Samford’s Hodges & Dartmoth’s Swann Highlight 2018 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Teams

Two-time AFCA All-American quarterback Devlin Hodges of Samford and Dartmouth defensive back Isiah Swann headline the 2018 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) 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.

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Hodges, a top-three finalist for the Walter Payton Award, set a school record for single-season passing yards, throwing for 4,283 yards this season. He also became the all-time leader in career passing yards in FCS history with 14,584 yards, breaking the record set by Alcorn State’s Steve McNair of 14,496 from 1991 to 1994. Swann set a school record with nine interceptions to lead the nation. He also led the league and ranked third in the FCS with 18 passes defended while recording 39 tackles and recovering a fumble.

2018 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Teams – First Team

Offense

Defense

Specialist

*-2017 AFCA All-American ^2016-17 AFCA All-American

2018 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Teams – Second Team

Offense

Defense

Specialist

*-2017 AFCA All-American

Team Background

The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad. 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. In 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), 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. A return specialist was added in 1997, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. The AFCA added a second team in 2016.

Top Teams

Delaware has the most AFCA All-America selections of any current FCS school with 32 selections by 29 players. The Blue Hens are followed by Montana (29/28), North Dakota State (29/26), Eastern Kentucky (27/25), Eastern Washington (27/23), Weber State (22/21), Northern Iowa (22/19), Grambling State (21/20), Lehigh (20/20), Furman (20/19), South Carolina State (20/18), New Hampshire (20/17), James Madison (19/19), North Dakota (19/17), Portland State (18/17), Eastern Illinois (18/16), Youngstown State (18/16), South Dakota State (18/14), Western Illinois (17/16), Northern Colorado (17/14), Montana State (16/16), Towson (16/16), Cal Poly (16/14), McNeese (16/14), UC Davis (16/14), Abilene Christian (15/14), Stephen F. Austin (15/14) and Tennessee State (15/14).

2018 Conference-by-Conference Breakdown

Colonial – 7; Missouri Valley – 6; Southern – 5; Southland – 5; Big Sky – 4; Big South – 4; Patriot – 4; Ivy – 3; MEAC – 3; Ohio Valley – 3; Pioneer – 3; SWAC – 2; NEC – 1.

Consecutive Years

Eastern Kentucky leads all schools, having had at least one player named to the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in each of the first 15 years a FCS team was chosen (1979-93). South Dakota State has the longest current streak at five years from 2014 to present.

Double Duo

For the first time in FCS Coaches’ All-America Team history, teammates have earned back-to-back honors. Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Keionta Davis (DL) and Corey Levin (OL) were both named to the 2015 and 2016 teams. They join seven duos in FBS: USC’s Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush (2004 and 2005); 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).

Long Time Coming

Offensive lineman Matt Pyke and defensive lineman Nasir Player make the AFCA FCS All-America Team for East Tennessee State, marking the first time the Buccaneers have had a representative since 1996, when defensive lineman James Russell made the team.

Repeat After Me

Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp (2013-16) joins Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Johnny Bailey as the only players to earn AFCA Coaches’ All-America honors in four consecutive years at any level. Bailey was a four-year pick at running back in Division II from 1986-89.

Third Time’s A Charm

San Diego offensive lineman Daniel Cooney (2016-18) joins South Dakota State running back Zach Zenner (2012-14), Tennessee-Chattanooga defensive lineman Davis Tull (2012-14), and linebackers Gary Reasons of Northwestern State (1981-83) and Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1994-96), as the only three-time AFCA All-Americans in Football Championship Subdivision history.

Yearly Leaders

North Dakota State joins Jacksonville State as the only schools to land four players on the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in one year. NDSU’s came in 2018 (Tanner Volson, 1st team OL; Greg Menard, 1st team DL; Easton Stick, 2nd team QB; Jabril Cox, 2nd team LB) while JSU’s came in 2017 (Darius Jackson, 1st team DL; Siran Neal, 1st team DB; Justin Lea, 2nd team OL; Roc Thomas, 2nd team RB). Fourteen schools have placed three student-athletes on the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in one year, with three of those coming in 2018 (Colgate, Dartmouth and Delaware).

Two Players, Two Schools

Placekicker Cole Tracy joins punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein as the only players to earn AFCA Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. Tracy earned second team AFCA All-America honors in Division II at Assumption College in 2017, then transferred to LSU in 2018 and earned second team FBS All-America honors. 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 AFCA Division II honors in 2011 as a Griffon.

One Player, Two Positions

Bethel’s (Tenn.) Stoney Burns and Baker’s Clarence Clark are the only players in AFCA All-America Team history at all levels to repeat as AFCA All-Americans at two different positions. Burns was named to the 2013 squad as a defensive back, then earned 2014 honors at all-purpose. Clark was named to the 2015 squad as a receiver, then earned 2016 honors as a place-kicker.

Class Distinction

This year’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 31 seniors, 14 juniors, three sophomores and two graduate students.