JOHNSON IS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FLORENCE, Ala.
--
The University of North Alabama led all
schools with four first-team selections
on the 009 Daktronics, Inc. Division II
All-America Football team, while Lion
senior linebacker Michael Johnson was
named the Ron Lenz National Defensive
Player of the Year.
Johnson, a Panama City, Fla., native,
was a four-year starter for the Lions
and a two-time All-America pick. He led
the North Alabama defense as the Lions
won the Gulf South Conference
championship and advanced to the Super
Region 2 championship game. Johnson
tallied 113 tackles with 17 tackles for
losses and five sacks in 13 games this
season.
Other UNA Lions joining Johnson on the
Daktronics All-America team are senior
offensive lineman Calvin Wilson of
Hattiesburg, Miss., senior defensive
lineman Montrell Craft of Memphis,
Tenn., and senior punter Will Batson of
Killen, Ala. UNA was the only school
with more than two first-team
selections.
This is the 17th year the Daktronics
All-America team has been selected by a
vote of sports information directors
from NCAA Division II football playing
members. The team is sponsored by
Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world
leader in scoring, timing and
programmable display systems for
virtually every sport at every level of
competition. Voting for the all-region
and All-American teams is powered by
ATHLETICSITE.COM.
The
team is headlined by Johnson and Wayne
State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell,
who was voted the Ron Lenz Offensive
Player of the Year. Lenz, the retired
sports information director at South
Dakota State, was the first national
coordinator of the program.
Bell, a 6-1, 223 pound senior, is a
finalist for the Harlon Hill Award. He
led Division II in rushing by collecting
2,084 yards this season with 29
touchdowns for an average of 189.45
yards a game.
Johnson has previously been selected
Gulf South Conference Defensive Player
of the Year and Daktronics Super Region
2 Defensive Player of the Year.
Craft, a finalist for the Gene Upshaw
Division II Lineman of the Year Award,
finsihed fourth on the team in tackles
with 69 total stops. He had 15.5 tackles
for loss and 4.5 sacks. Wilson was a
dominant force on a UNA that averaged
39.5 points and 418 yards per game.
Batson, a four-year letterman for the
Lions and a
2008 All-American selection, averaged
41.6 yards on 57 punts this season.
Batson and Johnson join a prestigious
list of nine other Lions who earned
first-team All-America status in at
least two different seasons. The others
are linebacker James Davis (1989-90),
defensive back Harvey Summerhill
(1991-92), running back Tyrone Rush
(1992-93), linebacker Ronald McKinnon
(1993-95), defensive lineman Israel
Raybon (1994-95), defensive lineman
Marcus Keyes (1994-95), offensive
lineman Jon Thompson (1994-95),
defensive back Evan Oglesby (2003-04)
and wide receiver Anthony Merritt
(2005-06).
++ Daktronics, Inc. Division II Football
All-American Team ++
OFFENSE
TIGHT END
First Team
+Ryan Travis, 6-3, 245, Jr, West Liberty
(W.Va.)
Second Team
Mike Higgins, 6-5, 241, Jr,
Nebraska-Omaha
WIDE RECEIVER
First Team
Frantz Simeon, 5-10, 185, Sr, Arkansas
Tech +Jake Soy, 6-3, 210, So, Northwest
Missouri Second Team Adam Saur, 6-3,
200, Sr, Colorado School of Mines Kashit
Walls, 6-3, 205, Jr, West Liberty
(W.Va.)
OFFENSIVE LINE
First Team
Brett Grozinger, 6-4, 280, Jr, Northwest
Missouri State
+Nick McDonald, 6-4, 311, Sr, Grand
Valley State (Mich.)
Michael Tribue, 6-3, 265, Sr,
Carson-Newman (Tenn.) Tony Washington,
6-7, 305, Sr, Abilene Christian (Texas)
Calvin Wilson, 6-6, 365, Sr, North
Alabama Second Team Cameron Bradfield,
6-5, 295, Jr, Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Jack Hiett, 6-2, 255, Sr,
Nebraska-Kearney Ben Staggs, 6-4, 275,
Sr, West Liberty (W.Va.) Jared Veldheer,
6-9, 321, Sr, Hillsdale (Mich.) J’Marcus
Webb, 6-8, 325, Sr, West Texas A&M
Torrence Wright, 6-3, 280, Sr, Arkansas
Tech
QUARTERBACK
First Team
+Nick Graziano, 6-1, 227, Sr, Arkansas
Tech
Second Team
Zach Amedro, 6-0, 200, Jr, West Liberty
(W.Va.)
RUNNING BACK
First Team
+Joique Bell, 6-1, 223, Sr, Wayne State
(Mich.)
Isaac Odim, 6-0, 215, Jr,
Minnesota-Duluth Second Team LaRon
Council, 5-10, 210, Sr, Northwest
Missouri State Jonas Randolph, 5-10,
185, So, Mars Hill (N.C.) Buck
Wakefield, 5-9, 185, Sr, Carson-Newman
(Tenn.)
RETURN SPECIALIST
First Team
+Jerome Hewitt, 5-5, 170, Sr,
Southeastern Oklahoma State
Second Team
Deante Steele, 5-9, 185, Jr, Shepherd
(W.Va.)
PLACE KICKER
First Team
+Travis Atter, 5-7, 190, Sr, Chadron
State (Neb.)
Second Team
Garrett Lindholm, 5-9, 190, Sr, Tarleton
State (Texas)
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
First Team
Montrell Craft, 6-2, 275, Sr, North
Alabama
+Cedric Thornton, 6-5, 266, Jr, Southern
Arkansas
Danny Richard, 6-4, 255, Jr, Grand
Valley State (Mich.) Second Team Andre
Bernard, 6-2, 260, Sr, North Greenville
(S.C.) Drew Berube, 6-4, 261, Sr,
Hillsdale (Mich.) William Green, 5-10,
290, Sr, Texas A&M-Commerce Aston
Whiteside, 6-2, 255, So, Abilene
Christian (Texas)
LINEBACKER
First Team
Robbie Aurich, 5-11, 240, Jr,
Minnesota-Duluth
+Matt Freed, 5-10, 210, Jr, East
Stroudsburg (Pa.) Mike Johnson, 6-4,
+255, Sr, North Alabama
Buddy Wood, 6-3, 214, Sr, Central
Washington Second Team Jake Anderson,
6-2, 250, Sr, Bemidji State (Minn.)
Lardester Hicks-Green, 6-1, 235, Sr,
Delta State (Miss.) John Jacobs, 6-2,
230, Sr, Saginaw Valley State (Mich.)
Ryan Reeves, 6-3, 245, Sr, Wayne State
(Mich.) Zach Watkins, 6-0, 235, Sr,
Washburn (Kan.)
CORNERBACK
First Team
Derrick Evans, 5-8, 180, Sr, West
Liberty (W.Va.)
+Quintez Smith, 6-1, 187, Sr, Shaw
(N.C.)
Second Team
Micah Hill, 5-10, 180, Sr, Midwestern
State (Texas) Terrence Johnson, 6-0,
190, Sr, California (Pa.) Rodney
Mitchell, 6-0, 180, Jr, Eastern New
Mexico
SAFETY
First Team
Giorgio Durham, 6-0, 190, So, Central
Oklahoma
+Josh Jones, 5-10, 185, Sr, Harding
(Arkansas)
Second Team
Myles Burnsides, 5-11, 195, Sr,
Northwest Missouri State Ron Parker,
6-1, 210, Jr, Newberry (S.C.)
PUNTER
First Team
+Will Batson, 6-4, 205, Sr, North
Alabama
Second Team
Brian Schmeidebusch, 6-4, 205, Fr,
Findlay (Ohio)
+ indicates top vote getter at a
position
RON LENZ OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joique Bell, RB, 6-1, 223, Sr, Wayne
State (Mich.)
RON LENZ DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Michael Johnson, LB, 6-4, 255, Sr, North
Alabama
SELECTIONS BY TEAM
Team.......................... 1st 2nd
Total
Abilene Christian (Texas) 1 1 2
Arkansas Tech............. 2 1 3
Bemidji State (Minn.).... 0 1 1
California (Pa.)............. 0 1 1
Carson-Newman (Tenn.)...... 1 1 2
Central Oklahoma......... 1 0 1
Central Washington....... 1 0 1
Chadron State (Neb.).... 1 0 1
Colorado School of Mines 0 1 1
Delta State (Miss.)........ 0 1 1
East Stroudsburg (Pa.).. 1 0 1
Eastern New Mexico.... 0 1 1
Findlay (Ohio)............... 0 1 1
Grand Valley State (Mich.) 2 1 3
Harding (Ark.).............. 1 0 1
Hillsdale (Mich.)........... 0 2 2
Mars Hill (N.C.)........... 0 1 1
Midwestern State (Texas) 0 1 1
Minnesota-Duluth.......... 2 0 2
Nebraska-Kearney........ 0 1 1
Nebraska-Omaha.......... 0 1 1
Newberry (S.C.)........... 0 1 1
North Alabama ............ 4 0 4
North Greenville (S.C.).. 0 1 1
Northwest Missouri State 2 2 4
Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 0 1 1
Shaw (N.C.)................. 1 0 1
Shepherd (W.Va.)......... 0 1 1
Southern Arkansas........ 1 0 1
Southeastern Oklahoma State 1 0 1
Tarleton State (Texas)... 0 1 1
Texas A&M-Commerce 0 1 1
Washburn (Kan.).......... 0 1 1
Wayne State (Mich.)..... 1 1 2
West Liberty (W.Va.)... 2 3 5
West Texas A&M........ 0 1 1
