Tusculum College had five players named to the 2010 Don Hansen Division II All-America Football Team and two players named to the 2010 D2Football.com All-America Team.
Gareth Rowlands was named the First Team placekicker, Michael Rodriguez was the Third Team tight end, while quarterback Bo Cordell, offensive lineman Hannibal Ruiz and wide receiver Deonte’ Gist earned All-America honorable mention recognition on the Hansen Division II All-America Football Team.
The Don Hansen All-America Team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away in August 2010. Hansen started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selection NCAA Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
Cordell and Rowlands were named to the 2010 D2Football.com All-America Team. Rowlands was the Second Team placekicker, while Cordell garnered All-American honorable mention recognition at quarterback. The D2Football.com All-America Team was selected by the D2Football.com staff with input from coaches and sports information directors from around the country. D2Football.com has named an All-America Team since its inception in 2000. Cordell has also been named the 2010 Tennessee Sports Writer Association’s State College Football Player of the Year.
Rowlands, a 6-1, 215-pound senior from Benllech, Wales, enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever by a Tusculum kicker. The consensus All-American established school and league single-season records with his 111 points and 21 field goals made. Rowlands finished tied for sixth in scoring averaging, 10.09 points per game. His 111 points are the most this season by a NCAA II kicker.
He went 21-for-26 in field goals, including a string of 10 in a row towards the end of the season, which is a new school record. His streak of 53 consecutive made extra points is also a new school record. He was one of the 10 national finalists for the Fred Mitchell Award, which honors the college division (FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA) placekicker of the year.
Rowlands was named to the Daktronics NCAA II All-America First Team and the Associated Press Little All-America Second Team last month. His 270 career points are the most in school history by a kicker and second amongst all Pioneers. The two-time All-Region and All-South Atlantic Conference standout has accounted for 45 career field goals made, which are a new Tusculum record and tied for 25th most in NCAA II history. Rowlands is also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and was selected to play in the Cactus Bowl, the Division II senior all-star game.
Rodriguez, a 6-2, 190-pound junior, becomes the second tight end in school history to garner All-America honors. The Hargrave Military Academy graduate finished tied for 21st in the country in receptions per game, averaging seven catches per outing, while earning a spot on the All-Conference and All-Region squads. The Columbia, S.C., native also posted a school single-season best nine TD receptions and finished with 727 yards in his 10 starts.
Cordell, a 6-1, 195-pound sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, led all NCAA divisions (FBS, FCS, II, III) in total offensive yards per game, passing yards per game and completions per game. He was named the 2010 South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and finished fourth in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which recognizes the Division II National Player of the Year.
Cordell was named the NCAA II National Statistical Champion for total offensive yards per game (425.45 ypg), passing yards per game (423.36 ypg), completions per game (35.82 cpg) and points responsible for per game (26.00 ppg).
The 2010 Daktronics All-Super Region 2 First Team honoree passed for a school and SAC record 4,657 yards, which was third in NCAA II and fifth most for all NCAA divisions. Cordell threw for 38 touchdowns, a new school single-season mark and the 25th most in NCAA II history. He also established school and SAC records with 394 completions (3rd in NCAA II history), 605 pass attempts (3rd in NCAA II history) and 702 total offensive attempts (3rd in NCAA II history).
The Indian Hill High School graduate passed for over 400 yards in nine consecutive games this season, which is a new TC, SAC and NCAA II record. He was named SAC Offensive Player of the Week four times this year and twice honored as national offensive player of the week by D2football.com and D2 Sports Insider. He becomes the second TC signal caller to earn All-America distinction (Corey Russell in 2008).
Gist, a 5-9, 170-pound junior from Wellford, S.C., accounted for one of the greatest seasons for a receiver in SAC history and becomes the third Tusculum wideout to be named an All-American. Gist’s 1,183 receiving yards are a new school record and the third most in conference history, earning him a spot on the Daktronics Division II All-America Second Team. The Byrnes High School graduate also established school records with his 96 receptions and 1,713 all-purpose yards. His 154.64 all-purpose yards per game average is 15th in the nation.
The 2010 All-Region and All-SAC First Team honoree averaged a league-best 107.55 receiving yards per game, which are 16th in the nation this year. His 8.73 receptions per contest were also tops in the league and fourth in the country. Gist tallied 10 or more catches in five games and posted over 100 receiving yards in seven of his 11 contests. The 5-9, 170-pound receiver established a school single-game record with 279 all-purpose yards at Catawba, including a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Gist finished the season with nine touchdowns, including eight TD receptions.
Ruiz, a 6-2, 310-pound senior guard from Atlanta, Ga., is only the third offensive linemen to earn All-America distinction. The two-time All-Conference honoree graded out at 80 percent for the season, while recording 75 knockdown blocks and allowed just two sacks on the year. The 2010 All-SAC First Team and Daktronics All-Region Second Team pick anchored an offensive line that allowed just .056 sacks per pass attempt (641 total pass attempts).