Junior Safety Will Pickren Earns 2022 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America Second Team Honors
Hampden-Sydney College junior safety Will Pickren (Mount Pleasant, SC) been named to the 2022 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches' All-America Second-Team, as announced today by the AFCA. Pickren is the program's first AFCA All-American since 2017, when Cam Johnson earned Second Team honors at wide receiver, and Will is the first defensive honoree for the Tigers since 1978, when Tim Smith earned First Team accolades on the defensive line—Pickren is just the third-ever H-SC defensive player recognized as an All-American by the AFCA.
Will started all 10 games and had 123 total tackles, including 48 solo and 75 assisted, 5.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry and one blocked PAT kick. He led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in total tackles and tackles per game, and tied for sixth in interceptions. Pickren ranked third in NCAA Division III in total tackles and tackles per game. Will is a three-time All-ODAC First Team selection, and has deservedly earned a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting football players in the ODAC and Division III. Pickren is a two-time All-Region selection by D3football.com, as well.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. The AFCA's Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
The complete AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America Teams are listed below, and there were only two individuals recognized from the ODAC, including Randolph-Macon College offensive lineman Will Jackson, also on the Second Team.
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