GLIAC PLACES FOUR IN THE 2013 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM

GLIAC PLACES FOUR IN THE 2013 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             DECEMBER 17, 2013

AFCA CONTACT:                Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations             254-754-9900

BLOOMSBURG’S FRANKLYN QUITEH AND TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE’S CHARLIE TUAAU HEADLINE THE 

2013 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM

WACO, TEXAS — Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh and Texas A&M-Commerce defensive lineman Charlie Tuaau headline the 2013 AFCA Division II 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.

Quiteh finished 2013 as the leading rusher in Division II with a career-high 2,195 yards on 263 carries while scoring 31 total touchdowns. His 182.9 yards per game was also tops among Division II players, as was his 29 rushing touchdowns. He is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Tuaau was No. 5 in the nation with 22 tackles for loss, No. 6 with 12.5 sacks, and finished with 51 total tackles. He is a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, honoring the top defensive player in the nation representing Division II, III and NAIA schools.

2013 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense

Pos     Name         Ht.     Wt.   Cl.     School                          Coach    Hometown (High School)

WR     Jeff Janis      6-3   218   Sr.   Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) Jim Collins Tawas City, Mich. (Tawas Area)

WR  *John Brown  5-11  170   Sr.   Pittsburg St. (Kan.)          Tim Beck  Homestead, Fla. (Homestead)

TE  Joe Don Duncan 6-4  270  Sr.   Dixie St. (Utah)     Scott Brumfield    Corona, Calif. (Notre Dame)

OL  Cole Manhart    6-6   300  Jr.    Nebreaska-Kearney Darrell Morris     Highlands Ranch, Colo. (ThunderRidge)

OL William Wright   6-3   310 Sr.    West Georgia          Daryl Dickey         Pompano Beach, Fla. (Mountain View)

C Matt Armstrong   6-3   290 Sr.    Grand Valley St. (Mich.)  Matt Mitchell         Lansing, Mich. (Sexton)

OL Matthew Reese   6-3  315  Jr.   Tuskegee (Ala.)             Willie Slater          Birmingham, Ala. (Wenonah)

OL  Mike Nelson      6-4  305  Sr.   Central Washington      John Picha            Carnation, Wash. (Mount Si)

QB Dustin Vaughan  6-5 220 Sr.   West Texas A&M          Mike Nesbitt          Corpus Christi, Texas (Calallen)

RB *Franklyn Quiteh  5-10 206 Sr. Bloomsburg (Pa.)         Paul Darragh        Tobyhanna, Pa. (Pocono Mountain West)

RB Keidrick Jackson   5-9  210 Sr.  Midwestern St. (Texas) Bill Maskill             Arlington, Texas (Bowie)

Defense

Pos     Name         Ht.     Wt.   Cl.     School                       Coach                 Hometown (High School)

DL   Jake Metz        6-7    255   Sr.     Shippensburg (Pa.)     Mark Maciejewski     Harleysville, Pa. (Souderton)

DL  Matt Longacre  6-3     240   So.    Northwest Missouri St.  Adam Dorrel         Omaha, Neb. (Millard West)

DL Jamie Meder      6-2     304   Sr.     Ashland (Ohio)           Lee Owens           Parma, Ohio (Valley Forge)

DL  Darius Allen      6-3    239    Jr.     Colorado State-Pueblo  John Wristen        Pueblo, Colo. (Pueblo East) 

DL  Charlie Tuaau  6-5     310    Jr.     Texas A&M-Commerce     Colby Carthel       Wahiawa, Hawaii (Leilehua) 

LB Tavarius Wilson  5-11  235 Sr.       North Alabama             Bobby Wallace     Jackson, Miss. (Forest Hills) 

LB Grant Singer     6-1    215  Jr.       Mary (N.D.)                    Myron Schulz       Turtle Lake, N.D. (Turtle Lake-Mercer) 

LB Colby Ring       6-1     225  Sr.      Minnesota-Duluth           Curt Wiese            Baxter, Minn. (Brainerd) 

DB *Pierre Desir  6-2     206   Sr.      Lindenwood (Mo.)           Patrick Ross          St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell Central)

DB  Justin Bell    5-10    185   Sr.     Ohio Dominican               Bill Conley            Columbus, Ohio (Groveport Madison)

DB  *Jack Moro  5-11   190    Sr.   St. Cloud State (Minn.)       Scott Underwood Brookfield, Wis. (Central)

Specialists

Pos     Name         Ht.     Wt.   Cl.     School                       Coach                 Hometown (High School)

P Zach Pulkinen    5-11     200  Sr.     Bemidji St. (Minn.)        Jeff Tesch             Minot, N.D. (Minot) 

PK Steve Wakefield  5-11 175  Sr.     Mercyhurst (Pa.)            Marty Schaetzle   Rochester, N.Y. (Greece Athena) 

AP Rondell White   5-9    180  Sr.      West Chester (Pa.)       Bill Zwaan             West Chester, Pa. (Rustin) 

*-2012 AFCA All-American              

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2013 AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM                                                                                                     

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. 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. 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 Division II 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.

The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team.

Top Teams: Texas A&M-Kingsville has been represented a total of 34 times by 30 players on the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team. Trailing Texas A&M-Kingsville is Pittsburg State (20/16), Indiana (Pa.) (18/16), Northwest Missouri State (18/14), North Alabama (17/16), Grand Valley State (16/15), Carson-Newman (15/14), Texas A&M-Commerce (15/13), American International (14/13), Ferris State (14/12), New Haven (13/13), Valdosta State (13/11), Ashland (11/11), Saginaw Valley State (11/11), Indianapolis (10/10), West Texas A&M (10/10) and St. Cloud State (10/9). 

Consecutive Years: Texas A&M-Kingsville had at least one player named to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team for 18 straight seasons, from 1986 to 2003, the longest streak by any team in Division II. Northwest Missouri State is second, having had 16 straight selections from 1996-2011. Pittsburg State has the third longest streak at nine straight selections from 1988-96. St. Cloud State holds the longest current streak with a player selected to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team for four straight seasons, from 2010 to present. 

Repeat After Me:  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.

Back-to-Back: Pittsburg State wide receiver John Brown, Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh, Lindenwood (Mo.) defensive back Pierre Desir and St. Cloud State defensive back Jack Moro are the four players who earned AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2013.

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. 

Class Distinction: This year’s Division II Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 19 seniors, four juniors and two sophomores.

First Time Schools: Punter Zach Pulkinen of Bemidji State, defensive lineman Darius Allen of Colorado State-Pueblo and tight end Joe Don Duncan of Dixie State have earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for the first time, for their schools,  this year.

For more information on the AFCA and its programs log on to the AFCA’s website at www.afca.com.

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