Rare Two-Time Selection
Kearney, Neb. – Redshirt senior quarterback TJ Davis is a repeat selection to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II All-American team. The AFCA's Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven 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 teams are chosen. Davis (Colorado Springs) makes the second-team once again as 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy winner Tyson Bagent of Shepherd (W.V.) was the first-team selection. Both are 2022 Harlon Hill finalists. Slated to be a super senior in 2023, Davis joins left tackle Cole Manhart (2013 and 2014) as the only two-time AFCA All-American Lopers. He also is UNK's first-ever two-time AA quarterback (D2 and NAIA levels). The 2021 Harlon Hill Runner Up, Davis had another productive fall as UNK went 8-3 in the MIAA and was nationally and regionally ranked throughout the fall. For the regular season, he was the second-best rushing QB in the NCAA (1,136), one of two D2 QB's to run and throw (1,370) for over 1,000 yards while tallying 29 touchdowns (16 rushing and 13 passing). Next, he had a 146.6 passer efficiency, five 100-yard rushing games and 10 straight games with a TD toss. Finally, the 2022 MIAA Offensive Player of the Year went over 100 career TD's (102), 3,000 career rush yards (3,664) and 4,000 career pass yards (4,791). Other MIAA picks were Pittsburg State offensive lineman Trase Jeffries (1st-team) and linebacker P.J. Sarwinski (2nd-team), Northwest Missouri defensive end Elijah Green (2nd-team) and Emporia State offensive lineman Xavier Cason (2nd-team). 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. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
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