Fort Valley’s Emanuel Wilson named to 2022 AFCA D-II Coaches’ All-America Team

Courtesy of Chris Myers, Fort Valley State Athletics

WACO, Texas – The Wildcats top offensive player added a prestigious award on Monday morning. Fort Valley State’s Emanuel Wilson was honored on the 2022 American Football Coaches Association Division II All-America Second Team.

For the first time in recent years, FVSU (8-2) was able to place one of its players on the AFCA DII All-America teams. 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.

Adding another post season honor to his credit, Wilson, one of the nation’s top running backs, lands on the All-America Second Team. The redshirt junior advance recently to the Region 2 finals of the Harlon Hill voting, the NCAA DII’s Player of the Year. Wilson also earned D2CCA All-Region 2 Second Team status a few weeks ago.

Leading the Wildcats offense, the Charlotte, N.C., native helped FVSU to its most successful season in a decade where it finished 8-2, second in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East Division and narrowly missed a NCAA Division II National Playoff invitation.

The SIAC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year was the first 1,000-yard rusher in 18 seasons for the Wildcats. The All-SIAC First Team back finished with 1,371 yards on 209 carries with 17 rushing touchdowns. He ranked in the NCAA DII top 10 in four different categories of all-purpose yards (6th, 161.0 ypg), rushing yards per game (7th, 137.1 ypg), rushing yards (7th, 1,371 yards) and rushing touchdowns (9th, 17 TDs). The SIAC’s leader by over 34 yards per game on the ground, Wilson led the Conference in scoring (11.4 ppg) to go with being the top in the other rushing categories. He also pulled in 24 passes for 239 yards receiving and two more scores.

The redshirt junior registered his two 200-plus rushing games against two of the three best teams FVSU faced with 262 yards against Tuskegee, which was five yards short of the single game school record, and 221 yards versus Albany State. Even against the SIAC Champion and top seed in the NCAA DII Super Region 2, Wilson carried 20 times for 108 yards against Benedict College. Rounding out his accolades, Wilson was on the 2022 All-SIAC Preseason First Team and 2021 All-SIAC Second Team despite leading the league by over 30 yards per game a year ago. 

2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America – First Team

First Team-Offense
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
QB*Tyson Bagent6-3210Sr.Shepherd (W.Va.)Ernie McCookMartinsburg, W.Va. (Martinsburg)
RBJada Byers5-7180So.Virginia UnionAlvin ParkerHammonton, N.J. (St. Joseph’s)
RB*TJ Cole6-0185Sr.Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)Todd KnightTexarkana, Tex. (Pleasant Grove)
WRJarod Bowie5-9160Jr.Concord (W.Va.)Dave WalkerMartinsburg, W.Va. (Martinsburg)
WRMarquis Gray5-9165Jr.Southeastern Oklahoma St.Tyler FenwickTyler, Tex. (Lee)
TETy Snelson6-2250Sr.Mars Hill (N.C.)Tim CliftonHot Springs, N.C. (Madison County)
OLGottlieb Ayedze6-5300Jr.Frostburg St. (Md.)Eric WagonerGermantown, Md. (Northwest)
OLQuinton Barrow6-6331Sr.Grand Valley St. (Mich.)Matt MitchellRomulus, Mich. (Romulus)
OLTrase Jeffries6-4268R-Jr.Pittsburg St. (Kan.)Brian WrightBroken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow)
OLMatt Armendariz6-2305R-Sr.Colorado School of MinesBrandon MooreAustin, Tex. (Lake Travis)
OL*Brent Laing6-4294Gr.Minnesota-DuluthCurt WieseLakeville, Minn. (North)
First Team-Defense
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
DLCaleb Murphy6-4245Sr.Ferris St. (Mich.)Tony AnneseDowagiac, Mich. (Dowagiac)
DLLoobert Denelus6-0255Jr.Benedict (S.C.)Chennis BerryNaples, Fla. (Naples)
DLTrey Botts6-3281Sr.Colorado St.-PuebloJohn WristenAurora, Colo. (Lutheran)
DLIan Marshall6-1270Gr.Northern St. (S.D.)Mike SchmidtSpringfield, Mo. (Glendale)
LBDaron Allman6-1230Jr.Angelo St. (Tex.)Jeff GirschKilleen, Tex. (Shoemaker)
LBMichael Ayers6-2220Sr.Ashland (Ohio)Lee OwensColumbus, Ohio (Walnut Ridge)
LBJaylin Parnell6-0215Sr.Western OregonArne FergusonMedford, Ore. (South Medford)
LBMichael Anderson6-0206Gr.West AlabamaBrett GillilandChatom, Ala. (Washington County)
DBNick Whiteside6-1200Sr.Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)Ryan BradyAuburn Hills, Mich. (Avondale)
DBPatrick Rogers5-11190R-Jr.Central WashingtonChris FiskTacoma, Wash. (Lincoln)
DBAmos Coleman5-11185R-Jr.Texas A&M-KingsvilleMike SalinasNew Orleans, La. (Alief Elsik)
First Team-Special Teams
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
PKNick Herber5-7175So.Delta St. (Miss.)Todd CooleyNaples, Fla. (Naples)
PReed Martin5-10180So.Edinboro (Pa.)Jake NulphPlum, Pa. (Plum Senior)
APDavid Durden6-2200Sr.West FloridaPete ShinnickMidville, Ga. (Emanuel County Institute)

*-2021 AFCA All-American

2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America – Second Team

Second Team-Offense
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
QB*TJ Davis6-3180R-Sr.Nebraska-KearneyJosh LynnColorado Springs, Colo. (Widefield)
RBEmanuel Wilson6-1220R-Jr.Fort Valley St. (Ga.)Shawn GibbsCharlotte, N.C. (North Meck)
RBThuro Reisdorfer6-1215Gr.Sioux Falls (S.D.)Jon AndersonSioux Falls, S.D. (Washington)
WRDuane Brown6-0190R-Sr.Indiana (Pa.)Paul TortorellaSpring Church, Pa. (Apollo-Ridge)
WRBrendan Beaulieu6-3215Sr.Bemidji St. (Minn.)Brent BolteCottage Grove, Minn. (Park)
TE*Kyle Morlock6-7245So.Shorter (Ga.)Zach MorrisonBlairsville, Ga. (Union County)
OLJacob Long6-3322R-Fr.Angelo St. (Tex.)Jeff GirschWaco, Tex. (Midway)
OLNicolas Melsop6-8325Gr.Delta St. (Miss.)Todd CooleyColumbus, Ohio (Olentangy Orange)
OLXavier Cason6-6311Sr.Emporia St. (Kan.)Garin HigginsJunction City, Kan. (Junction City)
OL*Joey Fisher6-5322Sr.Shepherd (W.Va.)Ernie McCookHagerstown, Md. (Clear Spring)
OLAdam Sieler6-5336Sr.Ferris St. (Mich.)Tony AnnesePinckney, Mich. (Pinckney)
Second Team-Defense
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
DLHunter O’Connor6-3255So.Chadron St. (Neb.)Jay LongBroomfield, Colo. (Legacy)
DLElijah Green5-11263Sr.Northwest Missouri St.Rich WrightMaryville, Mo. (Maryville)
DLAndre Jefferson6-2275So.Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)Mike JacobsCalume Park, Ill. (Richards)
DLGrayson Diepenbrock6-2230Sr.Augustana (S.D.)Jerry OlszewskiParker, Tex. (Plano East)
LBMaalik Hall6-2235Sr.Southeastern Oklahoma St.Tyler FenwickAthens, Tex. (Athens)
LBAbe Swanson6-1222Jr.Grand Valley St. (Mich.)Matt MitchellSt. Charles, Ill. (East)
LBP.J. Sarwinski6-1207Gr.Pittsburg St. (Kan.)Brian WrightGalena, Kan. (Galena)
LBJackson Taylor6-1240Jr.West Chester (Pa.)Bill ZwaanGlenside, Pa. (Abington)
DBEli Weber6-1205Sr.Augustana (S.D.)Jerry OlszewskiDawson, Minn. (Boyd)
DBKnylen Miller-Levi6-1170Sr.Minot St. (N.D.)Mike AldrichLas Vegas, Nev. (Canyon Springs)
DBTre Morrison6-2185R-Jr.Wingate (N.C.)Joe ReichMoncks Corner, S.C. (Berkeley)
Second Team-Special Teams
PosNameHt.Wt.Cl.SchoolCoachHometown (High School)
PKDevin Bartholomew5-8170R-Jr.East Stroudsburg (Pa.)Jimmy TerwilligerSchnecksville, Pa. (Parkland)
PMyles Prosser6-4195Gr.North Greenville (S.C.)Jeff FarringtonYork, S.C. (Comprehensive)
APTerrell Ford6-0200Gr.New Haven (Conn.)Chris PincinceTonawanda, N.Y. (Kenmore West)

*-2021 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. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.

Selection Process: 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.

The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.

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