More Preseason Honors for the Red Raider Football Team

Date posted - July 19, 2012

Preseason honors continue to pour in for the Northwestern College football team as five Red Raider players were named to the USA College Football Preseason All-American team announced earlier today.

Senior offensive lineman Nathan Nieuwendorp (Orange City, Iowa) was named to the first team after earning first team all-conference and second team All-American honors (BSN) in 2011. He started all 11 games at left guard for the Red Raiders and helped pave the way for the top scoring and total offense in the GPAC, averaging over 36 points and 420 yards per game. Nieuwendorp, a three-year starter, was part of an offensive line that guided the seventh best rushing attack in the NAIA (222.5 yards per game) and allowed just 14 sacks in 11 games.

Brandon Smith (Mankato, Minn.), Jordan Carlson (Storm Lake, Iowa) and Jerel Kyles (Mentone, Calif.) were named to the USA College Football secondteam. Smith, a senior running back, led the GPAC with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns and 1,119 yards rushing last year, his second straight 1,000-yard season. He averaged nearly six yards per carry and over 100 yards per game while earning first team all-GPAC and third team BSN All-American honors. Smith posted six 100-yard games and had one 200-yard game (vs Dordt). Smith ranks fifth all-time at Northwestern with 2,792 career rushing yards and fourth with 34 touchdowns.

Carlson, a senior defensive tackle, earned NAIA/AFCA All-American and first team all-GPAC honors after leading the Raiders defensive line with 51.5 tackles, including an impressive 14.5 for a loss of 44 yards. He registered 3.5 sacks and posted an additional 13 quarterback hurries to go with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Carlson received third team BSN All-American honors in 2011.

A junior defensive back, Kyles registered a career-high 19.5 tackles and tied for the second-most interceptions (4), earning second team all-GPAC honors. He also broke up a team-high 10 passes and recovered two fumbles.

Aaron Jansen (Orange City, Iowa) was named to the third team after leading the Raiders defense with a career-high 65 total tackles, seventh highest in the GPAC, in 2011. A A three-year starter at middle linebacker, Jansen registered three sacks, broke up six passes and added six quarterback hurries. An honorable mention all-GPAC pick in 2010, Jansen also had an interception and fumble recovery and anchored a Raider D that led the league in yards given up (256 per game).