Doane’s Nielsen named All-American

Brett Edwards

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the 2011 NAIA Coaches’ All-American team on Wednesday with Doane College place kicker Andrew Nielsen representing the Tigers.  Nielsen, a senior from North Platte, is the first Doane player chosen to the NAIA squad since the AFCA began releasing the All-American team in 2006.  The last player to receive First Team All-American honors, as announced by the NAIA, was Jesse Gronemeyer in 2001.

 

Nielsen posted 71 points on the season for the Tigers, coming a point shy of the school record.  He converted 11-of-17 field goals and 38-of-42 extra point attempts.  He threw a touchdown pass in the first game of the season as well.  Nielsen was named First Team All-GPAC after earning honorable mention honors the previous two seasons.  He was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-American Second Team by CoSIDA.

 

He is an exercise science major and the son of Dr. Mark & Julie Nielsen.

 

Since the AFCA began releasing the NAIA All-American team in 2006, only one team has been selected each year.  Prior to 2006, the NAIA would release a First Team, Second Team and honorable mention list.

 

Nielsen joins a select list of Tigers to earn First Team recognition.  Fred Davis was the first player to be honored with this distinction in 1966.  He repeated the honor in 1967 as an offensive lineman.  It would be nearly 20 years before the Tigers put another name on the First Team list.  Greg Chapek was honored in 1986 as a defensive lineman.

 

Doane Head Coach Matt Franzen was named to the list his senior year in 1993 on the offensive line.  He was joined by teammate Mark Brahmer who was a linebacker for the Tigers team that qualified for the NAIA playoffs.  In 1997, Doane advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA playoffs and Chad Boyes anchored the offensive line that year.  In 2000, Raymonn Adams rushed his way to First Team honors and Gronemeyer followed in 2001 at defensive back.

 
 
Below is the release from the AFCA.

———- Forwarded message ———-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 14, 2011

AFCA CONTACT: Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations

 

FAULKNER’S JOSH HOLLINGSWORTH, FRIENDS’ DEXTER DAVIS HEADLINE 2011 AFCA NAIA COACHES’ ALL-AMERICA TEAM

 

WACO, TEX. — Faulkner quarterback Josh Hollingsworth and Friends defensive lineman Dexter Davis headline the 2011 AFCA NAIA 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.

Hollingsworth led the nation in total offense per game, with 423.4 yards, and in passing yards per game, with 393.7. Hollingsworth set a new NAIA record when he threw for 637 yards, edging the previous NAIA record of 636 yards set in 1995, in a 95-89 triple overtime win over Union (Ky.). Davis led the nation in sacks per game with 1.4 and tied for the top spot in total sacks at 14. He was third in the nation in tackles for a loss with 24.5, and he recorded 58 total tackles, three forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered. 

 

2011 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense

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

WR Anthony Muilenburg 6-2 200 Jr. Dakota Wesleyan Brad Pole Sioux Falls, S.D. (Lincoln)

WR Clarence Anderson* 5-9 160 Sr. Ottawa Kent Kessinger Wichita, Kan. (Southeast)

TE Juan Redmon 6-5 251 Sr. MidAmerica Nazarene Jonathan Quinn St. Louis, Mo. (Florissant McCluer North)

OL Tyler Wells 6-5 325 Sr. Grand View Mike Woodley Des Moines, Iowa (Roosevelt)

OL Carl Meister 6-4 300 Jr. St. Ambrose Mike Magistrelli Downers Grove, Ill. (Montini Catholic)

OL Corey Cronk* 6-1 305 Sr. Saint Francis (Ind.) Kevin Donley Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)

OL Tom Van Haute 6-4 280 Sr. Hastings Tony Harper Omaha, Neb. (Gross Catholic)

OL Ron Fontenot 6-7 323 Sr. Benedictine (Kan.) Larry Wilcox Kenner, La. (New Orleans Grace King)

QB Josh Hollingsworth 6-0 210 So. Faulkner Brent Barker Hamilton, Ala. (Hamilton)

RB Chance Demarais 6-0 227 Jr. Carroll (Mont.) Mike Van Diest Malta, Mont. (Malta)

RB Junior Allen 5-7 185 Jr. Bethany (Kan.) Jamie Cruce Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Davie Western)

 

Defense

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

DL Michael Prosser 6-2 240 Sr. Saint Xavier Mike Feminis Rockton, Ill. (Hononegah)

DL Jordan Carlson 6-4 265 Jr. Northwestern (Iowa) Kyle Achterhoff Storm Lake, Iowa (Storm Lake)

DL Richard Wick* 6-2 244 Sr. Missouri Valley Paul Troth San Diego, Calif. (Steele Canyon)

DL Dexter Davis 6-3 230 Jr. Friends Monty Lewis Rex, Ga. (Morrow)

LB Demery Hawkins 6-1 240 Jr. Shorter Phil Jones Lyons, Ga. (Toombs County)

LB Michael Hicks 6-2 225 Fr. Southern Nazarene Mike Cochran Cushing, Okla. (Cushing)

LB Zach Goebel 6-5 220 Jr. Georgetown (Ky.) Bill Cronin Evansville, Ind. (Mater Dei)

DB Wayne Johnson* 5-7 145 Sr. St. Francis (Ill.) Mike Uremovich McConnells, S.C. (York)

DB Dustin Craig 6-1 205 Sr. Marian Ted Karras, Jr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Ben Davis)

DB Colby Henderson 5-11 175 Jr. Morningside Steve Ryan Wakefield, Neb. (Wakefield)

DB Nick Carlson 5-10 180 Jr. Midland Casey Thiele Tucson, Ariz. (Ironwood Ridge)

 

Specialists

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

P Tyler Crowley 6-0 185 Sr. Southern Oregon Craig Howard Palo Cedro, Calif. (Bishop Quinn)

PK Andrew Nielsen 6-1 223 Sr. Doane Matt Franzen North Platte, Neb. (North Platte)

AP Cordarious Mann 5-6 160 Jr. Bethel (Tenn.) Dino Kaklis Jackson, Tenn. (North Side)

*-2010 AFCA All-American

 

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 NAIA 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.

 

AFCA NAIA Player Selection History: NAIA players who were selected to AFCA All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II.  Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II.  That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III.  From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as Coaches’ All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.

 

Top Teams: Georgetown (Ky.) has been represented a total of 17 times by 14 players on AFCA Coaches’ All-America Teams to lead all schools in NAIA. Trailing Georgetown (Ky.) are: Carroll (Mont.) (15/14), Morningside (7/7), Saint Xavier (6/6), Montana Tech (6/5), Baker (5/5), Missouri Valley (5/4), Northwestern (Iowa) (5/5), Southern Oregon (5/5), Bethel (Tenn.) (5/4), Saint Francis (Ind.) (5/4), Jamestown (4/4), St. Ambrose (4/4), Benedictine (Kan.) (4/3), McKendree (4/3) and MidAmerica Nazarene (4/3).

 

First Time School: Placekicker Andrew Nielsen of Doane has earned All-America honors for his school for the first time in 2011. 

 

Consecutive Years: Carroll (Mont.) has had at least one player named to the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team for seven straight seasons, from 2005 to present, the longest streak by any team in NAIA. Following Carroll (Mont.) are Morningside and St. Xavier with six straight selections (2006-present). 

 

Repeat After Me: Richard Wick of Missouri Valley, Clarence Anderson of Ottawa, Wayne Johnson of St. Francis (Ill.) and Corey Cronk of Saint Francis (Ind.) earned AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2011. 

Georgetown (Ky.) has had the most repeat selections with three players (Clay Hamblen, DB, 2006-07; Chris Reed, OL, 1987-88; and Chris Hogan, DL, 1991-92).

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 runningback in 1986-87-88-89 in Division II.

 

Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 12 seniors, 11 juniors, one sophomore and one freshman.

 

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. 

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