2000 All-American Team

We've tracked the top players on a weekly basis all year long, now it's our chance to tell you who were the best in the nation at each position in 2000. We picked three teams of players and an honorable mention squad based on nominations by SIDs and coaches.

First Team

Offense

QB Chad Johnson, Pacific Lutheran
The senior, who led his Lutes to the 1999 Division III championship, carried his 2000 squad to the playoffs again, completing 67% of his passes for 2,839 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Lutes led the nation in total offense in 2000.

RB R.J. Bowers,
Grove City
The senior finished off his record-setting career by becoming the first back in NCAA history to rush for more than 7,000 yards all time, scoring 19 touchdowns while carrying the ball for 1,733 yards, 173.3 per game. Bowers finished with 7,353 career yards and will play in the Blue Gray Game and the Hula Bowl.

RB Damon Saxon, King's
Saxon led the nation in average yards per game with 174.4 and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Saxon led King’s to the ECAC postseason and a win against Ursinus.

WR Adam Marino, Mount Union
Marino, who set a season record for the Purple Raiders with 110 catches for 1,643 yards, averages 15.2 yards per catch and tied Catholic’s Jeff Clay’s playoff record with 17 catches in the semifinals against Widener.

WR Nate Jackson, Menlo
Jackson led Division III receivers with 10.1 receptions per game for 1,521 yards and 17 touchdowns, an integral part of a prolific offense from the small school in Northern California.

TE Bryan Meier, Greenville
The senior caught 61 balls for 727 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers in 2000 and was a second-team All-American pick by D3football.com in 1999.

OL Jason Gerber, Mount Union
The two-time first-team all-Ohio Athletic Conference performer allowed only one sack in 2000 and earned the Mike Gregory Award as OAC's best offensive lineman.

OL Josh Warner, Brockport State
Live scouted by 14 NFL teams since August, Warner started every game of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons and did not allow a sack over last 2½ years. The Golden Eagles had a 100-yard rusher (Courtlan Green) in every game in 2000.

OL Mackenzie Hay, Augustana
The 6-3, 200-pounder was also a first-team All-American pick in 1999. Hay helped lead the Vikings to 3,106 yards rushing and 32 rushing touchdowns in 2000.

OL Adam Grossman, Ithaca
The four-year starter helped his team set more than 30 single-game and single-season school offensive records. Grossman, an honorable mention All-American in 1999, blocked for 21 100-yard rushers in his career, six this season.

OL Dan Riely, Catholic
Riely, a right tackle and three-year starter, anchored the Cardinals’ charge toward a school-record 2,228 yards rushing to rank 24th nationally.

Defense

DL Justin Snyder, Central
Snyder led the Iowa Conference in sacks and was a first-team all-league pick. Snyder finished with 21 sacks for 182 yards and had 27 tackles for loss. He compiled 57 tackles overall and was first on the team in solo tackles with 43. He also forced four fumbles, recovered one and had two pass breakups.

DL Russ Watson, Worcester State
Watson set the school record of 24 sacks in a season for minus-172 yds. The junior posted 61 solo tackles.

DL Sky Blake, Whitworth
Blake was the Northwest Conference co-defensive player of the year, leading Whitworth and the conference in tackles with 62. The senior added five sacks, two caused fumbles and 15 tackles for loss.

DL Jeff Heinzl, Illinois Wesleyan
Heinzl posted 34 solo tackles and 32 assisted tackles for the Titans, who just missed the playoffs in a tiebreaker. The senior posted 16½ sacks, 31 tackles for loss, including 19 tackles in a 10-8 win against eventual playoff participant Millikin.

LB John Paul Visosky, Trinity (Texas)
Visosky helped lead the Black Flag defense with 110 solo tackles, 12 sacks and five passes broken up.

LB Jerimiah Janssen, St. Norbert
Posted 24 tackles for loss for the Midwest Conference champions in 2000. Janssen made 54 solo tackles for the Green Knights in leading them to the playoffs.

LB J.D. Leman, Wheaton (Ill.)
The senior led the Thunder with 85 solo tackles, 13 tackles for loss and two fumbles while breaking up 13 passes and intercepting three others.

DB Ben Matthews, Bethel
The Bethel defensive back intercepted 15 regular-season passes, including five against Gustavus Adolphus. Each tied NCAA records for all divisions. He also broke up 10 other passes and notched 40 solo tackles.

DB Alex Rix, Linfield
Rix was the Northwest Conference co-defensive player of the year, breaking up 11 passes and making 40 solo tackles plus an interception.

DB Nate Kok, Ripon
Kok was second in Division III with 13 interceptions, returning them for 345 yards, while posting 61 total tackles and six tackles for loss.

DB Jake Wolter, UW-Whitewater
The senior recorded 53 solo tackles, intercepted six passes, broke up seven, notched nine tackles for loss. The unanimous all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection also returned 18 punts for 264 yards, one for a touchdown.

Special Teams

K Keith Debbaudt, Albion
Debbaudt was 13-for-14 on field goals and perfect on 36 extra-point attempts. The senior was perfect on four kicks from beyond 40 yards, including a long of 47 yards.

P Wilson Hillman, Mississippi College
The senior led Division III punters with an average of 43.2 yards, including 19 punts of 50 yards or more and a long of 70 yards.

RET Joshua Carter, Muhlenberg
Carter, who was a first-team All-American in 2000, returned 34 punts for a 13.4-yard average and 18 kickoffs for 507 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown.

Second Team

Offense
QB	Gary Smeck, Mount Union
RB	Will Castleberry, Thomas More
RB	Jamal Robertson, Ohio Northern
WR	Jim Jones, Widener
WR	Michael Coleman, Widener
TE	Jeff Pedersen, Grinnell
OL	Matt Sallila, Springfield
OL	Bill Rychel, Mount Union
OL	Chris Salvato, St. John's
OL	Mat Rapoza, Swarthmore
OL	Jason Plachcinski, Western Conn.
Defense
DL	Jeff Hazuga, UW-Stout
DL	James Molnar, Washington U.
DL	Toné Dancy, Ferrum
DL	Justin Harris, Alma
LB	Dan Philips, Chicago
LB	Seth Duerr, Wooster
LB	Beau LaBore, St. John's
DB	David Devine, Wartburg
DB	Randy VanTilburg, Ohio Northern
DB	Antonio Broadnax, Wilmington
DB	Eric Cowie, Ursinus
Specialists
K	Carlos Martinez, Buena Vista
P	Kevin McCulley, UW-Stout
RET	Andy Traetow, Gustavus Adolphus

	Third Team	Honorable Mention
Offense
QB	Zamir Amin, Menlo	Adam Ryan, Wilmington
RB	Casey Donaldson, Wittenberg	Shane Ream, Allegheny
RB	Mike Hatten, Upper Iowa	Aaron Kernek, Austin
WR	Ryan Silvis, Washington & Jeff.	Kirk Rogers, Hardin-Simmons
WR	Jonathan Cain, Wilmington	Derek Baker, Buffalo State
TE	Greg Balcavage, Hartwick	Chris Sally, Augustana
OL	Michael Carucci, Trinity (Conn.)	Mark Sunderman, Wittenberg
OL	Jeff Hutter, UW-Stout	Michael Bradford, Mary Hardin-Baylor
OL	LaRon Slay, Howard Payne	J.D. Sheldon, Augustana
OL	Jason Matusik, Wash. & Jefferson	Bill Andrews, Allegheny
OL	Clint Treadway, Redlands	Bob Schmidt, UW-Eau Claire
Defense
DL	Jermaine Richardson, Wilkes	Rob Gould, Hobart
DL	Greg Boucher, Western Conn.	Edith Forestal, Defiance
DL	Carlos Bolanos, Montclair State	Rubin Doster, King's
DL	Jeremy Benson, Aurora	Aaron Bartolain, Western Maryland
LB	Brenden Givan, Stillman	Tim Booth, Hobart
LB	Jesse Pearson, Mount Union	Mike Tates, Howard Payne
LB	Jeff Sanger, Central	Preston Meyer, Mary Hardin-Baylor
DB	Sean Graf, Lycoming	Clinton Tabb, Rowan
DB	Brian Daoust, Amherst	Mike Burke, Muhlenberg
DB	Ron Amato, Ithaca	Brian Portilia, UW-La Crosse
DB	Andre Summers, Wesley	Sean Berwager, Lebanon Valley
Specialists
K	Jonathan Feig, Washington U.	J.R. Cipra, Ohio Northern
P	Matt Young, Carnegie Mellon	John Shaffer, Lycoming
RET	Mike Benson, Coast Guard	Pete Henning, Lebanon Valley