Missouri Western senior place kicker Greg Zuerlein has been named to the 2011 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team announced by the American Football Coaches Association Tuesday.
Zuerlein, a first team All-MIAA and Daktronics Super Region Four 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 also 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 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
2011 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Trevor Kennedy 6-0 200 Sr. Mercyhurst Marty Schaetzle Akron, Ohio (Firestone)
WR Tyler Steffan 6-4 210 Jr. Mary Myron Schulz Dickinson, N.D. (Dickinson)
OL Garth Heikkinen 6-4 305 Jr. Minnesota-Duluth Bob Nielson Duluth, Minn. (Central)
OL Amini Silatolu* 6-3 320 Sr. Midwestern St. Bill Maskill Tracy, Calif. (West)
OL Kyle Thornton 6-4 345 Sr. North Alabama Terry Bowden Dallas, Texas (St. Mark’s)
OL Rob Stoner 6-2 295 Sr. Edinboro Scott Browning Edinboro, Pa. (General McLane)
OL Ryan Schraeder 6-7 319 Sr. Valdosta St. David Dean Wichita, Kan. (Maize)
QB Dane Simoneau 6-3 227 Sr. Washburn Craig Schurig Salina, Kan. (Sacred Heart)
RB David Carter 5-10 225 Jr. Morehouse Rich Freeman Marietta, Ga. (Sprayberry)
RB Joe Glendening 5-10 188 Jr. Hillsdale Keith Otterbein East Grand Rapids, Mich. (East)
RB Jonas Randolph*** 5-10 185 Sr. Mars Hill Tim Clifton Daleville, Ala. (Daleville)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Brandon Williams* 6-3 325 Jr. Missouri Southern St. Bart Tatum Kirkwood, Mo. (Rockwood Summit)
DL Aston Whiteside 6-2 285 Sr. Abilene Christian Chris Thomsen Vernon, Texas (Vernon)
DL Todd Storm 6-3 250 Sr. Michigan Tech Tom Kearly Calumet, Mich. (Calumet)
DL Tim Green 6-1 215 Jr. Lincoln (Pa.) O.J. Abanishe Fanwood, N.J. (Scotch Plains)
LB Deon Lacey 6-2 208 Jr. West Alabama Will Hall Brighton, Ala. (Hueytown)
LB Chad Kilgore 6-1 230 Sr. Northwest Missouri St. Adam Dorrel Orrick, Mo. (Excelsior Springs)
LB Nate Dreiling 6-4 228 So. Pittsburg St. Tim Beck Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson)
DB Dontae Smith 6-1 176 Sr. East Central Tim McCarty Deland, Fla. (Deland)
DB Jeremy Jones 5-10 189 Sr. Wayne St. (Mich.) Paul Winters Grand Rapids, Mich. (Rockford)
DB Rontez Miles 6-1 210 Jr. California (Pa.) John Luckhardt Braddock, Pa. (Woodland Hills)
DB Marvin Matthews 6-0 197 Jr. St. Cloud State Scott Underwood Roseville, Minn. (Roseville Area)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Gregg Berkshire 6-2 210 Sr. Ashland Lee Owens Ashland, Ohio (Ashland)
PK Greg Zuerlein 6-0 190 Sr. Missouri Western St. Jerry Partridge Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X)
AP Dominique Fitzgerald 6-0 180 Sr. Winston-Salem St. Connell Maynor Danville, Va. (George Washington)
*-2010 AFCA All-American
**-2009 AFCA All-American
***-2009 & 2010 AFCA All-American
— MWSU Sports Information —