Missouri State University

Dec. 12, 2012

The Sports Network All-America Team  |  AFCA All-America Team  |  Richards Bio   |  Schaffitzel Bio   |  MSU Season Statistics

 NEW YORK -- Missouri State was honored with two more All-America awards today with the release of the Associated Press FCS All-America Team. Bears senior offensive lineman Randy Richards (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and sophomore safety Caleb Schaffitzel (Fair Grove, Mo.) were both named to the AP All-America third-team on Wednesday (Dec. 12).

 Richards, who started every game this season for the Bears at right tackle, carried out a 98-percent assignment grade in 2012, had 56 knockdown blocks and graded out at 85 percent overall. He was MSU's Offensive Lineman of the Week for key games against Kansas State (Sept. 1) and North Dakota State (Nov. 3), earned the Bears' Offensive Lineman of the Year Award, and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team.

 The squad co-captain transferred to MSU in 2011 from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., and started all 22 games he played in two seasons for Missouri State. He anchored an MSU offensive line that surrendered just 15 sacks this season and averaged 327.5 yards per game.

 On Dec. 11, Richards was named to the AFCA All-America Team.

 Schaffitzel registered a team-high 109 tackles for the Bears with 5 interceptions and 11 passes defended. He is tied for 9th nationally in interceptions per game (0.45) and is 24th in tackles per game (9.91) in this week's NCAA Division I FCS statistical rankings. He was also a two-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week, two-time CFPA National Defensive Back of the Week and one-time CFPA National Defensive Player of the Week this season. 

 The Sports Network, which placed Schaffitzel on its 2012 All-America third team on Dec. 10, named him as its National Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5 for his efforts against No. 1 North Dakota State. In the NDSU game, he broke an MSU record and tied an MVFC record with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

 Schaffitzel was also named to the Capital One Academic All-America second team this season, earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors and was tabbed to the MVFC All-Academic first team. He also earned MSU's Media Player of the Year, Team MVP and Lifter of the Year Award at Missouri State's annual team awards ceremony on Dec. 2.

 In all, 10 Missouri Valley Football Conference players were honored as All-Americans by the Associated Press:

FIRST TEAM

OL Billy Turner, North Dakota State
DL Colton Underwood, Illinois State
DB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State

SECOND TEAM

RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State
OL Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State
DB Johnny Towalid, Indiana State

THIRD TEAM

RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State
OL Randy Richards, Missouri State
DL Ken Boatright, Southern Illinois
DB Ben Ericksen, Illinois State
DB Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State

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2012 AP FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE
Quarterback -- Taylor Heinicke, sophomore, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Old Dominion.
Running backs -- Miguel Maysonet, senior, 5-10, 205, Stony Brook; Eric Breitenstein, senior, 5-11, 230, Wofford.
Offensive linemen -- Earl Watford, senior, 6-4, 290, James Madison; Mike Sellers, junior, 6-0, 295, The Citadel; Will Post, senior, 6-6, 295, Eastern Washington; Billy Turner, junior, 6-6, 300, North Dakota State; Roger Gaines, senior, 6-6, 320, Tennessee State.
Tight end -- Kyle Juszczyk, senior, 6-3, 240, Harvard.
Receivers -- Aaron Mellett, senior, 6-4, 220, Elon; Erik Lora, 5-10, 181, junior, Eastern Illinois.
All-purpose player -- Walter Powell, junior, 6-0, 180, Murray State.
Kicker -- Patrick Murray, senior, 5-7, 160, Fordham.
DEFENSE
Linemen -- Caleb Schreibeis, senior, 6-3, 252, Montana State; Colton Underwood, junior, 6-4, 255, Illinois State; Brent Russell, senior, 6-2, 300, Georgia Southern; Brandon Thurmond, senior, 6-2, 260, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Linebackers -- Matt Evans, senior, 6-0, 228, New Hampshire; Jody Owens, senior, 6-0, 223, Montana State; Robert McCabe, senior, 6-2, 230, Georgetown.
Defensive backs -- Darnell Taylor, senior, 6-0, 195, Sam Houston State; Marcus Williams, junior, 5-11, 194, North Dakota State; Jaquiski Tartt, sophomore, 6-1, 220, Samford; Cooper Taylor, senior, 6-5, 235, Richmond.
Punter -- Sam Martin, senior, 6-1, 205, Appalachian State.

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE
Quarterback -- Casey Brockman, senior, Murray State.
Running backs -- Zach Zenner, sophomore, South Dakota State; Deonte Williams, senior, Cal Poly.
Linemen -- Terren Jones, senior, Alabama State; Michael Bamiro, junior, Stony Brook; Bryan Witzmann, junior, South Dakota State; J.C. Tretter, senior, Cornell; Corey Howard, senior, Central Arkansas.
Tight end -- A.C. Leonard, sophomore, Tennessee State.
Receivers -- Jordan Harris, junior, Bryant; Brandon Kaufman, junior, Eastern Washington.
All-purpose player -- Dominic Dunn, senior, Northern Colorado.
Kicker -- Colton Cook, junior, Southern Utah.
DEFENSE
Linemen -- Cody Larsen, senior, Southern Utah; Davis Tull, sophomore, Chattanooga; Mike Catapano, senior, Princeton; Zach Wagenmann, sophomore, Montana.
Linebackers -- Jeremy Kimbrough, senior, Appalachian State; Stephon Robertson, junior, James Madison; Blake Peiffer, senior, Southeast Misssouri.
Defensive backs -- Robert Alford, senior, Southeastern Louisiana; B.W. Webb, senior, William & Mary; Demetrius McCray, senior, Appalachian State; Johnny Towalid, senior, Indiana State.
Punter -- Andy Wilder, junior, Northern Arizona.

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE
Quarterback -- Gavin McCarney, junior, Colgate.
Running backs -- Shakir Bell, junior, Indiana State; Tim Flanders, junior, Sam Houston State.
Linemen -- Randy Richards, senior, Missouri State; Garrett Frye, sophomore, Georgia Southern; Aaron Adams, senior, Eastern Kentucky; Sean Davies, senior, UC Davis; Dakota Dozier, junior, Furman.
Tight end -- Josh Hill, senior, Idaho State.
Receivers -- Cordell Roberson, senior, Stephen F. Austin; Kevin Norrell, senior, Stony Brook.
All-purpose player -- Tyler Varga, sophomore, Yale.
Kicker -- Jimmy Pavel, senior, Eastern Washington.

 DEFENSE
Linemen -- Caraun Reid, senior, Princeton; Ken Boatright, senior, Southern Illinois; Joseph Lebeau, senior, Jackson State; Andrew Weaver, junior, Sam Houston State.
Linebackers -- Jordan Tripp, junior, Montana; Keith Pough, senior, Howard; Ian Sluss, senior, Portland State.
Defensive backs -- Kejuan Riley, senior, Alabama State; Steven Godbolt, sophomore, Tennessee State; Ben Ericksen, senior, Illinois State; Caleb Schaffitzel, sophomore, Missouri State.
Punter -- Bobby Wenzig, junior, Alabama State.