D3football.com and the Associated Press released their 2021 NCAA Division III All-American Football Teams Friday night and a trio of Foresters were among the honorees.
The announcements came just before the start of the Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III Championship Game between North Central College and Mary Hardin-Baylor University.
Junior kick returner/wide receiver A.J. Jackson was a First Team selection by both organizations after leading the nation with 27.6 yards per punt return and four punt return touchdowns. He is now the NCAA Division III record-holder with eight career punt return touchdowns in just 23 games. Jackson also ranked among the top 10 in the country with 16 touchdown receptions, 805 combined kick return yards, 21 total touchdowns, 12.6 points per game, and 165.6 all-purpose yards per contest. The First Team All-American selection by D3football.com is his third in as many years and he was also named First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association earlier this week.
Joining Jackson on the D3football.com list is junior cornerback Dante Esposito, a Second Team honoree. Esposito tied for third in the country with a team record-tying eight interceptions this season and he also ranked among the national leaders in passed defended (16). He had at least one interception in six of 11 games, returned them a combined 121 yards, and turned in a 30-yard pick-six in the Foresters' closest game of the regular season, a 24-10 triumph at Monmouth College.
The Associated Press tabbed Lake Forest senior offensive lineman Anthony DerManulian a Second Team All-American. He helped the team average 372.1 yards and a program record 41.5 points per game in 2021. DerManulian, the team's starting right tackle for the last three seasons, was also named Midwest Conference Offensive Line MVP and a Second Team All-American by the AFCA for his performance on the year.
The Foresters posted an overall record of 11-1 and captured their first conference title since 2012 with a perfect 9-0 mark in MWC play. The team also made the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division III Playoffs since 2002.