Dixie State tight end Joe Don Duncan has been selected to the 2013 American Football Coaches Association Division II All-American Team. His selection is one of three featuring an institution’s first-time honoree.

The tight end corraled a team-high 71 grabs for 1,045 yards with 13 touchdowns. He bested his single-season TD mark in game number seven on the year and became the first Dixie State receiver to eclipse reach the 1,000-yard barrier with 120 yards in the Storm’s win at SFU. Duncan recorded five games over 100 yards to lead all GNAC receivers.

Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh and Texas A&M-Commerce defensive lineman Charlie Tuaau headline the 2013 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team 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.

Quiteh finished 2013 as the leading rusher in Division II with a career-high 2,195 yards on 263 carries while scoring 31 total touchdowns. His 182.9 yards per game was also tops among Division II players, as was his 29 rushing touchdowns. He is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Tuaau was No. 5 in the nation with 22 tackles for loss, No. 6 with 12.5 sacks, and finished with 51 total tackles. He is a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, honoring the top defensive player in the nation representing Division II, III and NAIA schools.

2013 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team
Offense

Defense

Specialists

*-2012 AFCA All-American

Team Background: The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.

From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.

Selection Process: The AFCA’s Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s nine districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.

The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team.

Top Teams: Texas A&M-Kingsville has been represented a total of 34 times by 30 players on the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team. Trailing Texas A&M-Kingsville is Pittsburg State (20/16), Indiana (Pa.) (18/16), Northwest Missouri State (18/14), North Alabama (17/16), Grand Valley State (16/15), Carson-Newman (15/14), Texas A&M-Commerce (15/13), American International (14/13), Ferris State (14/12), New Haven (13/13), Valdosta State (13/11), Ashland (11/11), Saginaw Valley State (11/11), Indianapolis (10/10), West Texas A&M (10/10) and St. Cloud State (10/9).

Consecutive Years: Texas A&M-Kingsville had at least one player named to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team for 18 straight seasons, from 1986 to 2003, the longest streak by any team in Division II. Northwest Missouri State is second, having had 16 straight selections from 1996-2011. Pittsburg State has the third longest streak at nine straight selections from 1988-96. St. Cloud State holds the longest current streak with a player selected to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team for four straight seasons, from 2010 to present.

Repeat After Me: Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Johnny Bailey is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors in four consecutive years at any level. Bailey was a four-year pick at running back in 1986-87-88-89.

Back-to-Back: Pittsburg State wide receiver John Brown, Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh, Lindenwood (Mo.) defensive back Pierre Desir and St. Cloud State defensive back Jack Moro are the four players who earned AFCA Division II?Coaches’ All-America honors for the second consecutive season in 2013.

Two Players, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds and placekicker Greg Zuerlein are the only players to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. Bounds was named to the AFCA?College Division I?team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned I-A All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991. Zuerlein was named to the Division II Coaches’ All-America Team in 2009 while playing for Nebraska-Omaha. He transferred to Missouri Western State after Nebraska-Omaha dropped its football program and earned Division II honors in 2011 as a Griffon.

Class Distinction: This year’s Division II Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 19 seniors, four juniors and two sophomores.

First Time Schools: Punter Zach Pulkinen of Bemidji State, defensive lineman Darius Allen of Colorado State-Pueblo and tight end Joe Don Duncan of Dixie State have earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors for the first time, for their schools,  this year.

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