NDSU Cornerback Marcus Williams Named to the 2012 AFCA Coaches FCS All-America Team
12/4/2012 3:42:00 PM | Football
WACO, Texas--North Dakota State University cornerback Marcus Williams became the 15th NDSU player overall to be named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches FCS All-America team announced today.
North Dakota State linebacker Jim Ferge was a two-time selection in 1967 and 1968. Current North Dakota State offensive line coach Scott Fuchs was named to the All-America team in 1993. The list includes:
LB Jim Ferge (C) 1967-68
DB Joseph Cichy (C) 1969
LB Richard Budde (C-I) 1976
OL Lou Curry (C-I) 1977
DB Wayne Schluchter (C-I)1981
OT Mike Whetstone (C-I) 1983
QB Jeff Bentrim (C-I)1986
OL Mike Favor (C-I)1988
DL Phil Hansen (C-I)1990
OL Scott Fuchs (C-I)1993
OL Brad Servais (C-I)1995
RB Lamar Gordon (D-II) 2000
RB Pat Paschall (FCS) 2009
OL Paul Cornick (FCS) 2011
CB Marcus Williams (FCS) 2012
Williams, a 5-foot-11, 194-pound junior from Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins H.S.) leads the team with five interceptions including one returned for 98 yards for a touchdown against Youngstown State on Oct. 6. He has returned four interceptions for TDs in his career and added another off a lateral from a teammate's pick. Williams ranked fifth in the conference and is tied for ninth nationally in interceptions.
A candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) presented by The Sports Network, Williams has 16 career interceptions and tied the school record of 16 set by Steve Krumei from 1967-69. He added 25 tackles this season including 15 solos and one tackle for loss.
The 2012 Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Williams has returned 11 kickoffs this season for an average of 30.1 yards per return including one taken back 98-yards for a TD at Illinois State on Nov. 17. It was his second career kickoff return for a touchdown.
Williams is a valuable member of the FCS and the conference's top-ranked scoring, rush, pass and total defense.
North Dakota State (11-1) is scheduled to host Wofford College (9-3) at 2:04 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in an NCAA FCS Quarterfinal round game at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
2012 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team
Offense
| Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| WR | Aaron Mellette | 6-4 | 220 | Sr. | Elon | Jason Swepson | Sanford, N.C. (Southern Lee) |
| WR | Erik Lora | 5-10 | 181 | Jr. | Eastern Illinois | Dino Babers | Miami, Fla. (Columbus) |
| TE | Kyle Juszczyk | 6-3 | 245 | Sr. | Harvard | Tim Murphy | Medina, Ohio (Cloverleaf) |
| OL | Earl Watford | 6-4 | 295 | Sr. | James Madison | Mickey Matthews | Philadelphia, Pa. (Simon Gratz) |
| OL | Terren Jones | 6-7 | 320 | Sr. | Alabama St. | Reggie Barlow | Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. (Choctaw) |
| C | Mike Sellers | 6-0 | 290 | Jr. | Citadel | Kevin Higgins | Summerville, S.C. (Fort Dorchester) |
| OL | Randy Richards | 6-4 | 310 | Sr. | Missouri St. | Terry Allen | Royal Palm Beach, Fla. (Royal Palm Beach) |
| OL | Will Post | 6-6 | 295 | Sr. | Eastern Washington | Beau Baldwin | Portland, Ore. (Southridge) |
| QB | DeNarius McGhee | 6-0 | 210 | Jr. | Montana St. | Rob Ash | Euless, Texas (Trinity) |
| RB | Miguel Maysonet | 5-10 | 210 | Sr. | Stony Brook | Chuck Priore | Riverhead, N.Y. (Riverhead) |
| RB | Zach Zenner | 6-0 | 215 | So. | South Dakota St. | John Stiegelmeier | Eagan, Minn. (Eagan) |
Defense
| Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DL | Caraun Reid | 6-2 | 305 | Sr. | Princeton | Bob Surace | Bronx, N.Y. (Mount St. Michael) |
| DL | Davis Tull | 6-3 | 230 | So. | Tennessee-Chattanooga | Russ Huesman | Knoxville, Tenn. (Bearden) |
| DL | Brandon Thurmond | 6-2 | 260 | Sr. | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Monte Coleman | Augusta, Ga. (Laney) |
| DL | Kenneth Boatright | 6-4 | 253 | Sr. | Southern Illinois | Dale Lennon | Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook) |
| LB | Matt Evans | 6-0 | 228 | Sr. | New Hampshire | Sean McDonnell | Hanover, Mass. (Thayer Academy) |
| LB | Robert McCabe | 6-2 | 234 | Sr. | Georgetown (D.C.) | Kevin Kelly | Newtown Square, Pa. (Malvern Prep) |
| LB | Jody Owens | 6-0 | 223 | Sr. | Montana St. | Rob Ash | Mesquite, Texas (Horn) |
| DB | AJ Cruz | 5-9 | 190 | Sr. | Brown | Phil Estes | Lake Forest, Calif. (Santa Margarita Catholic) |
| DB | Kejuan Riley | 6-1 | 208 | Sr. | Alabama St. | Reggie Barlow | Wetumpka, Ala. (Wetumpka) |
| DB | Marcus Williams | 5-11 | 194 | Jr. | North Dakota St. | Craig Bohl | Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins) |
| DB | Darnell Taylor* | 6-0 | 195 | Sr. | Sam Houston St. | Willie Fritz | Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite) |
Specialists
| Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| P | Bobby Wenzig | 6-2 | 180 | Jr. | Alabama St. | Reggie Barlow | San Diego, Calif. (Westview) |
| PK | Patrick Murray | 5-7 | 182 | Sr. | Fordham | Joe Moorhead | Mahwah, N.J. (Don Bosco Prep) |
| AP | Carlos Anderson | 5-8 | 172 | Sr. | Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs) |
*-2011 All-American
Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. 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 — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), 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.
Top Teams: Eastern Kentucky has
been represented a total of 23 times by 21 players on the AFCA FCS
Coaches' All-America Team since 1979. The Colonels are followed by
Appalachian State (23/17), Montana (21/20), Delaware (20/17), Furman
(18/17), Northern Iowa (18/15), Eastern Washington (17/16), Georgia
Southern (17/13), Lehigh (15/15), Youngstown State (15/14), Portland
State (14/14), Grambling State (14/13), Stephen F. Austin (14/13), New
Hampshire (14/12), Jackson State (13/12), Weber State (13/12), Eastern
Illinois (12/11), Montana State (11/11), North Dakota State (11/11) and
James Madison (10/10) among current FCS schools.
Top Conference:
The Colonial Athletic Association (formerly Atlantic 10) (119
appearances/109 players) is tops among all FCS conferences on the AFCA
FCS Coaches All-America Team since 1979. Following the CAA is the
Southern (107 appearances/94 players), Missouri Valley Football
(formerly Gateway) (84/78), Big Sky (81/79), Ohio Valley (62/58),
Southland (61/56), Southwestern Athletic (54/52), Patriot (48/47), Ivy
League (31/31), Mid-Eastern Athletic (30/28), Northeast (15/13), Pioneer
(13/13) and Big South (9/9). These totals reflect FCS selections only
from current conference members. Several schools had additional players
chosen when they played in divisions other than FCS.
2012 Conference-by-Conference Breakdown: Missouri
Valley – 5; Southwestern Athletic – 4; Big Sky – 3; Ivy – 3; Southern –
3; Colonial – 2; Patriot – 2; Big South – 1; Ohio Valley – 1; Southland
– 1.
Consecutive Years: Eastern Kentucky leads
all schools, having had at least one player named to the AFCA FCS
Coaches' All-America Team in each of the first 15 years a FCS team was
chosen (1979-93).
Long Time Coming: Sophomore
defensive lineman Davis Tull makes the AFCA FCS All-America Team for
Tennessee-Chattanooga, marking the first time the Moc's have had a
representative since 1990, when defensive lineman Tony Hill and punter
Pumpy Tudors both made the team.
Repeat After Me:
Sam Houston State's Darnell Taylor is the only player to be elected to
the AFCA FCS All-American Team for the second consecutive year.
Linebackers Gary Reasons of Northwestern State (La.) (1981-83) and
Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1994-96) are the only three-time
AFCA All-Americans in Football Championship Subdivision.
Yearly Leaders:
Alabama State (2012-OL Terren Jones, DB Kejuan Riley and P Bobby
Wenzig) joins Grambling State (1979-DL Joe Gordon, LB Aldrich Allen and
DB Robert Salters) and Jackson State (1996-QB Grailyn Pratt, LB Otha
Evans and DB Sean Woodson) as the only schools to have more than two
players named to the AFCA FCS Coaches' All-America Team in one year.
One Player, Two Schools:
Punter Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches' All-America
honors at two different schools. He 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
FBS All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991.
Class Distinction: This year's AFCA FCS Coaches' All-America Team is made up of 18 seniors, five juniors and two sophomores.
