Francis Cole Named to Division III All-America Second Team

Francis Cole Named to Division III All-America Second Team

WACO, TEX. —Anna Maria College sophomore, Francis Cole (Maspeth, N.Y.) has been named to the Division III Coaches' All-America Second Team as announced by the American Football Coaches Association this morning. This is the first time in Anna Maria College Football program history that a student-athlete has been recognized as an All-American.

Cole is named to the second team as the special teams' punter. He was recently named to the Worcester Area All-Star team and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III North All-Star first team. He was also named to the ECFC First Team and Honorable Mention Team earlier this year. Cole finished the season second in the nation for his punting game in Division III football. He punted 78 times for a total of 3,519 yards while averaging 45.1 yards. He notched his longest career punt going 77 yards and his longest field goal, from 48 yards, on the road at Curry on Sept. 17th. He was ten-for-ten in extra point attempts and 1-for-7 in field goal attempts this season.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. Beginning this year, the AFCA has started selecting a first and second team. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Hartwick wide receiver Koree Reed and Olivet punter Ryan Anderson headline the 2016 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America Team. Reed led the nation in both reception yards (1,606) and reception yards per game (160.6), and led the Empire 8 Conference in five different statistical categories this season, also topping the league in yards per reception (27.69), receiving touchdowns (17) and all-purpose yards (167.10). Reed hit the century mark in receiving yards in nine of 10 games for the Hawks. Anderson broke the NCAA Division III record with a 46.2 punting average in 2016, which led the nation. Eighteen of his 47 punts went for more than 50 yards, with a long of 65 yards, and 15 landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

A full list of the Division III Coaches' All-America Team can be found here