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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University football standout Jacob Thomas of New Albany, Ohio, class of 2005, has earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-America recognition.
Thomas, a 6-2, 205-pound punter who also handled kick-off duties for the Tigers in 2004 and 2005, averaged more than 41 yards per punt this season, tops in the North Coast Athletic Conference and 10th in NCAA Division III. That followed a record-breaking 2004 season in which Thomas posted a school and NCAC-record breaking 42.3 yards per punt, which would have placed him second in the nation if he had met the minimum statistical requirements of the NCAA. He finished with 29 punts on the season, but he needed 30 (3.0 per game is the minimum standard) to qualify for the national rankings.
In 2005, Wittenberg ranked first in the nation in net punting going into the final game of the season at Allegheny before dropping to second with an average of 37.2. The Tigers also led the NCAC in net punting average. Wittenberg opponents accumulated less than 100 return yards in the last two seasons combined.
Thomas was a first-team All-NCAC honoree in 2004 and 2005, and he added second-team All-North Region honors a year ago. He was also selected to the AFCA All-Star team that will represent the United States against a Mexican National All-Star Team in the 2005 Aztec Bowl at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Dec. 17, in Toluca, Mexico.
Also in the news recently, tailback Tristan Murray of New Carlisle, Ohio, class of 2006, was named third-team All-North Region. Murray led the Tigers and the NCAC with 124.4 rushing yards, 161.5 all-purpose yards and 10.2 points per game. The 2004 NCAC Newcomer of the Year, Murray has earned first-team All-NCAC honors following each of the last two seasons.
Wittenberg and Augustana share the record for the most NCAA Division III All-Americans as recognized by the AFCA with 17 since the division was created and the first team was announced in 1972.