D2Football.com -- Eleven Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football student-athletes were recognized on the 2015 D2Football.com All America award list. Ferris State senior quarterback Jason Vander Laan was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Grand Valley State senior defensive lineman Matt Judon was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. D2Football.com is the country's leading source of NCAA Division II football coverage.
Vander Laan, who earned his second consecutive Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation's top collegiate player, became the greatest rushing quarterback in NCAA college football history at any level this past season, concluding his career with 5,953 total yards on the ground. He also became the first player in NCAA history to top 1,000 yards rushing and passing for four consecutive seasons.
Judon, also voted the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the nation, regardless of division, in sacks with 20. Judon is just a half-sack away from the single-season Division II record and has the sixth-most sacks in the history of college football. His 23.5 tackles for loss totaling 134 yards are fourthmost in Division II. Judon has piled up 70 tackles, three passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and eight quarterback hurries. Judon recently tied 2013-14 Gene Upshaw Award winner Darius Allen for eighth in Division II history in career sacks with 34.0. He also set a new school record for sacks, passing current Jacksonville Jaguar linebacker Dan Skuta.
The following are the 2016 D2Football.com All America honorees from the GLIAC:
D2Football.com First Team |
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Pos. | Name | Ht, Wt, Yr | School |
QB |
Jason Vander Laan* |
6-4, 244, Sr. |
Ferris State |
OL |
Chris Reaper |
6-3, 281, Sr. |
Findlay |
DL |
Matt Judon! |
6-4, 255, Sr. |
Grand Valley State |
K |
Brent Wahle |
6-2, 175, Sr. |
Ohio Dominican |
D2Football.com Second Team |
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Pos. | Name | Ht, Wt, Yr | School |
RB |
Anthony Bilal |
5-8, 185, Sr. |
Lake Erie |
WR |
Matt Williams |
6-2, 195, Jr. |
Grand Valley State |
DB |
Brad McCurdy |
6-1, 205, Sr. |
Ohio Dominican |
D2Football.com Honorable Mention |
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Pos. | Name | Ht, Wt, Yr | School |
TE |
Adam Shaheen |
6-6, 240, So. |
Ashland |
OL |
Jim Walsh |
6-5, 310, Sr. |
Grand Valley State |
DL |
Justin Zimmer |
6-3, 292, Sr. |
Ferris State |
LB |
Marquez Gollman |
5-11, 190, Jr. |
Grand Valley |
*- D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Year
!- D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Year