GLIAC Has Three Named to the 2011 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America First-Team

Release courtesy of Dan Wilkes, Associate AD/Marketing & Communications, Pittsburg State University

PITTSBURG, Kan. —Harlon Hill Trophy winning running back Jonas Randolph of Mars Hill and consensus All-America linebacker Nate Dreiling of National Champion Pittsburg State headline a talented 2011 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Team.

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Randolph, who captured the Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II National Player of the Year honors, garnered Don Hansen Offensive Player of the Year accolades. A senior from Daleville, Ala., Randolph rushed the ball 366 times for 2,170 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season, leading Division II with a 197.3 yard per game average.  He guided the Lions to an 8-3 record and an NCAA-II playoff appearance.

Dreiling, who helped lead the Gorillas to the school’s first national championship in 20 years, received Don Hansen National Defensive Player of the Year honors. A sophomore from Hutchinson, Kan., Dreiling made 139 tackles, including 17.0 TFLs, with seven interceptions, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles while helping Pitt State capture the NCAA-II National Championship.  He made 46 tackles (11.5 pg) with 7.0 TFLs and three interceptions in the post-season.

Missouri Western place kicker Greg Zuerlein, who converted a nation-leading 23 of 24 field goals including all nine attempts from 50 yards and beyond, was selected the Don Hansen National Special Teams Player of the Year.

Darrell Leopold from Delta State received the ninth annual NCAA Division II Rimington Award as the division’s top offensive center.  †

Lenoir-Rhyne fullback Isaiah Whitaker, who led all fullbacks nationally with 818 rushing yards (81.5 ypg) and six touchdowns, and Catawba defensive tackle CJ Barksdale, who made 10.5 tackles-for-loss including 4.0 quarterback sacks, shared Don Hansen National Freshman of the Year honors.

Pitt State’s Tim Beck, who led the Gorillas to a 13-1 record and the school’s second NCAA Division II National Championship claimed Don Hansen National Coach of the Year honors in his second season leading the program.  A 23-year veteran assistant for the Gorillas prior to becoming the Pitt State head coach in December 2009, Beck helped the Gorillas improve seven games in the wins column in year two after a 6-6 debut season in 2010.

The Don Hansen Division II All-America Team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.

The Don Hansen Football Committee selected All-Super Region teams in December and early January, with the first-team and second-team All-Super Region players advancing to the national ballot.

A total of 183 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-America honors.  Players from 84 of the 152 football-playing schools in Division II earned Don Hansen All-America accolades. National Champion Pitt State led the way by placing eight players on the All-America squad, while national runner-up Wayne (Mich.) State, national semifinalist Delta State and national quarterfinalist New Haven (Conn.) garnered seven individuals apiece.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Don Hansen National Coordinator Dan Wilkes, Associate AD/Marketing & Communications at Pittsburg State University, at 620-235-4147 (dwilkes@pittstate.edu).

†  The Boomer Esiason Foundation, which established the Dave Rimington Trophy in 2000 to honor the outstanding NCAA BCS center, expanded that award in 2003 to include the top center on the NCAA FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA All-America squads. The Rimington Trophy web site is located at www.rimingtontrophy.com. Esiason, a high-octane Maryland quarterback, and Rimington, a nonpareil center for Nebraska, were NFL teammates at Cincinnati in the mid-1980s.

In 1993, Esiason created the New York City based foundation that bears his name to raise funds for the treatment and research of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease his son Gunnar has battled since infancy.

ALPHABETICAL, BY SCHOOL — Abilene Christian: Taylor Gabriel, WR; Mitchell Gale, QB; Aston Whiteside, DE; Albany State: Jamarkus Gaskins, LB; Ashland: Greg Berkshire, P; Bloomsburg: Franklin Quiteh, RB; California (Pa.): Rishaw Johnson, OG; Carson-Newman: Zeke Andrews, DE; Catawba: CJ Barksdale, DG/DT; Central Missouri: David Cannon, TE; Logan Freeman, OT; Chadron State: Tim Hiett, OG; Concord: Joe Greenway, LB; Delta State: Chance Dennis, WR; Brandon Lucas, AP; Ixavier Triplett, LB; East Central (Okla.): Dontae Smith, RS; East Stroudsburg: Dan Caffrey, OG; Eastern New Mexico: Taylor Cannon, P; Edinboro: Rob Stoner, OG; Elizabeth City State: Daronte McNeil, RB; Ferris State: Tayo Moss, LB; Findlay: Montrae Williams, RB; Fort Valley State: Courtney Daniels, LB; Gannon: Randy Colling, DG/DT; Grand Valley State: James Hardy, C; Hillsdale: Cam White, TE; Humboldt State: Mike Proulx, QB; Indiana (Pa.): Grant Shallock, P; Indianapolis: Ryan Forney, WR; Chris Mills, QB; Kentucky State: Raphaei Amey, WR; Kutztown: John Mastromatto, AP; Lane: Kyle Hurt, DE; Lenoir-Rhyne: Colin Corpe, PK; Chandler Rearden, OT; LIU-CW Post: Kevin Martin, OT; Mars Hill: Nick Allison, OG; Josh Crumpton, TE; Mercyhurst: Ian Wild, LB; Midwestern State: Keidrick Jackson, RB; Justin Tyler, C; Minnesota Duluth: Cody Eich, S; Cody Flesch, OT; Derrik Zappa, LB; Minnesota State: Denis Carter, RS; Missouri Southern: Kenny Smith, DG/DT; Missouri Western: Macon Allan, OT; Michael Hill, RB; Ben Pister, DG/DT; New Mexico Highlands: Jordan Campbell, LB; New Haven: Desmond Anderson, CB; Tom Herd, DE; Ryan Osiecki, QB; Jason Thompson, WR; Nebraska-Kearney: Arthur Hobbs, CB; Jake Spitzlberger, QB; North Alabama: Lee Chapple, QB; Jamie Dixon, C; North Carolina-Pembroke: Travis Daniels, RB; North Greenville: Willy Korn, QB; Jamarius Robinson, S; Northeastern State: Nate Robinson, RS; NW Missouri State: James Franklin III, RB; Josh Lorenson, DG/DT; Jordan Simmons, AP; Pittsburg State: John Brown, WR; Zac Dickey, QB; Chase McCoy, PK; Kell Smalley, OG; Spencer Worthington, DE; Saginaw Valley State: Jonathon Jennings, QB; Frank Toarmina, OG; St. Cloud State: Scott Horvath, C; Shepherd: Steve Jackson, OT; Slippery Rock: Devin Goda, WR; Tarleton State: Dashaun Phillips, CB; Texas A&M-Kingsville: Roderick Benman, DE; Jeremy Aguilar, LB; Tusculum: Deonte Gist, WR; Terrence Smith, DE; Valdosta State: Harrison Dreiling, S; Washburn: DeJuan Beard, WR; Justin Cooper, RB; Greg Schoenberg, FB; Wayne (Mich.) State: Toney Davis, RB; Greg Hasse, DE; Chet Privett, FB; West Alabama: Matthew Willis, RB; West Georgia: Denarius Appling, AP; David Brackett, PK; West Texas A&M: Kevin VanVoris, P; West Virginia Wesleyan: Adam Neugebauer, QB; Western Oregon: Bryce Peila, S; Jason Slowey, OT; Wingate: Chris Bowden; Winston-Salem State: Darrell Billiot, OG; Alton Keaton, S.