2012 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Team Announced

Cumberlands (Ky.) running back Terrance Cobb and Friends defensive lineman Dexter Davis headline the 2012 AFCA NAIA 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.

Cobb led the nation in rushing with 1,991 yards, averaging 165.9 yards per game. He also led the nation in scoring, with 26 rushing touchdowns, and was second in all-purpose yards, with 2,218. Davis repeated as an AFCA All-American in 2012. He was third in the nation in both sacks per game (1.3) and total sacks (14), and finished fourth in the nation in tackles for a loss with 21. Davis recorded 45 total tackles, eight forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered.

2012 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense

Defense

Specialists

*-2011 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.
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 NAIA 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.

AFCA NAIA Player Selection History: NAIA players who were selected to AFCA All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II.  Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II.  That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III.  From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as Coaches’ All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.

Top Teams: Georgetown (Ky.) has been represented a total of 17 times by 14 players on AFCA Coaches’ All-America Teams to lead all schools in NAIA. Trailing Georgetown (Ky.) are: Carroll (Mont.) (16/15), Morningside (8/8), Saint Xavier (7/7), Baker (6/6), Southern Oregon (6/6), Missouri Valley (6/5), Montana Tech (6/5), Northwestern (Iowa) (6/5), Saint Francis (Ind.) (6/5), St. Ambrose (5/5), Bethel (Tenn.) (5/4), MidAmerica Nazarene (5/4), Dakota Welseyan (4/4), Grand View (4/4), Jamestown (4/4), Benedictine (Kan.) (4/3), Ottawa (4/3) and St. Francis (Ill.) (4/3).

First Time Schools: Placekicker Kenny Zoeller of Concordia (Neb.) and Jon-Michael Bergeron of Tabor have earned All-America honors for their schools, for the first time, in 2012.

Consecutive Years: Carroll (Mont.) has had at least one player named to the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team for eightstraight seasons, from 2005 to present, the longest streak by any team in NAIA. Following Carroll (Mont.) are Morningside and Saint Xavier with seven straight selections (2006-present).

Repeat After Me: Jordan Carlson of Northwestern (Iowa) and Dexter Davis of Friends earned AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2012.

Georgetown (Ky.) has had the most repeat selections with three players (Clay Hamblen, DB, 2006-07; Chris Reed, OL, 1987-88; and Chris Hogan, DL, 1991-92).

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 running back in 1986-87-88-89 in Division II.

In the Family: Donald Anderson of Ottawa follows his brother Clarence Anderson as an AFCA NAIA All-American. Clarence was selected as an All-American in 2011 at wide receiver, and in 2010 as the all-purpose player.

Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 17 seniors, five juniors and three sophomores.

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.