Kooima Headlines NAIA Football All-Americans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Northwestern (Iowa) quarterback Tyson Kooima and St. Andrews defensive back Dawandrick Crockett headline the 2021 Spring AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Kooima, who helped lead Northwestern (Iowa) to the NAIA national championship game, leads the nation in total offense (4,424 yards), passing yards (3,882) and is second in pass efficiency (188.4). He earned Great Plains Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. Crockett, who became St. Andrews’ second AFCA All-American, leads the nation in passes defended with 17 and is tied for the national lead with six interceptions on the season. He recorded 23 total tackles and one tackle for loss.

Earning All-American honors for the third time from Northwestern was Shane Solberg. The 3-time GPAC All-Conference selection leads the NAIA in receptions and receiving yards. Solberg has eight 100-yard games, and two 200-yard games this season. The former Nighthawk holds several NWC records in career receiving yards, career receiving touchdowns, career receptions, single season receptions, single season receiving yards, and single season receiving touchdowns.

Another Red Raider named to the All-American team was Noah Van’t Hof. Van’t Hof was also named to the GPAC All-Conference team and ranks 4th in the NAIA in tackles and led the GPAC in tackles. The former Wildcat is tied for ninth in the NAIA with four interceptions and currently has 11 passes defended.

Dordt had two athletes on the list.

Noah Clayberg (Junior; Pella, Iowa) was named to the first-team after leading the nation in total rushing with 1,209 yards and he was third in the nation with 3,098 total offensive yards. Clayberg averaged 7.4 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. He completed 157-247 passes for 1,889 yards and 16 passing touchdowns. Clayberg was named quarterback on the second-team all-GPAC team and claimed a spot on the All-American unit as an all-purpose player.

Alex Huisman (Junior; Pella, Iowa) earned second-team recognition and played offensive tackle for a Defender team that ran for 320 yards per game and was second in the nation in total rushing yards per game and total rushing offense. Huisman helped the Defenders gain 532 yards per game on offense and scored 481 points. Huisman was named all-GPAC first-team at the conclusion of the fall season.

2020-21 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team – First Team

Offense

Pos.  Name                         Ht.    Wt.   Cl.       School                     Coach                               Hometown (High School)

QB    Tyson Kooima              6-1    196   Sr.       Northwestern (Iowa)   Matt McCarty                    Hull, Iowa (Western Christian)

RB    *JD Woods                  5-8    200   Sr.       Baker (Kan.)              Jason Thoren                       Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence)

RB    *Ke’von Johnson          5-6    158   Jr.       Roosevelt (Ill.)           Jared Williamson                      Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic)

WR   Jon Cole                      5-10  176   Sr.       Arizona Christian         Jeff Bowen                       Dallas, Tex. (Trinity Christian)

WR   Reid Jurgensmeier        6-3    220   Sr.       Morningside (Iowa)     Steve Ryan                    Wahoo, Neb. (Bishop Neumann)

TE    Jaylen Arnold               6-3    230   Jr.       Keiser (Fla.)               Doug Socha                                 La Mesa, Calif. (Helix)

OL    Keegan Martin             6-1    255   So.      Bethel (Kan.)             Terry Harrison                                   Yale, Okla. (Yale)

OL    Alex Hoffman               6-6    295   Sr.       Carroll (Mont.)            Troy Purcell                           Draper, Utah (Juan Diego)

C      #Dustin Rivera             6-0    275   Sr.       Southwestern (Kan.)   Brad Griffin                              Buckeye, Ariz. (Buckeye)

OL    Jalen Stone                 6-6    315   R-Sr.    Pikeville (Ky.)             Allan Holland Jr.         Shelbyville, Ky. (Martha Layne Collins)

OL    *Andrew Rupcich          6-7    305   Sr.       Culver-Stockton (Mo.)  Tom Sallay                         Wonder Lake, Ill. (McHenry)

 

Defense

Pos.  Name                         Ht.    Wt.   Cl.       School                     Coach                               Hometown (High School)

DL    Chase Van Wyck           6-2    250   R-Sr.    Eastern Oregon          Tim Camp                          Napavine, Wash. (Napavine)

DL    Teon Burroughs           5-11  260   Sr.       Reinhardt (Ga.)          James Miller                   Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)

DL    Alex Hinojosa              6-2    240   Sr.       Concordia (Mich.)       Joshua Schumacher             Allen Park, Mich. (Allen Park)

DL    Jacob Garcia                6-0    250   Sr.       Ottawa (Kan.)            Dr. Kent Kessinger            Corpus Christi, Tex. (W.B. Ray)

LB     Jason Freeman            5-10  220   R-So.   Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)   Eric Hehman                        Zion, Ill. (Benton Township)

LB     Nate Wieland               6-2    230   Jr.       Grand View (Iowa)      Joe Woodley                                Iowa City, Iowa (City)

LB     DJ White                     6-4    250   Jr.       Georgetown (Ky.)       Bill Cronin                    Madisonville, Ky. (North Hopkins)

DB    Cory Rahman               6-2    195   Sr.       Southeastern (Fla.)     Cesar Rivas-Sandoval              Orlando, Fla. (Foundation Academy)

DB    Taeson Hardin             6-0    180   Jr.       College of Idaho         Mike Moroski                Oak Harbor, Wash. (Oak Harbor)

DB    Dawandrick Crockett     5-11  170   Jr.       St. Andrews (N.C.)      David Harper                           Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill)

DB    Chase Turner               5-9    190   Sr.       Point (Ga.)                Julius Dixon                               Buford, Ga. (Mill Creek)

 

Specialists

Pos.  Name                         Ht.    Wt.   Cl.       School                     Coach                               Hometown (High School)

P      #Austin Bohn               6-4    195   Gr.       Ottawa (Ariz.)            Mike Nesbitt                                       Erie, Colo. (Erie)

PK    Slater Gifford               6-6    215   Sr.       Waldorf (Iowa)           Will Finley          West Burlington, Iowa (West Burlington)

AP    Noah Clayberg             5-11  210   Jr.       Dordt (Iowa)              Joel Penner                                      Pella, Iowa (Pella)

2020-21 AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Team – Second Team

Offense

Pos.  Name                          Ht.     Wt.    Cl.    School                     Coach                               Hometown (High School)

QB    Cameron Dukes             6-1     210    Sr.    Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)   Chris Oliver                Shepherdsville, Ky. (Bullitt Central)

RB    Malik Nesbitt                 5-10   205    Jr.     Avila (Mo.)                Marc Benavidez                     Savannah, Ga. (Savannah)

RB    Keyshawn Wyatt            5-5     165    Sr.    Southwestern (Kan.)   Brad Griffin                       Dallas, Tex. (Grapevine Faith)

WR   *Anthony Turner            6-4     205    Sr.    Grand View (Iowa)     Joe Woodley                        Hartwell, Ga. (Hart County)

WR   Jaret Lee                      6-0     180    Sr.    Dickinson St. (N.D.)    Pete Stanton                            Dickinson, N.D. (Trinity)

WR   Shane Solberg               6-0     190    Sr.    Northwestern (Iowa)   Matt McCarty                      Boyden, Iowa (Boyden-Hull)

OL    Kel Lee McPeck             6-5     320    Sr.    Arizona Christian        Jeff Bowen                   Mentone Beach, Calif. (Redlands)

OL    PJ Schubert                  6-4     325    R-Jr.  Eastern Oregon          Tim Camp                           Pendleton, Ore. (Pendleton)

C      Matt Dey                      6-0     275    Sr.    Dickinson St. (N.D.)    Pete Stanton                              Sidney, Mont. (Sidney)

OL    Alex Huisman                6-6     270    Jr.     Dordt (Iowa)             Joel Penner                          Pella, Iowa (Pella Christian)

OL    Jared Allen                   6-1     295    Sr.    Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)   Eric Hehman                             Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)

 

Defense

Pos.  Name                          Ht.     Wt.    Cl.    School                     Coach                               Hometown (High School)

DL    Niklas Gustav                6-3     240    Sr.    Morningside (Iowa)     Steve Ryan                       Hamburg, Germany (Aquinas)

DL    Marshaun Jones            6-0     290    Sr.    Valley City St. (N.D.)   Dennis McCulloch        Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Park Center)

DL    Bernard Buhake             6-7     245    Sr.    St. Ambrose (Iowa)    Mike Magistrelli           Arlington, Tex. (Mansfield Summit)

DL    Marcus Omosule            6-0     260    Sr.    Georgetown (Ky.)       Bill Cronin                                 Miamisburg, Ohio

LB     Josh Seabolt                 5-9     210    Jr.     Bethel (Kan.)             Terry Harrison                       Cimarron, Kan. (Cimarron)

LB     Lane Napier                  6-0     220    Sr.    Concordia (Neb.)        Patrick Daberkow        David City, Neb. (Aquinas Catholic)

LB     Brett Shepardson           6-2     224    Sr.    Benedictine (Kan.)      Joel Osborn                           Weston, Mo. (West Platte)

DB    *Sage Chen-Young        5-9     184    Jr.     Keiser (Fla.)              Doug Socha                        Wellington, Fla. (Wellington)

DB    Brenden Flowers            6-0     185    Sr.    Grand View (Iowa)     Joe Woodley             Chicago, Ill. (Oak Park River Forest)

DB    Riley Tucker                  6-0     187    So.    Arizona Christian        Jeff Bowen                   Burleson, Tex. (Desert Mountain)

DB    Noah Van’t Hof              6-2     200    Jr.     Northwestern (Iowa)   Matt McCarty                          Lester, Iowa (West Lyon)

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