WACO (Tx.) – Delaware Valley University football's senior defensive end Michael Nobile was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team defense on Tuesday morning, becoming the first player in program history to earn All-America honors three different years.
Nobile, a senior from Brick, New Jersey, wrapped up a career that will go down as one of the best in program history. He set DelVal football records for career sacks, career tackles for loss, and sacks in a season. Earlier this year, he became the first player to earn MAC Defensive Player of the Year three times and the first to earn two Regional Defensive Player of the Year. In 2019, he took home an NCAA statistical leader award as the player with the most tackles for loss in college football across all divisions. He finished his career with 95 tackles for loss and 50.5 sacks, the third and fourth best totals in NCAA Division III history. Additionally, he graduated as the leader among active players in all of college football (all divisions) in both categories.
Nobile, who recovered from a season-ending achilles tear that sidelined him after week six last year, posted 63 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high 14.5 sacks to go with three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery this season. He recorded at least one sack and tackle for loss in nine of 12 games this season. Against regionally-ranked Stevenson, he recorded 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble and recorded a season-high four tackles for loss with two sacks, including a strip sack, against Misericordia.
Nobile led an Aggie defense that ranked among the best units in the country, finishing second in total defense and points per game allowed, and vaulted DelVal football to its fifth-straight MAC Championship and NCAA Playoff appearance, and its fifth trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. The Aggies finished the season 12-1 overall, tying the most wins in program history.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams – University Division and College Division – were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. The AFCA began selecting an NAIA-only team in 2006. Also in 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively. From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Selection Process: 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.
