15 December 2022
WACO, Texas — Benedict College defensive lineman Loobert Denelus has been named to the 2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team, announced by the American Football Coaches Association.
Denelus becomes the first Tiger in school history to be named a First Team AFCA All-American, and just the second player ever to be named an AFCA All-American. Travionte Brown was a second team selection at defensive back in 2018.
A junior, Denelus ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in sacks (11th) and tackles for loss (34th). He was one of the leaders of the Benedict defense that ranks among the nation’s best in 2022. Benedict ranks fourth in scoring defense (12.9), third in passing yards allowed per game (135.1), and seventh in total defense (248.2). The Tigers led Division II in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (.130) and were third in third-down conversion defense (.248).
Benedict finished the season 11-1 and advanced to the second round of the Division II playoffs.. The Tigers won the SIAC championship for the first time in school history and went undefeated during the regular season.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. 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.
The AFCA’s Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches 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 teams are chosen.