Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
2021 D3football.com All-America Teams
Dec. 21, 2021 - The North Central College football team finished a record haul of All-America honors this season with six selections to the 2021 D3football.com All-America Teams. This year's selections were announced just prior to the Cardinals' appearance in the national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, on Friday.
Senior cornerback Jake Beesley, senior offensive lineman Sharmore Clarke, junior running back Ethan Greenfield and senior wide receiver Andrew Kamienski each claimed First Team honors, while junior defensive lineman Dan Gilroy was recognized on the Third Team and senior linebacker Ben Wong was named to the Fourth Team. North Central finishes the 2021 campaign with a total of 14 All-America Awards. Clarke and Kamienski claimed All-America awards from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Associated Press (AP), while Beesley, Greenfield and Gilroy were also recognized by the AP.
Clarke is a First Team AP All-America selection for the third straight season, while Beesley, Greenfield and Kamienski are second-time honorees.
Clarke was voted the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Offensive Lineman of the Year for the third straight season this year as well, while Kamienski was named the CCIW Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier individual award in Division III football. Kamienski caught 75 passes for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns, becoming the fourth player in Division III history to gain more than 5,000 career receiving yards (5,019). Greenfield rushed for 1,796 yards and 24 touchdowns, establishing new North Central career records for rushing yards (4,678), all-purpose yards (5,478) and points scored (396), while Beesley set new single-season program records for pass breakups (20) and passes defended (21). Gilroy was the team's leader in tackles for loss (15.5) and quarterback sacks (8.5), while Wong ranked third on the team in tackles (58) and finishes his career tied for ninth in program history with 231 career stops..
The Cardinals (13-1) finished the 2021 season as the national Division III runner-up after Friday's loss to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) in the Stagg Bowl at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. It was North Central's second straight appearance in the championship after winning the program's first national title in 2019.
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