UNI’s Smith, Brown named AP All-Americans

Northern Iowa’s Elerson G. Smith tries to run down San Diego quarterback Reid Sinnett during Saturday’s playoff game in the UNI-Dome.

CEDAR FALLS — A pair of University of Northern Iowa football players were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America teams Tuesday.

Junior defensive end Elerson Smith landed on the second team, while true freshman cornerback Omar Brown was a third-team selection.

Smith recorded 63 tackles, including 21½ for a loss and 14 sacks in a dominant season. Both those marks land in the top-five single season performances in Panther history.

The Minneapolis native also forced five fumbles, blocked two kicks, recorded 14 quarterback hurries and had four pass breakups.

Brown, also a native of Minneapolis, started every game in his first season on campus. He was credited with 77 tackles and five pass breakups. Additionally, he had six interceptions and recovered three fumbles.

In all, 14 members or the Missouri Valley Football Conference were selected to the team.

FCS All-America

FIRST TEAM

Offense — QB—Case Cookus, sr., Northern Arizona. RB—Pete Guerriero, jr., Monmouth, James Robinson, sr., Illinois St. OL—Drew Himmelman, jr., Illinois St., Dillon Radunz, jr., North Dakota St., Blake Jeresaty, jr., Wofford, Spencer Blackburn, sr., Eastern Washington, PJ Burkhalter, jr., Nicholls St. TE—Adam Trautman, sr., Dayton. WR—Juwan Green, sr., Albany, Cade Johnson, jr., South Dakota St. AP—Chris Rowland, sr., Tennessee St. PK—Luis Aguilar, jr., Northern Arizona.

Defense — DL—Derrek Tuszka, sr., North Dakota St., Ron’Dell Carter, sr., James Madison, Sully Laiche, sr., Nicholls St., Aaron Patrick, sr., Eastern Kentucky. LB—Dante Olson, sr., Montana, Willie Eubanks III, jr., The Citadel, Zach Hall, sr., Southeast Missouri St. DB—Kordell Jackson, jr., Austin Peay, Brandon Easterling, jr., Dayton, Greg Liggs Jr., sr., Elon, Anthony Adams, soph., Portland St. PT—Alex Pechin, sr., Bucknell.

SECOND TEAM

Offense — QB—Trey Lance, redshirt fr., North Dakota St..RB—Alex Ramsey, jr., VMI, Jah-Maine Martin, jr., North Carolina A&T.OL—Liam Fornadel, jr., James Madison, Marcus Pettiford, sr., North Carolina A&T, Kyle Murphy, sr., Rhode Island, Kyle Anderton, sr., Austin Peay, Zack Johnson, sr., North Dakota St. TE—Charlie Taumoepeau, sr. Portland St. WR—Aaron Parker, sr., Rhode Island, DeAngelo Wilson, jr., Austin Peay. AP—Earnest Edwards, sr., Maine. PK—Grayson Atkins, jr., Furman.

Defense

DL—John Daka, sr., James Madison, Bryce Sterk, sr., Montana St., Elerson Smith, jr., Northern Iowa, Eli Mencer, ,sr. Albany. LB—Bryson Armstrong, jr., Kennesaw St., Christian Rozeboom, sr., South Dakota St., Dimitri Holloway, sr., James Madison. DB—Artevius Smith, sr., East Tennessee St., Jeremy Chinn, sr., Southern Illinois, Joseph McWilliams, sr., Grambling St., Isiah Swann, sr., Dartmouth. PT—Matt McRobert, jr., Sam Houston St.

THIRD TEAM

Offense — QB—Kevin Thomson, jr., Sacramento St. RB—Julius Chestnut, soph., Sacred Heart, Pierre Strong, soph., South Dakota St. OL—Zach Larsen, sr., Southern Utah, Alex Taylor, sr., South Carolina St., AJ Farris, sr., Monmouth, Deiter Eislen, sr., Yale, Mitch Brott, sr., Montana St. TE—Dalton Kincaid, soph., San Diego. WR—Samori Toure, jr., Montana, Jeff Cotton, sr., Idaho. AP—Troy Andersen, jr., Montana St. PK—Ethan Ratke, jr., James Madison.

Defense — DL—George Obinna, sr., Sacramento St., Mason Bennett, sr., North Dakota, Nick Salley, sr., Charleston Southern, Nick Wheeler, sr., Colgate. LB—Keith Woetzel, sr., Lehigh, Jabril Cox, jr., North Dakota St., Cam Gill, sr., Wagner. DB—Adam Smith, sr., James Madison, Omar Brown, fr., Northern Iowa, Luther Kirk, sr., Illinois St., Fernando Jordan, soph., Southeastern Louisiana. PT—Chris Faddoul, jr., Florida A&M.