Eureka’s Le’Anthony Reasnover & Springfield’s Nick Giorgio Headline 2018 Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams
December 10, 2018
Eureka (Ill.) running back Le’Anthony Reasnover and Springfield (Mass.) defensive lineman Nick Giorgio headline the 2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams 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.
Reasnover, a semi-finalist for the 2018 Gagliardi Trophy, led the nation in rushing touchdowns (40) and total points scored. He finished with 2,187 rushing yards and had back-to-back 300-yard rushing performances against Concordia (Wis.) on October 27 and Lakeland on November 3. Giorgio earned his second straight AFCA All-America honor by totaling 82 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. His 29 tackles for loss ranked him fourth in the country, while his 14 sacks ranked him sixth. Giorgio was also a semi-finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy.
2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams – First Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Jackson Erdmann 6-4 215 Jr. St. John’s (Minn.) Gary Fasching Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount)
RB *Le’Anthony Reasnover 5-10 210 Sr. Eureka (Ill.) Kurt Barth Momence, Ill. (Momence)
RB Lamar Carswell 5-9 180 Sr. Trine (Ind.) Troy Abbs Toledo, Ohio (St. Francis de Sales)
WR Andrew Wolf 6-1 185 So. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) Mike Sirianni Ashland, Ohio (Hillsdale)
WR *Richard Johnson 6-4 215 Sr. East Texas Baptist Brian Mayper Cleveland, Tex. (Cleveland)
TE Ryan Curtiss 6-1 236 Jr. Muhlenberg (Pa.) Nate Milne Franklin Lakes, N.J. (Ramapo)
OL *DJ Coker 6-2 320 Sr. Rhodes (Tenn.) Jim Ryan Buford, Ga. (Great Atlanta Christian School)
OL Riley Hartman 6-5 275 Sr. Frostburg St. (Md.) DeLane Fitzgerald Leesburg, Va. (Tuscarora)
OL Chris Neu 6-4 295 Sr. Rensselaer (N.Y.) Ralph Isernia Mokena, Ill. (Culver Academy)
OL Jonathan Castaneda 6-4 280 Jr. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) Jesse Burleson Abilene, Tex. (Cooper)
OL Caleb Riggleman 6-3 278 Sr. Marietta (Ohio) Andy Waddle Beverly, W.Va. (Elkins)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL *Nick Giorgio 6-1 250 Sr. Springfield (Mass.) Mike Cerasuolo Cumberland, R.I. (Cumberland)
DL Joey Longoria 6-1 275 Jr. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Pete Fredenburg Pearland, Tex. (Pearland)
DL Austin Dean 6-5 272 Sr. Brockport (N.Y.) Jason Mangone Masonville, N.Y. (Sidney)
DL Harry Henschler 6-1 250 Sr. Wisconsin-Whitewater Kevin Bullis Janesville, Wis. (Craig)
LB Eric Stevenson 5-10 224 Sr. Wheaton (Ill.) Mike Swider Lewisville, Tex. (Prestonwood Christian)
LB Pat Minogue 6-0 185 Sr. Ithaca (N.Y.) Dan Swanstrom Manorville, N.Y. (Eastport-South Manor)
LB Isaiah Turner 6-0 210 Sr. FDU-Florham (N.J.) Brian Surace Rockaway, N.J. (Morris Hills)
DB Dawson Brown 6-3 217 Sr. Bethel (Minn.) Steve Johnson Becker, Minn. (Becker)
DB *Jordan Powell 6-1 204 Sr. Widener (Pa.) Mike Kelly Morristown, N.J. (Morristown)
DB Louis Berry 5-7 170 Sr. Mount Union (Ohio) Vince Kehres Pittsburgh, Pa. (Shady Side Academy)
DB Cal Lewellyn 6-0 173 Jr. Centre (Ky.) Andy Frye Louisville, Ky. (Christian Academy)
Specialist
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK *Spenser Thompson-Meyers 6-2 230 Sr. St. Norbert (Wis.) Dan McCarty San Ramon, Calif. (California High)
P Austin Baker 5-8 170 Sr. Heidelberg (Ohio) Scott Donaldson Green Springs, Ohio (Clyde)
AP *De’Eric Bell 5-7 190 R-Sr. Guilford (N.C.) Chris Rusiewicz Jackson, Ga. (Jackson)
*-2017 AFCA All-American
2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams – Second Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB D’Angelo Fulford 6-2 210 Jr. Mount Union (Ohio) Vince Kehres Miramar, Fla. (Miramar)
RB Brian Mann 5-10 175 Jr. Ferrum (Va.) Rob Grande Pearisburg, Va. (Giles)
RB Markeith Miller 5-10 220 Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Pete Fredenburg Garland, Tex. (Garland)
WR Will Gillach 6-1 195 Sr. St. John’s (Minn.) Gary Fasching Lindstrom, Minn. (Chisago Lakes)
WR Alec Beatty 5-10 170 Sr. Macalester Tony Jennison Topeka, Kan. (Topeka)
TE Tommy Auger 6-4 235 Sr. St. John’s (Minn.) Gary Fasching St. Cloud, Minn. (Cathedral)
OL Kyle Rademaker 6-5 285 Sr. St. Norbert (Wis.) Dan McCarty Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie)
OL Nate Trewyn 6-4 315 Sr. Wisconsin-Whitewater Kevin Bullis Janesville, Wis. (Milton)
OL Hank Michalski 6-2 285 Sr. Washington (Mo.) Larry Kindbom Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
OL Dan Greenheck 6-1 255 Jr. St. John’s (Minn.) Gary Fasching St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall)
OL Brian Wahl 6-4 290 Sr. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) Kyle Sweeney San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Thomas Lesniewski 6-1 241 Sr. Monmouth (Ill.) Chad Braun Algonquin, Ill. (Marian Central)
DL Cameron Brown 6-0 237 Sr. Case Western Reserve (Ohio) Greg Debeljak Westlake, Ohio (Westlake)
DL Kyle Kilgore 6-4 245 Sr. Bethel (Minn.) Steve Johnson Cottage Grove, Minn. (East Ridge)
DL Isaac Zickafoose 6-1 245 Sr. Bluffton (Ohio) Aaron Krepps Middlebury, Ind. (Northridge)
LB Trey Hayes 6-0 255 Sr. Huntingdon (Ala.) Mike Turk Decatur, Ala. (Decatur)
LB Andrew Yamin 6-0 225 Sr. Amherst (Mass.) E.J. Mills Cheshire, Conn. (Cheshire)
LB Michael Connor 6-1 235 Sr. Simpson (Iowa) Matt Jeter Woodward, Iowa (Granger)
DB *Marcus Winters 5-11 170 Sr. Trine (Ind.) Troy Abbs Toledo, Ohio (Central Catholic)
DB Famus Hasty 5-9 190 Sr. Wisconsin-Whitewater Kevin Bullis Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
DB Danial Shelton 5-11 190 Jr. Susquehanna (Pa.) Tom Perkovich District Heights, Md. (Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.)
DB Jefferson Fritz 5-11 185 So. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Pete Fredenburg Kaufman, Tex. (Kaufman)
Specialist
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK Kyle Hackett 6-2 165 So. Hobart (N.Y.) Kevin DeWall Charlton, Mass. (Worcester Academy)
P Zach Warcola 6-5 200 Jr. College of New Jersey Casey Goff Mendham, N.J. (Mendham)
AP Jeffery Barnett 5-8 157 Sr. Trine (Ind.) Troy Abbs Fremont, Ohio (Ross)
*-2017 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 three head coaches 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 28 times by 26 players on the AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team since 1972. The Purple Raiders are followed by Linfield (23/21), Mary Hardin-Baylor (21/19), Wittenberg (21/19), Washington & Jefferson (21/18), Wisconsin-Whitewater (20/18), Augustana (Ill.) (19/17), Wisconsin-La Crosse (18/18), Wheaton (17/16), Springfield (17/14), Widener (17/13), St. John’s (Minn.) (16/16), Wesley (16/13), Central (Iowa) (15/14), Montclair State (15/13), Ithaca (14/14), St. Thomas (Minn.) (14/11), Emory & Henry (13/13), Frostburg State (13/12), John Carroll (12/12), Salisbury (12/12), Wabash (11/11), Hampden-Sydney (11/10) and Thomas More (11/9).
Consecutive Years
With Louis Berry’s and D’Angelo Fulford’s selections in 2018, Mount Union has had a player chosen to the AFCA All-America Team for eight straight seasons (2011-18), 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 37 seniors, 10 juniors and three sophomores.
First Time Schools
This year, wide receiver Alec Beatty of Macalester, offensive lineman Brian Wahl of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and defensive lineman Isaac Zickafoose of Bluffton all earned All-America honors for their schools for the first time.
Back-to-Back
Eureka running back Le’Anthony Reasnover, East Texas Baptist wide receiver Richard Johnson, Rhodes offensive lineman DJ Coker, Springfield defensive lineman Nick Giorgio, Widener defensive back Jordan Powell, St. Norbert kicker Spenser Thompson-Meyers, Guilford all-purpose player De’Eric Bell and Trine defensive back Marcus Winters earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America honors for a second consecutive season in 2018.
It’s Been A While
Linebacker Isaiah Turner of Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham and offensive lineman Caleb Riggleman of Marietta have earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for their schools for the first time since 1993 and 1996, respectively.
Two Players, Two Schools
Punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein are 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.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider 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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Eureka (Ill.) running back Le’Anthony Reasnover and Springfield (Mass.) defensive lineman Nick Giorgio headline the 2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams 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.
Reasnover, a semi-finalist for the 2018 Gagliardi Trophy, led the nation in rushing touchdowns (40) and total points scored. He finished with 2,187 rushing yards and had back-to-back 300-yard rushing performances against Concordia (Wis.) on October 27 and Lakeland on November 3. Giorgio earned his second straight AFCA All-America honor by totaling 82 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. His 29 tackles for loss ranked him fourth in the country, while his 14 sacks ranked him sixth. Giorgio was also a semi-finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy.
2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams – First Team
Offense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Jackson Erdmann | 6-4 | 215 | Jr. | St. John’s (Minn.) | Gary Fasching | Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount) |
| RB | *Le’Anthony Reasnover | 5-10 | 210 | Sr. | Eureka (Ill.) | Kurt Barth | Momence, Ill. (Momence) |
| RB | Lamar Carswell | 5-9 | 180 | Sr. | Trine (Ind.) | Troy Abbs | Toledo, Ohio (St. Francis de Sales) |
| WR | Andrew Wolf | 6-1 | 185 | So. | Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) | Mike Sirianni | Ashland, Ohio (Hillsdale) |
| WR | *Richard Johnson | 6-4 | 215 | Sr. | East Texas Baptist | Brian Mayper | Cleveland, Tex. (Cleveland) |
| TE | Ryan Curtiss | 6-1 | 236 | Jr. | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | Nate Milne | Franklin Lakes, N.J. (Ramapo) |
| OL | *DJ Coker | 6-2 | 320 | Sr. | Rhodes (Tenn.) | Jim Ryan | Buford, Ga. (Great Atlanta Christian School) |
| OL | Riley Hartman | 6-5 | 275 | Sr. | Frostburg St. (Md.) | DeLane Fitzgerald | Leesburg, Va. (Tuscarora) |
| OL | Chris Neu | 6-4 | 295 | Sr. | Rensselaer (N.Y.) | Ralph Isernia | Mokena, Ill. (Culver Academy) |
| OL | Jonathan Castaneda | 6-4 | 280 | Jr. | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | Jesse Burleson | Abilene, Tex. (Cooper) |
| OL | Caleb Riggleman | 6-3 | 278 | Sr. | Marietta (Ohio) | Andy Waddle | Beverly, W.Va. (Elkins) |
Defense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | *Nick Giorgio | 6-1 | 250 | Sr. | Springfield (Mass.) | Mike Cerasuolo | Cumberland, R.I. (Cumberland) |
| DL | Joey Longoria | 6-1 | 275 | Jr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | Pete Fredenburg | Pearland, Tex. (Pearland) |
| DL | Austin Dean | 6-5 | 272 | Sr. | Brockport (N.Y.) | Jason Mangone | Masonville, N.Y. (Sidney) |
| DL | Harry Henschler | 6-1 | 250 | Sr. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Kevin Bullis | Janesville, Wis. (Craig) |
| LB | Eric Stevenson | 5-10 | 224 | Sr. | Wheaton (Ill.) | Mike Swider | Lewisville, Tex. (Prestonwood Christian) |
| LB | Pat Minogue | 6-0 | 185 | Sr. | Ithaca (N.Y.) | Dan Swanstrom | Manorville, N.Y. (Eastport-South Manor) |
| LB | Isaiah Turner | 6-0 | 210 | Sr. | FDU-Florham (N.J.) | Brian Surace | Rockaway, N.J. (Morris Hills) |
| DB | Dawson Brown | 6-3 | 217 | Sr. | Bethel (Minn.) | Steve Johnson | Becker, Minn. (Becker) |
| DB | *Jordan Powell | 6-1 | 204 | Sr. | Widener (Pa.) | Mike Kelly | Morristown, N.J. (Morristown) |
| DB | Louis Berry | 5-7 | 170 | Sr. | Mount Union (Ohio) | Vince Kehres | Pittsburgh, Pa. (Shady Side Academy) |
| DB | Cal Lewellyn | 6-0 | 173 | Jr. | Centre (Ky.) | Andy Frye | Louisville, Ky. (Christian Academy) |
Specialist
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK | *Spenser Thompson-Meyers | 6-2 | 230 | Sr. | St. Norbert (Wis.) | Dan McCarty | San Ramon, Calif. (California High) |
| P | Austin Baker | 5-8 | 170 | Sr. | Heidelberg (Ohio) | Scott Donaldson | Green Springs, Ohio (Clyde) |
| AP | *De’Eric Bell | 5-7 | 190 | R-Sr. | Guilford (N.C.) | Chris Rusiewicz | Jackson, Ga. (Jackson) |
*-2017 AFCA All-American
2018 AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Teams – Second Team
Offense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | D’Angelo Fulford | 6-2 | 210 | Jr. | Mount Union (Ohio) | Vince Kehres | Miramar, Fla. (Miramar) |
| RB | Brian Mann | 5-10 | 175 | Jr. | Ferrum (Va.) | Rob Grande | Pearisburg, Va. (Giles) |
| RB | Markeith Miller | 5-10 | 220 | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | Pete Fredenburg | Garland, Tex. (Garland) |
| WR | Will Gillach | 6-1 | 195 | Sr. | St. John’s (Minn.) | Gary Fasching | Lindstrom, Minn. (Chisago Lakes) |
| WR | Alec Beatty | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | Macalester | Tony Jennison | Topeka, Kan. (Topeka) |
| TE | Tommy Auger | 6-4 | 235 | Sr. | St. John’s (Minn.) | Gary Fasching | St. Cloud, Minn. (Cathedral) |
| OL | Kyle Rademaker | 6-5 | 285 | Sr. | St. Norbert (Wis.) | Dan McCarty | Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie) |
| OL | Nate Trewyn | 6-4 | 315 | Sr. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Kevin Bullis | Janesville, Wis. (Milton) |
| OL | Hank Michalski | 6-2 | 285 | Sr. | Washington (Mo.) | Larry Kindbom | Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley) |
| OL | Dan Greenheck | 6-1 | 255 | Jr. | St. John’s (Minn.) | Gary Fasching | St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall) |
| OL | Brian Wahl | 6-4 | 290 | Sr. | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) | Kyle Sweeney | San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines) |
Defense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | Thomas Lesniewski | 6-1 | 241 | Sr. | Monmouth (Ill.) | Chad Braun | Algonquin, Ill. (Marian Central) |
| DL | Cameron Brown | 6-0 | 237 | Sr. | Case Western Reserve (Ohio) | Greg Debeljak | Westlake, Ohio (Westlake) |
| DL | Kyle Kilgore | 6-4 | 245 | Sr. | Bethel (Minn.) | Steve Johnson | Cottage Grove, Minn. (East Ridge) |
| DL | Isaac Zickafoose | 6-1 | 245 | Sr. | Bluffton (Ohio) | Aaron Krepps | Middlebury, Ind. (Northridge) |
| LB | Trey Hayes | 6-0 | 255 | Sr. | Huntingdon (Ala.) | Mike Turk | Decatur, Ala. (Decatur) |
| LB | Andrew Yamin | 6-0 | 225 | Sr. | Amherst (Mass.) | E.J. Mills | Cheshire, Conn. (Cheshire) |
| LB | Michael Connor | 6-1 | 235 | Sr. | Simpson (Iowa) | Matt Jeter | Woodward, Iowa (Granger) |
| DB | *Marcus Winters | 5-11 | 170 | Sr. | Trine (Ind.) | Troy Abbs | Toledo, Ohio (Central Catholic) |
| DB | Famus Hasty | 5-9 | 190 | Sr. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Kevin Bullis | Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley) |
| DB | Danial Shelton | 5-11 | 190 | Jr. | Susquehanna (Pa.) | Tom Perkovich | District Heights, Md. (Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) |
| DB | Jefferson Fritz | 5-11 | 185 | So. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | Pete Fredenburg | Kaufman, Tex. (Kaufman) |
Specialist
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK | Kyle Hackett | 6-2 | 165 | So. | Hobart (N.Y.) | Kevin DeWall | Charlton, Mass. (Worcester Academy) |
| P | Zach Warcola | 6-5 | 200 | Jr. | College of New Jersey | Casey Goff | Mendham, N.J. (Mendham) |
| AP | Jeffery Barnett | 5-8 | 157 | Sr. | Trine (Ind.) | Troy Abbs | Fremont, Ohio (Ross) |
*-2017 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 three head coaches 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 28 times by 26 players on the AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America Team since 1972. The Purple Raiders are followed by Linfield (23/21), Mary Hardin-Baylor (21/19), Wittenberg (21/19), Washington & Jefferson (21/18), Wisconsin-Whitewater (20/18), Augustana (Ill.) (19/17), Wisconsin-La Crosse (18/18), Wheaton (17/16), Springfield (17/14), Widener (17/13), St. John’s (Minn.) (16/16), Wesley (16/13), Central (Iowa) (15/14), Montclair State (15/13), Ithaca (14/14), St. Thomas (Minn.) (14/11), Emory & Henry (13/13), Frostburg State (13/12), John Carroll (12/12), Salisbury (12/12), Wabash (11/11), Hampden-Sydney (11/10) and Thomas More (11/9).
Consecutive Years
With Louis Berry’s and D’Angelo Fulford’s selections in 2018, Mount Union has had a player chosen to the AFCA All-America Team for eight straight seasons (2011-18), 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 37 seniors, 10 juniors and three sophomores.
First Time Schools
This year, wide receiver Alec Beatty of Macalester, offensive lineman Brian Wahl of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and defensive lineman Isaac Zickafoose of Bluffton all earned All-America honors for their schools for the first time.
Back-to-Back
Eureka running back Le’Anthony Reasnover, East Texas Baptist wide receiver Richard Johnson, Rhodes offensive lineman DJ Coker, Springfield defensive lineman Nick Giorgio, Widener defensive back Jordan Powell, St. Norbert kicker Spenser Thompson-Meyers, Guilford all-purpose player De’Eric Bell and Trine defensive back Marcus Winters earned AFCA Division III Coaches’ All-America honors for a second consecutive season in 2018.
It’s Been A While
Linebacker Isaiah Turner of Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham and offensive lineman Caleb Riggleman of Marietta have earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for their schools for the first time since 1993 and 1996, respectively.
Two Players, Two Schools
Punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein are 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.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider 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.
