FSU's Jake Visser Named D-II Football Daktronics Super Region No. 3 "Defensive Player of the Year"
Release courtesy of Nick Kornder, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations, NSIC
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St. Paul, Minn. - Although they represent two different teams, a pair of Bulldogs earned Daktronics Regional Player of the Year awards. The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog's Ted Schlafke earned offensive player of the year honors while Ferris State University Bulldog's Jake Visser was tabbed defensive player of the year.
| Breakdown by Conference | |
| GLIAC | 22 (13/9) |
| NSIC | 17 (8/9) |
| RMAC | 12 (3/9) |
Grand Valley State dominated the first team selection as eight Lakers were named to the first team. No other team had more than three members on the first team. The GLIAC totaled 23 players overall, 13 on the first team. The NSIC had 17 with eight first teamers while the RMAC tallied 13 with three on the first team.
This season, Visser led the Bulldogs with 105 total tackles (56 solo), 16.0 tackles for loss (-71 yards) in addition to 7.5 sacks (-54 yards), two fumble recoveries, four blocked kicks and a forced fumble in 11 contests. He also notched his first career touchdown with a 34-yard interception return at Hillsdale (Nov. 1). The returning All-America pick and two-time (2007-08) team Most Valuable Player Award recipient finished the year ranked third among the GLIAC leaders in tackles for loss (1.45 pg.), third in sacks (.68 pg.) along with seventh in total tackles (9.5 tpg.).
| Breakdown by School | |
| Adams St. | 1 (0/1) |
|
Bemidji State | 1 (0/1) |
| Chadron State | 4 (3/1) |
| Colorado School of Mines | 2 (0/2) |
| Ferris State | 1 (1/0) |
| Findlay | 2 (1/1) |
| Grand Valley State | 10 (8/2) |
| Hillsdale | 3 (1/2) |
| Mesa State | 2 (1/1) |
| Michigan Tech | 1 (0/1) |
| Minnesota Duluth | 5 (3/2) |
| Minnesota State | 3 (0/3) |
| MSU Moorhead | 1 (0/1) |
| Nebraska-Kearney | 4 (1/3) |
| Saginaw Valley State | 1 (1/0) |
| Southwest Minnesota State | 1 (0/1) |
| Wayne State (Mich.) | 5 (2/3) |
| Wayne State (Neb.) | 4 (3/1) |
| Winona State | 2 (1/1) |
| (first team/second team in parenthesis) | |
Visser concluded his Ferris career ranked sixth on the school's career tackles chart with 395 total stops. He also placed fourth on the FSU all-time sack leaders list with 27.5 sacks and tied for first place with seven career fumble recoveries. Prior to this season, Visser was tabbed as a consensus preseason All-America selection by numerous publications, including Lindy's College Football Preview which chose him as its Division II Preseason Defensive Player of the Year following a memorable junior campaign in which he attained All-America First Team honors both on the field and in the classroom.
First team all-region honorees are now eligible for Daktronics, Inc. Division II Football All-American selection. The announcement of those All-American teams is expected on December 9th, preceding the NCAA Division II Football Championship, which takes place Dec. 13 in Florence, Ala.
The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
|
DAKTRONICS SUPER REGION #3 FIRST TEAM OFFENSE | |||||||
|
# |
Name |
POS |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME TOWN |
SCHOOL |
|
8 |
Jonn Mathews |
TE |
6-3 |
235 |
Sr. |
Essexville, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
21 |
James Berezik* |
RB |
5-10 |
205 |
So. |
Fraser, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
11 |
Blake Smolen |
WR |
6-0 |
198 |
Jr. |
Grosse Ile, Mich. |
Grand Valle ySt. |
|
28 |
Todd Carter |
PK |
6-1 |
220 |
Sr. |
Flint, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
58 |
Sam Allen* |
OL |
6-5 |
305 |
Sr. |
Lansing, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
51 |
Billy Eisenhardt |
OL |
6-2 |
275 |
Sr. |
Macomb, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
20 |
Bobby Coy |
RB |
5-10 |
205 |
Jr. |
Littleton, Colo. |
Mesa St. |
|
12 |
Ted Schlafke |
QB |
6-0 |
185 |
Sr. |
Stevens Point, Wis. |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
69 |
Nate Baier |
OL |
6-3 |
290 |
Sr. |
Bloomer, Wis. |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
21 |
Dante Dunn |
RS |
5-10 |
188 |
Sr. |
Lansing, Mich. |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
|
8 |
Logan Masters* |
WR |
6-3 |
180 |
Jr. |
Storm Lake, Iowa |
Wayne St. (Neb.) |
|
79 |
NickUrban |
OL |
6-5 |
300 |
Sr. |
Brookfield, Wis. |
Winona State |
|
DAKTRONICS SUPER REGION #3 FIRST TEAM DEFENSE | |||||||
|
# |
Name |
POS |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME TOWN |
SCHOOL |
|
2 |
Terrell Phelps* |
CB |
5-9 |
170 |
Sr. |
Lincolnton, N.C. |
Bemidji State |
|
46 |
Austin Bailey |
LB |
6-2 |
230 |
Sr. |
Red Wing, Minn. |
Chadron St. |
|
78 |
Jake Visser |
DL |
6-2 |
275 |
Sr. |
Coopersville, Mich. |
Ferris State |
|
33 |
Dan Skuta* |
DL |
6-3 |
265 |
Sr. |
Flint, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
48 |
Justin Trumble |
P |
6-2 |
200 |
Jr. |
Macomb, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
47 |
Tom Korte |
LB |
6-0 |
239 |
Sr. |
Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Hillsdale |
|
24 |
Tyler Yelk* |
CB |
6-0 |
200 |
Sr. |
Arlington, Wis. |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
2 |
Jake Mandelko |
|
6-0 |
195 |
Jr. |
Lexington, Neb. |
Nebraska-Kearney |
|
34 |
John Jacobs* |
LB |
6-2 |
225 |
Jr. |
Prudenville, Mich. |
Saginaw Valley St. |
|
21 |
Ramon "Dante" Dunn* |
|
5-10 |
188 |
Sr. |
Lansing, Mich. |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
|
42 |
Luke Hoffman |
LB |
6-2 |
210 |
Sr. |
Wakefield, Neb. |
Wayne St. (Neb.) |
|
95 |
Troy Pribnow |
DL |
6-3 |
250 |
Sr. |
Scribner, Neb. |
Wayne St. (Neb.) |
|
DAKTRONICS SUPER REGION #3 SECOND TEAM OFFENSE | |||||||
|
# |
Name |
POS |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME TOWN |
SCHOOL |
|
62 |
Chance Galey |
OL |
6-2 |
260 |
Sr. |
Crawford, Neb. |
ChadronSt. |
|
7 |
Isaac Stockton |
TE |
6-3 |
237 |
Jr. |
Colorado Springs, Colo. |
ChadronSt. |
|
2 |
Mike Chambers |
WR |
6-2 |
200 |
Jr. |
Ravenna, Ohio |
Findlay |
|
13 |
Brad Iciek |
QB |
6-1 |
195 |
Jr. |
Grandville, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
66 |
Jared Veldheer |
OL |
6-8 |
311 |
Jr. |
Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Hillsdale |
|
25 |
Jared Keating+ |
PK |
5-10 |
190 |
Sr. |
Cody, Wyo. |
Mesa St. |
|
31 |
Isaac Odim |
RB |
6-0 |
215 |
So. |
Rochester, Minn. |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
10 |
D.J. Winfield |
WR |
5-8 |
170 |
Fr. |
Mountain Iron, Minn. |
Minnesota Duluth |
|
2 |
Kelvin Rodgers |
RS |
6-0 |
170 |
Jr. |
East St. Louis, Ill. |
Minnesota State |
|
68 |
Andy Schoonover |
OL |
6-3 |
305 |
Jr. |
Boyceville, Wis. |
Minnesota State |
|
37 |
Geoff Carnahan+ |
PK |
6-4 |
200 |
Sr. |
Kearney, Neb. |
Nebraska-Kearney |
|
54 |
Jack Hiett |
OL |
6-2 |
255 |
Jr. |
Arvada, Colo. |
Nebraska-Kearney |
|
5 |
Joique Bell |
RB |
6-0 |
223 |
Jr. |
Benton Harbor, Mich |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
|
DAKTRONICS SUPER REGION #3 SECOND TEAM DEFENSE | |||||||
|
# |
Name |
POS |
HT |
WT |
YR |
HOME TOWN |
SCHOOL |
|
46 |
Oscar Villa |
LB |
6-1 |
225 |
Jr. |
Tucson, Ariz. |
Adams St. |
|
96 |
Shaine Odell |
DL |
6-4 |
255 |
Sr. |
Camp Cook, S.D. |
Chadron St. |
|
4 |
Drew Ferren+ |
|
6-3 |
205 |
Sr. |
Lyons, Colo. |
Colorado School of Mines |
|
94 |
Marc Schiechl |
DL |
6-3 |
250 |
So. |
Lakewood, Colo. |
Colorado School of Mines |
|
22 |
Anthony Fields+ |
CB |
5-10 |
195 |
Jr. |
Fort Wayne, Ind. |
Findlay |
|
23 |
Danny Richard+ |
DL |
6-4 |
250 |
So. |
West Bloomfield, Mich. |
Grand Valley St. |
|
99 |
Drew Berube+ |
DL |
6-3 |
238 |
Jr. |
Hillsdale, Mich. |
Hillsdale |
|
8 |
David Carmody+ |
|
6-1 |
190 |
Jr. |
Newberry, Mich. |
Michigan Tech |
|
8 |
Blake Freese |
LB |
6-3 |
233 |
Sr. |
Eden Prairie, Minn. |
Minnesota State |
|
16 |
Eric Schaumburg+ |
|
6-0 |
185 |
Sr. |
Bejou, Minn. |
MSU Moorhead |
|
37 |
Geoff Carnahan |
P |
6-4 |
200 |
Sr. |
Kearney, Neb. |
Nebraska-Kearney |
|
27 |
Tyler Reed |
|
6-3 |
212 |
Sr. |
Ottumwa, Iowa |
Southwest Minn.St. |
|
91 |
Matt Shango |
LB |
5-11 |
213 |
Jr. |
West Bloomfield, Mich. |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
|
2 |
Cornelius Dillard+ |
CB |
5-9 |
176 |
Sr. |
Detroit, Mich. |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
|
52 |
Ryan Reeves |
LB |
6-3 |
220 |
Jr. |
Weston, Neb. |
Wayne St. (Neb.) |
|
14 |
Lucas Wolf+ |
CB |
5-10 |
190 |
Fr. |
Elmwood, Wis. |
Winona State |
|
* Top vote-getter at position (where multiple players are
selected) | |||||||
