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WICHITA FALLS, Texas - NCAA Division II quarterfinalist North Alabama posted four first-team selections, while playoff participant West Liberty (W.Va.) had a total of five selections and national finalist Northwest Missouri State added a total of four selections to lead the 2009 Daktronics, Inc. Division II All-America Football team.  National finalist Grand Valley State (Mich.) and Arkansas Tech each had three players represented on the team.

This is the 17th year the Daktronics All-America team has been selected by a vote of sports information directors from NCAA Division II football playing members. The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. Voting for the all-region and All-American teams is powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

The team is headlined by Wayne State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell and North Alabama linebacker Michael Johnson who were voted the Ron Lenz Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Lenz, the retired sports information director at South Dakota State, was the first national coordinator of the program.

Bell, a 6-1, 223 pound senior, is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award. He led Division II in rushing by collecting 2,084 yards this season with 29 touchdowns for an average of 189.45 yards a game.

Johnson, a 6-4, 255 pound senior, led the North Alabama defense as the Lions advanced to the Super Region 2 championship game. Johnson tallied 113 tackles with 17 tackles for losses and five sacks in 13 games this season.

Johnson joins senior offensive lineman Calvin Wilson, senior defensive lineman Montrell Craft, and senior punter Will Batson on the first-team for UNA, the only team with more than two first-team selections.

Johnson tied East Stroudsburg junior Matt Freed as the top-vote getter at linebacker. Both repeat their selection on the first-team this season.

Abilene Christian (Texas) offensive tackle Tony Washington is the only other repeat first-team selection from 2008.

Fellow Harlon Hill Award finalists, senior Nick Graziano of Arkansas Tech and junior Zach Amedro of West Liberty, join Bell on the team. Graziano is the first-team quarterback after throwing for 4,313 yards and 38 touchdowns this season. He edged out Amedro, who was voted the second-team quarterback with 4,945 yards passing and 49 touchdowns.

Bell is one of three players on the 2009 team to rejoin the team after appearing on the squad in 2006. Bell was a second-team running back as a redshirt freshman, while senior defensive lineman Andre Bernardi of North Greenville (S.C.) was a first-team selection as a sophomore.

Harding senior Josh Jones, the leading vote receiver at safety, has the unique distinction of having made the first-team representing two different institutions. Jones was a first-team pick on the 2006 squad while playing at Minnesota-Moorhead.

Senior running back LaRon Council and senior safety Myles Burnside of Northwest Missouri State, junior return specialist Deante Steele of Shepherd (W.Va.) , and senior linebacker Lardester Hicks-Green of Delta State (Miss.) returned to the squad as second-team selections in 2009 after winning first-team honors in 2008.

Batson was a second-team selection in 2008 for North Alabama, while Saginaw Valley State senior linebacker John Jacobs and California (Pa.) senior cornerback Terrence Johnson repeated as second-teamers.

In all 54 players were selected from 36 schools with 36 of them seniors, 14 juniors, four sophomores and a freshman.

2009 Daktronics, Inc. Division II
All-America Football Team
Selected by Division II Sports Information Directors

OFFENSE

TIGHT END

First Team

+Ryan Travis, 6-3, 245, Jr, West Liberty (W.Va.)

Second Team 

Mike Higgins, 6-5, 241, Jr, Nebraska-Omaha

WIDE RECEIVER

First Team 

Frantz Simeon, 5-10, 185, Sr, Arkansas Tech

+Jake Soy, 6-3, 210, So, Northwest Missouri

Second Team

Adam Saur, 6-3, 200, Sr, Colorado School of Mines

Kashit Walls, 6-3, 205, Jr, West Liberty (W.Va.)

OFFENSIVE LINE

First Team 

Brett Grozinger, 6-4, 280, Jr, Northwest Missouri State

+Nick McDonald, 6-4, 311, Sr, Grand Valley State (Mich.)

Michael Tribue, 6-3, 265, Sr, Carson-Newman (Tenn.)

Tony Washington, 6-7, 305, Sr, Abilene Christian (Texas)

Calvin Wilson, 6-6, 365, Sr, North Alabama

Second Team

Cameron Bradfield, 6-5, 295, Jr, Grand Valley State (Mich.)

Jack Hiett, 6-2, 255, Sr, Nebraska-Kearney

Ben Staggs, 6-4, 275, Sr, West Liberty (W.Va.)

Jared Veldheer, 6-9, 321, Sr, Hillsdale (Mich.)

J'Marcus Webb, 6-8, 325, Sr, West Texas A&M

Torrence Wright, 6-3, 280, Sr, Arkansas Tech

QUARTERBACK

First Team

+Nick Graziano, 6-1, 227, Sr, Arkansas Tech

Second Team

Zach Amedro, 6-0, 200, Jr, West Liberty (W.Va.)

RUNNING BACK

First Team

+Joique Bell, 6-1, 223, Sr, Wayne State (Mich.)

Isaac Odim, 6-0, 215, Jr, Minnesota-Duluth

Second Team 

LaRon Council, 5-10, 210, Sr, Northwest Missouri State

Jonas Randolph, 5-10, 185, So, Mars Hill (N.C.)

Buck Wakefield, 5-9, 185, Sr, Carson-Newman (Tenn.)

RETURN SPECIALIST

First Team

+Jerome Hewitt, 5-5, 170, Sr, Southeastern Oklahoma State

Second Team 

Deante Steele, 5-9, 185, Jr, Shepherd (W.Va.)

PLACE KICKER

First Team

+Travis Atter, 5-7, 190, Sr, Chadron State (Neb.)

Second Team 

Garrett Lindholm, 5-9, 190, Sr, Tarleton State (Texas)

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

First Team

Montrell Craft, 6-2, 275, Sr, North Alabama

+Cedric Thornton, 6-5, 266, Jr, Southern Arkansas

Danny Richard, 6-4, 255, Jr, Grand Valley State (Mich.)

Second Team

Andre Bernard, 6-2, 260, Sr, North Greenville (S.C.)

Drew Berube, 6-4, 261, Sr, Hillsdale (Mich.)

William Green, 5-10, 290, Sr, Texas A&M-Commerce

Aston Whiteside, 6-2, 255, So, Abilene Christian (Texas)

LINEBACKER

First Team

Robbie Aurich, 5-11, 240, Jr, Minnesota-Duluth

+Matt Freed, 5-10, 210, Jr, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)

+Mike Johnson, 6-4, 255, Sr, North Alabama

Buddy Wood, 6-3, 214, Sr, Central Washington

Second Team

Jake Anderson, 6-2, 250, Sr, Bemidji State (Minn.)

Lardester Hicks-Green, 6-1, 235, Sr, Delta State (Miss.)

John Jacobs, 6-2, 230, Sr, Saginaw Valley State (Mich.)

Ryan Reeves, 6-3, 245, Sr, Wayne State (Mich.)

Zach Watkins, 6-0, 235, Sr, Washburn (Kan.)

CORNERBACK

First Team

Derrick Evans, 5-8, 180, Sr, West Liberty (W.Va.)

+Quintez Smith, 6-1, 187, Sr, Shaw (N.C.)

Second Team

Micah Hill, 5-10, 180, Sr, Midwestern State (Texas)

Terrence Johnson, 6-0, 190, Sr, California (Pa.)

Rodney Mitchell, 6-0, 180, Jr, Eastern New Mexico

SAFETY

First Team

Giorgio Durham, 6-0, 190, So, Central Oklahoma

+Josh Jones, 5-10, 185, Sr, Harding (Arkansas)

Second Team

Myles Burnsides, 5-11, 195, Sr, Northwest Missouri State

Ron Parker, 6-1, 210, Jr, Newberry (S.C.)

PUNTER

First Team

+Will Batson, 6-4, 205, Sr, North Alabama

Second Team

Brian Schmeidebusch, 6-4, 205, Fr, Findlay (Ohio)

+ indicates top vote getter at a position

RON LENZ OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Joique Bell, RB, 6-1, 223, Sr, Wayne State (Mich.)

RON LENZ DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Michael Johnson, LB, 6-4, 255, Sr, North Alabama

++ Daktronics, Inc. Division II Football All-American Team ++