KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State had two players named to the D2Football.com All-America Team for the 2017 season. Senior defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd earned first team honors on defense, while senior offensive lineman Travis Talley earned honorable mention status.
This is the third All-America honor for Shepherd this season after garnering first team honors from the AFCA and second team honors from the Associated Press. Shepherd was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. Shepherd finished the year with 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. In his three years at Fort Hays State, Shepherd amassed 168 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He is an All-America selection for the second straight year after earning an honorable mention nod from the Don Hansen Football Committee last year. He is a three-time All-MIAA selection, earning first team this year, second team in 2016, and third team in 2015. He tied as the top vote receiver in NCAA Division II for the Cliff Harris Award, presented to the nation’s top small college defensive player representing almost 500 colleges and universities from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges.
Shepherd will compete in two prestigious all-star games in January. He will participate in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, played at the historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on January 20. That game will air nationally on Fox Sports 1. A week later on January 27, he will participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, held in Mobile, Alabama. That game will air on NFL Network.
Talley adds this honor to his D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team selection and All-MIAA selection. Talley anchored the Fort Hays State offensive line this year at right tackle, helping the team average 441.5 total yards of offense per game. He helped the Tiger offense average 257.3 passing yards per game and 184.2 rushing yards per game. Talley was also an All-MIAA First Team selection. Talley gives Fort Hays State two All-America selections on the offensive line over the last three years, joining Matt Erbert who earned an honorable mention nod from the Don Hansen Football Committee in 2015.
Below is the 2017 D2Football.com All-America Team.
Offensive Player of the Year: Luis Perez, QB, Texas A&M Commerce
Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Martin, DL, Slippery Rock
Coach of the Year: Pete Schinnick, West Florida
First Team
Offense
QB Luis Perez 6-3, 220, Sr. Texas A&M-Commerce
RB Marc Jones 5-11, 225, Jr. Gannon
RB Trent Cannon 5-11, 175, Sr. Virginia State
WR Marcus Johnson 6-2, 190, Sr. Slippery Rock
WR J.T. Luper 5-9, 175, Sr. Central Oklahoma
TE Nick Keizer 6-5, 255, Sr. Grand Valley
OL Alex Cappa 6-7, 305, Sr. Humboldt State
OL Jared Machorro 6-7, 280, Sr. Texas A&M-Commerce
OL Desmond Harrison 6-7, 288, Sr. West Georgia
OL Lavonte Hights 6-4, 300, Sr. Shepherd
OL Ty McCulley 6-5, 308, Sr. CSU-Pueblo
Defense
DL Marcus Martin 6-3, 245, Sr. Slippery Rock
DL Nathan Shepherd 6-5, 300, Sr. Fort Hays State
DL Zach Sieler 6-6, 275, Jr. Ferris State
DL Evan Perrizo 6-5, 275, Sr. Minnesota State
LB Dennis Gardeck 6-0, 205, Sr. Sioux Falls
LB Kevin Haynes 6-1, 228, Sr. Central Washington
LB Kyle Kitchens 6-2, 205, Sr. Catawba
DB Darius Williams 6-0, 180, Jr. CSU-Pueblo
DB Andrew Spencer 6-1, 210, Sr. Winona State
DB Marcus Jones 6-0, 178, Sr Northwest Missouri
DB Max Redfield 6-1, 205, Sr. IUP
Special
K Cole Tracy 5-11, 190, Sr. Assumption
P Garrett Lee 6-1, 185, Sr. Concord
AP Paul Revis 5-8, 155, Sr. Western Oregon
Second Team
Offense
QB Connor Jessop 6-5, 220, Sr. Shepherd
RB Kamal Cass 5-11, 189, Sr. Eastern New Mexico
RB Ja’Quan Gardner 5-7, 205, Sr. Humboldt State
WR Weston Carr 6-2, 200, So. Azusa Pacific
WR Jalen Tolliver 6-3, 210, Sr. Arkansas-Monticello
TE Seth Hebert 6-4, 225, Jr. Central Missouri
OL Corbin Feenstra 6-3, 287, Sr. CSU-Pueblo
OL Austin Fleer 6-8, 300, Sr. Colorado Mesa
OL Harley Vaughn 6-4, 293, Sr West Georgia
OL Ruben Holcomb 6-4, 317, Sr. Indianapolis
OL Andrew Alten 6-2, 308, Sr. Findlay
Defense
DL Myles Humphrey 6-3, 236, Sr. Shepherd
DL Blake Nelson 5-11, 230, Sr. Colorado Mesa
DL James Prater 6-1, 253, Jr. Ashland
DL Markus Jones 6-3, 255, Jr. Angelo State
LB Brandon Payer 6-4, 248, Jr. CSU-Pueblo
LB Luke Hrapchak 6-2, 240, Sr. California
LB Osband Thompson 6-0, 194, Sr. Tuskegee
DB Tavierre Thomas 5-11, 195, Sr. Ferris State
DB Chris Johnson 6-3, 200, Jr. North Alabama
DB Yusef Sterling-Lowe 6-2, 170, Sr. Texas A&M-Commerce
DB Andrew Benson 6-2, 205, Sr. Assumption
Special
K Casey Bednarski 6-1, 230, Jr. Minnesota State
P Justin Marcha 6-1, 200, Sr. Emporia State
AP Deonte Harris 5-6, 170, Jr. Assumption
Honorable Mention
Offense
QB Amir Hall 6-4, 180, Jr. Bowie State
QB Travis Tarnowski 5-11, 218, Sr. Ashland
QB Harry Satterwhite 6-1, 182, Jr. West Alabama
QB Brook Bolles 6-3, 190, Jr. Central Missouri
QB Grant Russell 6-4, 225, Sr. Ohio Dominican
QB Barrett Renner 6-3, 206, Jr. Southern Arkansas
RB Chris Robinson 5-9, 196, Sr. Delta State
RB Cameron Mayberry 5-11, 200, So. Colorado Mines
RB Walter Fletcher 5-10, 191, So. Edinboro
RB Nate Gunn 6-2, 215, So. Minnesota State
RB Deshawn Jones 5-9, 185, So. Missouri S&T
WR Jordan Thomas 6-0, 165, Sr. Texas A&M-Kingsville
WR Shane Zylstra 6-4, 215, So. Minnesota State
WR Keshaun Taylor 6-1, 180, Sr. Mars Hill
WR Donta Armstrong 5-10, 151, Sr. West Alabama
TE Tanner Hudson 6-5, 239, Sr. Southern Arkansas
TE D.J. Cornish 6-2, 260, So. Shepherd
TE Kyle Self 6-5, 229, Sr. Central Washington
OL Travis Talley 6-3, 285, Sr. Fort Hays State
OL Dontavius Blair 6-7, 294, Sr. West Alabama
OL Sam Lee 6-5, 300, Sr. Augustana
OL Jake Krause 6-3, 293, Sr. Bemidji State
OL Joseph Lacey 6-6, 328, Sr. LIU-Post
OL Gavin De Los Santos 6-3, 285, Sr. Harding
OL Victor Tamba 6-5, 335, Sr. Bowie State
OL Islam Sbeih 6-1, 298, Sr. Midwestern State
OL Ian Park 6-4, 315, Sr. Slippery Rock
OL Dominic Giunta 6-3, 284, Sr. Ashland
OL Taylor Nikithser 6-4, 300, Sr. California
OL Daniel Owens 6-3, 300, Sr. Wingate
Defense
DL John Williamson 6-3, 240, Jr. West Florida
DL Adonis Davis 6-3, 257, Jr. Florida Tech
DL Bo Banner 6-2, 241, Sr. Central Washington
DL Davondrick Lison 6-3, 225, Jr. Southern Arkansas
LB Terry Samuel 6-2, 193, Jr. West Alabama
LB Kirby Hora 6-2, 216, Jr. Augustana
LB Jalen Nelson 6-2, 230, Jr. Charleston
LB Austin Weltha 5-10, 220, Sr. McKendree
LB Tyler Morrissey 6-3, 256, Jr. West Chester
DB D.J. Olmstead 5-11, 185, Sr. Washburn
DB Sterling Hammond 6-1, 210, So. Virginia Union
DB Tevin Madison 5-10, 168, Sr. West Alabama
DB Marvin Conley 5-10, 190, Jr. West Florida
DB Tyler Hasty 6-0, 190, Jr. Central Washington
DB Glenn Harris 6-1, 180, Sr. Wayne State (Neb.)
DB Cua’ Rose 5-10, 183, Jr. Arkansas Tech
Special
P Cody Mikell 6-0, 215, Sr. Henderson State
AP Drew Harris 5-10, 185, Jr. Ouachita Baptist
AP Devontae Jackson 5-8, 171, Jr. West Georgia
AP B.J. Muckelvene 5-10, 170, So. Wingate