WACO, Texas – For the third-straight year, College of Idaho defensive back
Nate Moore was honored as an American Football Coaches Association NAIA All-American – earning second-team accolades – as the award was announced this morning.
The senior, from Meridian, becomes the first NAIA player ever to become a three-time AFCA All-American, as he was selected as a first-team pick each of the past two seasons.
NAIA players who were selected to AFCA?All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II. Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II. That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III. From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as AFCA All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.
Moore led the Yotes with 97 tackles during the season and led the Frontier Conference with 22 passes defended. He finished his career with a school record 326 tackles and 62 passes defended, adding 11 interceptions and 11.5 tackles for loss.
Four Frontier Conference players were named to the first time – Southern Oregon quarterback Tanner Trosin, Carroll offensive lineman Chris Emter, Eastern Oregon linebacker Michael Arenas and Rocky Mountain defensive back Keenan Fagan, with Moore and Carroll defensive back Tucker Johnson earning second-team honors.
Dakota Wesleyan wide receiver Hayden Adams was named National Offensive Player of the Year and Saint Ambrose defensive lineman Chris Overton earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
