North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

     WICHITA FALLS, TX -- Three North Carolina Central University Eagles have been voted to the 2006 Daktronics, Inc. NCAA Division II All-America Football Team, selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 
     Senior center Robert Duncan (Winston-Salem, NC), junior kicker Brandon Gilbert (Graham, NC) and junior corner back Craig Amos (Winston-Salem, NC) all claimed All-America Second Team honors.
     Duncan was a repeat selection on the All-CIAA First Team and All-Region First Team, and was named CIAA Offensive Lineman of the Week three times during his senior campaign. As the Eagles' starting center and team captain, his average grade was 92.4 percent and averaged four pancake blocks and less than 1 missed assignment per game, while not allowing a sack all season. Duncan was selected to Street & Smith's 2006 Division II Preseason All-America Team, one of only four offensive linemen in the country to earn the honor. He is also a national finalist for the 2006 Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year Award.
     Gilbert was a repeat selection on the All-CIAA First Team and All-Region First Team, and was chosen CIAA Special Teams Player of the Week four times in 2006. He made a game-winning, career-long 51-yard field goal as time expired to provide NCCU with a 17-14 win in the CIAA Championship Game (Nov. 11). Gilbert, who led the CIAA in scoring with 81 points (48-48 PATs, 11-16 FGs), set an NCCU single-season record with 48 extra-point kicks, ranks second in career-scoring at NCCU (225 points), and has made more extra point kicks (123) in his three seasons than any other kicker in Eagles history, including 80 in-a-row. Gilbert also punted 59 times for 2,068 yards (35.1 avg.), placing 23 attempts inside the 20-yard line with only two touch-backs.
     Amos, an All-CIAA First Team and three-time CIAA Defensive Back of the Week honoree, tied for the conference lead with seven interceptions (16th in NCAA) and 16 passes defended (18th in NCAA). He is one of only eight Eagles in the 83-year football tradition of NCCU to intercept seven passes or more in a single season, and his 178 interception return yards are the second-most in school history (222 return yards by Tony Lindsey in 1988). Amos returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 96-yard score at Southern University (Sept. 23), the fourth-longest in school history. Amos ends his junior campaign tied for 10th on the school's all-time interceptions list with 12 career picks.
     NCCU tied with Northwest Missouri State University for the second-highest total number of All-America honorees with three. Grand Valley State University, who will play Northwest Missouri State in the Division II national championship game on Dec. 16, topped the list with six honorees.
 

Robert Duncan

Brandon Gilbert

Craig Amos

OFFENSE
TIGHT END
First Team
+Mike Peterson, 6-3, 235, Jr., Northwest Missouri State
Second Team
Kyle Witucki, 6-3, 237, Jr., Edinboro (Pa.)
WIDE RECEIVER
First Team
Weston Dressler, 5-8, 164, Jr., North Dakota
+Eric Fowler, 6-3, 205, Sr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Second Team
Charly Martin, 6-2, 205, So., West Texas A&M
Evan Prall, 6-1, 173, Sr., East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
OFFENSIVE LINE
First Team
+Brandon Barnes, 6-3, 300, Jr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Jason Capizzi, 6-9, 315, Sr., Indiana (Pa.)
Reid Kirby, 6-4, 290, Jr., Northwest Missouri State
Robbie Klinetobe, 6-0, 295, Sr., Chadron State (Neb.)
Christian Morton, 6-5, 291, Jr., South Dakota
Second Team
JoJo Bates, 6-1, 250, Sr., North Alabama
Heath Benedict, 6-6, 320, Jr., Newberry (S.C.)
Tony Burson, 6-4, 280, Jr., Midwestern State (Texas)
Robert Duncan, 6-0, 268, Sr., North Carolina Central
Ben Hochstein, 6-4, 298, Jr., Nebraska-Omaha
Chris Zimmerman, 6-4, 275, Sr., Winona State (Minn.)
QUARTERBACK
First Team
+Cullen Finnerty, 6-2, 210, Sr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Second Team
Scott Eyster, 6-3, 205, Sr., Delta State (Miss.)
RUNNING BACK
First Team
Germaine Race, 5-11, 225, Sr., Pittsburg State
+Danny Woodhead, 5-9, 200, Jr., Chadron State (Neb.)
Second Team
Joique Bell, 6-0, 213, Fr.-RS, Wayne State (Mich.)
Stefan Logan, 5-7, 187, Sr., South Dakota
ALL-PURPOSE BACK
First Team
+Anthony Merritt, 6-0, 200, Sr., North Alabama
Second Team
Evan Prall, 6-1, 173, Sr., East Stroudsburg (Pa.).
PLACE KICKER
First Team
+David Chudzinski, 6-0, 187, Jr., Wayne State (Mich.)
Second Team
Brandon Gilbert, 5-9, 183, Jr., North Carolina Central

DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
First Team
Andre Bernardi, 6-3, 245, So., North Greenville (S.C.)
+Mike McFadden, 6-0, 255, Sr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Alton Pettway, 6-3, 263, Sr., Albany State (Ga.)
Second Team
Alex Hall, 6-4, 250, Jr., St. Augustine's (N.C.)
Terrance Lee, 6-3, 250, Sr., Concord (W.Va.)
Adam Wolff, 6-2, 268, Sr., North Dakota
LINEBACKER
First Team
Anthony Adams, 6-2, 234, Jr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
+Jared Brock, 6-1, 210, So., West Texas A&M
Michael Eubanks, 6-2, 215, Jr., Delta State (Miss.)
Kevin Jones, 6-3, 210, Sr., St. Augustine's (N.C.)
Second Team
Will Clewis, 6-1, 240, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Thomas Smith, 6-0, 230, Sr., Northwest Missouri State
Ben Stroup, 6-1, 213, Sr., Edinboro (Pa.)
John Tackmann, 6-2, 220, Sr., Winona State (Minn.)
CORNERBACK
First Team
+Darren Banks, 5-11, 180, Jr., West Liberty State (W.Va.)
Brandon Carr, 6-1, 205, Jr., Grand Valley State (Mich.)
Second Team
Craig Amos, 5-10, 180, Jr., North Carolina Central
Robert Towns, 5-11, 195, Sr., Harding (Ark.)
SAFETY
First Team
Josh Jones, 5-10, 165, So., Minnesota State-Moorhead
+Dan Peters, 6-1, 207, Sr., Shepherd (W.Va.)
Second Team
Sherard Reynolds, 5-10, 175, So., Valdosta State (Ga.)
Tyler Trettin, 6-2, 198, Sr., Bloomsburg (Pa.)
PUNTER
First Team
+Curtis Lilly, 6-5, 225, Sr., East Central (Okla.)
Second Team
Kevin Dodson, 6-1, 195, Sr., Elizabeth City State (N.C.)