John Carter Myers, Drew Rader Named NAIA AFCA All-Americans
GEORGETOWN, Ky. – For the seventh straight season, the Georgetown College football team has landed at least one Tiger on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA All-American as both John Carter Myers and Drew Rader were named to the Second Team on Thursday.
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.
Both Myers and Rader were named to the Mid-South Conference First Team last month, two of eight Tigers recognized by the conference.
Drew Rader, a two-time Mid-South Conference Player of the Week, was named to the Second Team AFCA NAIA All-American team much in part to his consistency in booting the football. Rader averaged 41.5 yards per punt on the season, second best in the Mid-South Conference. He led the league with pins inside the 20-yard line with 23 and kicked the furthest punt in the MSC this season, at 76-yards, a career-high. In total, his punts amassed 1,784 yards, the most of his four-year career.
John Carter Myers won Mid-South Conference Player of the Week once this season and was named to the Second Team AFCA NAIA All-American squad behind his defensive force. The senior collected a team-high 43 solo tackles and was responsible for a third of the team's forced fumbles (4). His 34-yard interception return in the game against Cumberlands set up the eventual game-winning touchdown run by Guy Bailey on the next series. His seven pass breakups were third-most in the league as well.
Georgetown went 7-3 in the first season under head coach John Perin, winning games over three nationally ranked opponents in Pikeville, Cumberland and Campbellsville.
Full AFCA All-American release.
Full NAIA All-American release.
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 — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
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. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. A third wide receiver was added to the team in 2024.
The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two 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 team is chosen.
Members of the AFCA Coaches' All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
NAIA players who were selected to AFCA All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II. Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II. That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III. From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as AFCA All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.