NDSU Football Players Earn Awards

NDSU's Dempsey, Johnson Named to AFCA All-America First Team

WACO, Texas - North Dakota State free safety Tre Dempsey and left guard Zack Johnson were named to the American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America first team on Monday, Dec. 19.

It was the first All-America honor for Dempsey, a junior and team captain from Lakeland, Fla., who led the Bison with six interceptions and also had seven pass breakups.  He had 52 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss while making all 14 starts.

Johnson, a senior from Apple Valley, Minn., earned his third All-America award following Associated Press third team honors in 2015 and first team this year.  He started all 14 games and helped lead an NDSU rushing attack that averaged 240.9 yards per game.

North Dakota State finished 12-2 overall with an appearance in the FCS semifinals and won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.

2016 AFCA FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR - Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
WR - Brian Brown, Richmond
TE - Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
OL - Erik Austell, Charleston Southern
OL - Julie'n Davenport, Bucknell
OL - Zack Johnson, North Dakota State
OL - Mitchell Kirsch, James Madison
OL - Isaiah Pinson, The Citadel
QB - Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State
RB - Khalid Abdullah, James Madison
RB - Chase Edmonds, Fordham

Defense
DL - Keionta Davis, Chattanooga
DL - Samson Ebukam, Eastern Washington
DL - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
DL - Karter Schult, Northern Iowa
LB - Dylan Cole, Missouri State
LB - Christian Kuntz, Duquesne
LB - Darius Leonard, South Carolina State
DB - Donald Payne, Stetson
DB - Tre Dempsey, North Dakota State
DB - Casey DeAndrade, New Hampshire
DB - Brendan Langley, Lamar

Specialists
P - Miles Bergner, South Dakota
K - Eric Medina, Texas Southern
AP - Detrez Newsome, Western Carolina

SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR - Karel Hamilton, Samford
WR - Chad Williams, Grambling State
TE - Eric Saubert, Drake
OL - Casey Dunn, Jacksonville State
OL - Corey Levin, Chattanooga
OL - Michael Coe, North Dakota
OL - Daniel Cooney, San Diego
OL - Carl Jones, North Carolina Central
QB - Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington
RB - Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T
RB - Lenard Tillery, Southern University

Defense
DL - Pat Afriyie, Colgate
DL - P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State
DL - Darius Jackson, Jacksonville State
DL - Javancy Jones, Jackson State
LB - Kourtney Berry, Alabama State
LB - Chad Geter, Gardner-Webb
LB - Folarin Orimolade, Dartmouth
DB - Mike Basile, Monmouth
DB - Deion Harris, North Dakota
DB - Phillip Henry, South Carolina State
DB - Cole Reyes, North Dakota

Specialists
P - Jake Ryder, Towson
K - Griffin Trau, Richmond
AP - Willie Quinn, Southern University

NDSU’s Johnson Named to Walter Camp FCS All-America Team

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - North Dakota State left guard Zack Johnson was named to the Walter Camp FCS All-America team on Monday, Dec. 19.  It is the third All-America honor this year for Johnson, who was named to the Associated Press and AFCA first teams.

A senior from Apple Valley, Minn., Johnson was a three-year starter and four-year letterman for NDSU.  He led an offensive line that led the Missouri Valley Football Conference and ranked among the top 10 in FCS this year in fewest tackles for loss and sacks allowed, and paved the way for the No. 11 rushing team in the FCS averaging 240.9 yards per game.

North Dakota State finished 12-2 overall with an appearance in the FCS semifinals and won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.

2016 Walter Camp FCS All-America Team
Offense
WR - Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
WR - Kaurel Hamilton, Samford
TE - Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
OL - Mitchell Kirsch, James Madison
OL - Zack Johnson, North Dakota State
OL - Julie'n Davenport, Bucknell
​​​​​​​OL - Isaiah Pinson, The Citadel
C - Casey Dunn, Jacksonville State
QB - Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State
RB - Chase Edmonds, Fordham
RB - Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T
K - Griffin Trau, Richmond

Defense
DL - Karter Schult, Northern Iowa
DL - P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State
DL - Darius Jackson, Jacksonville State
DL - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
LB - Dylan Cole, Missouri State
LB - Brett Taylor, Western Illinois
LB - Christian Kuntz, Duquesne
DB - Cole Reyes, North Dakota
DB - Dee Delaney, The Citadel
DB - Donald Payne, Stetson
DB - Lorenzo Jerome, Saint Francis
P - Miles Bergner, South Dakota
KR - Darius Hammond, Charleston Southern
KR - Rashard Davis, James Madison