Missouri Western senior place kicker Greg Zuerlein and junior defensive end David Bass have named to first team All-America by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America on Wednesday afternoon.
Zuerlein, a first team AFCA All-America selection from Lincoln, Neb., led the nation in field goals per game (2.30) and broke a NCAA and MIAA record with 21 consecutive field goals made. He set an MWSU record, with 23 field goals in a regular season and broke a school record, with a 58-yard field goal against Northwest Missouri State twice. He was also first team All-MIAA and Daktronics Super Region Four selections.
He led the conference with an average of 10.7 points per game which is sixth in the nation. He leads the nation with a .952 field goal percentage for any kicker with at least 12 attempts.
Zuerlein became Western’s first MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year and is just the third Western kicker named first team All-MIAA. He was named the D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the Griffons 31-28 victory over Northwest Missouri State on November 5. With his 21 consecutive field goals nine of them were from 50 or more yards.
A three-time MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week honoree – the most by any player in that category – Zuerlein is the first Griffon kicker to be selected to the first team.
This marks the second time in his career that Zuerlein has been named first team All-America as he was selected back in 2009 when he kicked for Nebraska-Omaha. Zuerlein is just the fourth Griffon to ever be named to the AFCA All-America squad with the last being offensive lineman Roger Allen back in 2008. The other two were running back Jeremiah White in 2005 and safety Pierre Thomas in 2003.
2011 Greg Zuerlein Award List
• All-MIAA First Team Selection
• America Football Coaches Association All-American
• Daktronics All-American
• Daktronics First Team All-Region
• MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year
• First Team All-MIAA Kicker
• 3-time MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week
• Once named D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week
David Bass also garnered first team status for the first time in his career. The junior defensive end broke a school record with 20 tackles for loss. His 14.5 sacks led the conference and left him one-half sack short of the single season school record. He is 1.5 sacks short of the career record with 28.5. His two, four sack performances each tied a school record for most in a game.
Bass earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors twice and was the D2Football.com Player of the Week once. He was fourth in the nation in sacks per game at 1.21 and 18th in the nation in tackles for a loss with 1.67 per game. He also received first team-All-MIAA for the first time in his career.
2011 David Bass Award List
• All-MIAA First Team Selection
• Daktronics All-American
• Daktronics First Team All-Region
• First Team All-MIAA defensive end
• 2-time MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week
• Once named D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week
— MWSU Sports Information —