FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2017
Voytek, Ford Claim First Team Recognition
AFCA All-America | CCA All-America | CCA All-Region
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Four Northeast-10 Conference football student-athletes received All-America recognition to highlight 14 honorees, as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) distributed postseason accolades.
New Haven offensive lineman Zach Voytek and Bentley punter Tyler Ford each picked up first team honors, while LIU Post quarterback Jeff Kidd and defensive back Jared Chester claimed second team laurels.
Voytek was named the NE10 Offensive Lineman of the Year for the third season in a row this fall, the first player in conference history to do so. A four-time All-NE10 selection, Voytek landed on the AFCA All-America First Team this season after anchoring a Chargers' offensive front that paved the way for 388.6 yards and 31.8 points per game.
Ford picked up first team All-America honors from the CCA after averaging an NE10-record 45.3 yards per punt this season, second best in the nation. The Conference's all-time leader with a 41.8-yard punting average, Ford was a first team All-NE10 selection for the second straight season, and he is Bentley's first All-American since 2008.
Kidd and Chester led LIU Post to the NE10 title and second round of the NCAA Championship this season. Kidd, the NE10 Player of the Year, was selected quarterback of the AFCA All-America Second Team after averaging 287.7 total yards per game and tallying 32 touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Chester, the NE10 Defensive Player of the Year, landed second team All-America from the CCA after finishing third in the country with seven interceptions on the year.
The NE10 had 13 student-athletes designated with All-Region accolades from the CCA. Three claimed first team honors in Ford, Chester and Voytek. Assumption led the way with five All-Super Region 1 selections, followed by New Haven with three and LIU Post with two.
Voytek and Chester also received All-America recognition from the Associated Press. Making up the AP Little All-America Team, Voytek picked up first team honors, while Chester garnered second team plaudits.
Additionally, 29 NE10 football players landed on Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-Super Region 1 Team. American International's Danny Omoregie and New Haven's Tyler Condit joined Voytek, Chester and Ford as the NE10's five first-team selections. Eleven collected second team honors, while 13 more picked up third team accolades.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
