Texas A&M-Kingsville senior linebacker Tressor Baptiste (New York, NY/Curtis HS) was named to the 2010 American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team on Wednesday. It was his second All-America honor is as many days after earning Daktronics Second Team honors.
Baptiste headlined a Javelina defense that finished first in the nation in rushing defense allowing only 57.0 yards per game. He led the team with 40 solo tackles and three forced fumbles. He finished the year with 66 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss. As a unit, the defense finished sixth in total defense and 11th in scoring defense.
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.
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.
Texas A&M-Kingsville has been represented a total of 33 times by 29 players on the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team. Trailing Texas A&M-Kingsville is Indiana (Pa.) (18/16), Pittsburg State (17/14), Northwest Missouri State (16/12), Grand Valley State (15/14), North Alabama (15/14), Abilene Christian (14/13), American International (14/13), Carson-Newman (14/13), Ferris State (14/12) and Texas A&M-Commerce (14/12).
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 has the longest current streak with a player selected to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team at 15 straight seasons, from 1996 to present.
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 runningback in 1986-87-88-89.
This year’s Division II Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 18 seniors, six juniors and one sophomore.
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