Tuskegee’s Head Football Coach, Willie Slater and 4 SIAC Players Named to the Don Hansen’s All America Team
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Coach Willie Slater, after leading Tuskegee to a 12-0 record, a SIAC Championship and capturing the National Black Championship was named Co-National Coach of the Year headling the 2007-08 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette NCAA Division II All-America Team. Amongst the recipients of this distinguished honor were four SIAC football players named to one of the three teams while three others were named to the honorable mention team.Tuskegee’s Willie Slater, who led the Golden Tigers to an unblemished 12-0 record and helped the historically black school record its 600th all-time victory in a triple overtime win over Alabama State in the 84th Annual Turkey Day Classic, and CUP’s John Luckhardt, who led the Vulcans to a 13-1 record and national semifinal appearance, shared National Coach of the Year honors.
The SIAC Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Tuskegee’s talented QB Jacary Atkinson, was named to the 2nd Team Offense. Brandon Larkin of Clark Atlanta was named to the 2nd Team Defense as a Punter, Tuskegee’s WR Jason English was named to 3rd Team Offense and LB Curtis Johnson of Clark Atlanta.
Four Players named to the honorable mention includes S, Terrance McGhee of Albany State, PK, Jake Grubbs of Fort Valley State, and Punter, Micah Streiff of Morehouse.
This marks the 20th year Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, a recognized authority on small college football, has selected an NCAA
Division II All-America team. The national publication selected All-Region teams with the first-team and second-team All-Region players
from each of the four geographic regions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest) comprising the national ballot, which was voted
upon by a select national panel.
A total of 146 players earned some form of Football Gazette All-America honors. Players from 72 of the 150 football-playing schools in
Division II earned Football Gazette All-America accolades. National runner-up NW Missouri State led the way by placing four players on the
first-team All-America squad.
Click below for a Complete Listing of Players: