NDSU Players Named to AFCA FCS All-America First Team

WACO, Texas - North Dakota State right guard Austin Kuhnert and free safety Tre Dempsey were named to the American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America first team Wednesday, Dec. 20.  It is Dempsey's second straight AFCA All-America award.

Kuhnert, a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., has started 50 games and played 54 of 59 possible contests in four years at three different positions on the offensive line for the Bison.  At right guard this year, he led the Bison during the regular season with an 86 percent technique grade and was second on the team with 31 knockdowns.  He was a first team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick.

Dempsey, a senior from Lakeland, Fla., leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with six interceptions and has four pass breakups.  He is tied for second in NDSU history and is first among FCS active players with 16 career interceptions.  Dempsey has 47 tackles including 28 solo stops this season, plus one interception return for a touchdown.

No. 2 seed North Dakota State (13-1) advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game for the sixth time in seven years and will face top-seeded defending national champion James Madison (14-0) at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6.

2017 AFCA FCS All-America Team
First Team Offense
WR - Davion Davis, Sam Houston State
WR - Keelan Doss, UC Davis
TE - Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
OL - John Cook, Central Arkansas
OL - Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T
OL - Matthew Schmidt, Furman
OL - Austin Kuhnert, North Dakota State
OL - Timon Parris, Stony Brook
QB - Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State
RB - Dominick Bragalone, Lehigh
RB - Josh Mack, Maine

First Team Defense
DL - P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State
DL - Darius Jackson, Jacksonville State
DL - Ahmad Gooden, Samford
DL - Andrew Ankrah, James Madison
LB - Brett Taylor, Western Illinois
LB - Bryson Armstrong, Kennesaw State
LB - Darius Leonard, South Carolina State
DB - Siran Neal, Jacksonville State
DB - Tre Dempsey, North Dakota State
DB - Davontae Harris, Illinois State
DB - Rashad Robinson, James Madison

First Team Specialists
P - Keith Wrzuszczak, Eastern Kentucky
PK - Justin Thompson, Kennesaw State
AP - Detrez Newsome, Western Carolina

Second Team Offense
WR - Kelvin McKnight, Samford
WR - Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State
TE - Andrew Vollert, Weber State
OL - Justin Lea, Jacksonville State
OL - Gerald Wright, Howard
OL - Trenton Scott, Grambling State
OL - Daniel Cooney, San Diego
OL - Aaron Stinnie, James Madison
QB - Devlin Hodges, Samford
RB - Roc Thomas, Jacksonville State
RB - De'Lance Turner, Alcorn State

Second Team Defense
DL - Jonathan Petersen, San Diego
DL - Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T
DL - Dalton Keene, Illinois State
DL - Anthony Ellis, Charleston Southern
LB - LeGrand Toia, Weber State
LB - Matthew Oplinger, Yale
LB - Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota State
DB - Mike Basile, Monmouth
DB - Taron Johnson, Weber State
DB - Marvin Tillman, Western Carolina
DB - Danny Johnson, Southern

Second Team Specialists
P - Joe Zema, Incarnate Word
PK - Gunnar Raborn, McNeese State
AP - Pete Guerriero, Monmouth