma has had the most players named to the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team. The Sooners have been represented 60 times by 52 players on the AFCA team. They are followed by Ohio State (56/42); Notre Dame (56/49); Michigan (54/48); Southern California (54/47); Nebraska (49/44) and Texas (45/39).

Top Conference: The Big 12 boasts the most AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team representatives among current conference members with 250, just ahead of the Big Ten at 241 representatives. Following those two are the Southeastern Conference (231), the Pac-10 (171), Atlantic Coast (161), Big East (66), Western Athletic (61), Conference USA (50), Mountain West (52), Sun Belt (40) and Mid-American (29) (Totals include school All-America selections in all divisions).

The 2009 conference-by-conference breakdown: SEC: 7; Big 12: 6; Pac-10: 3; ACC: 2; Big Ten: 2; Big East: 1; MWC: 2, WAC: 1; Independents: 1.

Class Distinction: The 2009 AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 14 seniors, 8 juniors and 3 sophomores.

Repeat After Me: Ohio State has the most players who have been repeat selections (13 players). The Buckeyes are followed by Oklahoma (9); Notre Dame (7); Southern California (7); Texas (6); Michigan (6); Arkansas (5) and Nebraska (5).

Four For Four: No player has earned AFCA FBS All-America honors four times, however Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) runningback Johnny Bailey did earn Coaches’ All-America honors four straight years (1986-87-88-89) in AFCA College Division I (now AFCA Division II).

Three-Timer: Georgia’s Herschel Walker is the only three-time AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-American (1980-81-82) in the 62-year history of the team.

Double Duos: Teammates have earned back-to-back Coaches’ All-America honors in the same seasons seven times. USC’s Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush (2004 and 2005) join Army’s Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard (1945 and 1946); Notre Dame’s George Connor and Johnny Lujack (1946 and 1947); Michigan State’s Bubba Smith and George Webster (1966 and 1967); Ohio State’s Jack Tatum and Jim Stillwagon (1969 and 1970); Notre Dame’s Ken MacAfee and Ross Browner (1976 and 1977) and Colorado’s Joe Garten and Alfred Williams (1989 and 1990).

One Player, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. He 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.

Consecutive Years: Notre Dame holds the record for consecutive years with at least one player on the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team at 19 seasons (1963-1981). Nebraska had at least one player 12 straight seasons (1977-1989). Michigan (1969-1979), Oklahoma (1971-1981), Southern California (1972-82) and Miami (1984-1994) are next with 11 straight seasons. Pittsburgh placed one player on the AFCA team for 10 straight seasons from 1975-1984.

Super Six: Oklahoma’s six selections (Jammal Brown, OL; Jason White, QB; Tommie Harris, DL; Teddy Lehman, LB, Derrick Strait, DB; Antonio Perkins, RS) in 2003 are the most players from one school on the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team.

Quad Squads: Alabama became the seventh team to place four players on the AFCA All-America Team in 2009. The others are: 1945 Army: T-DeWitt Coulter, G-John Green, B-Glenn Davis, B-Doc Blanchard; 1966 Notre Dame: LB-Jim Lynch, FB-Nick Eddy, DT-Pete Duranko, OG-Tom Regner; 1967 Southern California: OT-Ron Yary, LB-Adrian Young, E-Tim Rossovich, HB-O.J. Simpson; 1990 Notre Dame: DB-Todd Lyght, DL-Chris Zorich, LB-Mike Stonebreaker, WR-Raghib Ismail; 1999 Florida State: WR-Peter Warrick, OL-Jason Whitaker, DL-Corey Simon; PK-Sebastian Janikowski; 2005 USC: WR- Dwayne Jarrett, OL- Taitusi Lutui, QB- Matt Leinart, RB- Reggie Bush.

Army’s four All-Americans in 1945 may be the most impressive showing of the above teams when you take into account the AFCA only selected an 11-player team at that time.

2009 AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team

*-2008 All-American