Evangel University senior, Josh Evans, added more hardware over the weekend being named to the Associated Press NAIA All-America team.
Evans was named to the AP All-America Second Team after a stellar career for the Crusaders. A native of Pleasant Hope, Mo., Evans is the first All-American for Evangel football since Jesse Vaughn earned honors in 2012.
The defensive end finished his career as the 2017 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Heart First Team selection. He dominated on the field finishing the season ranked second in NAIA in sacks and fourth in tackles for a loss.
Evans also made an impact on the Evangel record books, setting the single-season record for tackles for a loss and career record for tackles for a loss. He finished with 12.5 sacks in both his junior and senior seasons to finish second on the all-time sacks list with 31.5. He also broke into the top 10 in career tackles with 288.
Earlier this month, Evans was named a Cliff Harris Award nominee after being named a finalist for the award given to the top small college defensive player last season.
Below is the 2017 AP All-America Teams:
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Tanner Trosin, senior, Southern Oregon.
Running backs — Bubba Jenkins, senior, Morningside; Justin Green, junior, St. Francis, Indiana.
Linemen — Trae Bradburn, senior, Morningside; Justin Hunter, senior, Saint Xavier; Trey Coney, sophomore, Reinhardt; Chris Emter, senior, Carroll College; Xavier Carter, senior, Reinhardt;
Tight end — Trenton Poe-Evans, sophomore, Kansas Wesleyan.
Receivers — Hayden Adams, senior, Dakota Wesleyan; Connor Niles, junior, Morningside.
All-purpose player — Charles Duckworth, senior, Point.
Kicker — Daniel Martinez, senior, Wayland Baptist.
DEFENSE
Linemen — Jamarae Finnie, senior, Langston; Evan Sprayberry, junior, Tabor; Tevin McCoy, junior, Reinhardt; Resean Coleman, sophomore, William Penn.
Linebackers — Caden McDonald, senior, Morningside; Piercen Harnish, junior, St. Francis, Indiana; Thomas Sease, senior, Dickinson State.
Backs — Darius Price, senior, Siena Heights; Tomunci Whitfield, senior, Southwestern, Kansas; Tarence Roby, senior, Concordia, Nebraska; Nate Moore, senior, College of Idaho.
Punter — Derek Brush, senior, Arizona Christian.
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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Dillon Turner, senior, Dakota Wesleyan.
Running backs — JD Woods, freshman, Baker; Jacob Kalogonis, sophomore, Northwestern, Iowa.
Linemen — Avery Lock, senior, Valley City State; Spencer Baalman, senior, Tabor; Garrett Bader, senior, Benedictine; Zac Lawson, senior, Lindsey Wilson; Darrion McAlister, senior, Marian.
Tight end — J.C. Koerselman, senior, Northwestern, Iowa.
Receivers — Lexus Jackson, senior, St. Francis, Illinois; LaQuvionte Gonzalez, senior, Southeastern, Florida.
All-purpose player — Tahj Willingham, senior, Hastings College.
Kicker — Mario Esparaza, senior Southwester, Kansas.
DEFENSE
Linemen — Chris Overton, senior, St. Ambrose; Sean Rogers, junior, Southern Oregon; Josh Evans, senior, Evangel; Jason Lupkes, senior, Morningside.
Linebackers — Michael Arenas, senior, Eastern Oregon; Trent Mueller, junior, Lindsey Wilson; Garrett Updegraft, senior, Kansas Wesleyan.
Backs — Nate McLaurin, junior, Baker; Jay Liggins, junior, Dickinson State; Cole Wiseman, senior, Doane; Tionte McDaniel, sophomore, St. Xavier.
Punter — Drake Higgins, sophomore, Missouri Valley.
Selection panel: Mike Byker, Dordt College; Kelli Elmore, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference; Wally Feldt, Frontier Conference; Jo Jo Freeman, Cumberland, Tennessee; Tim Goozen, Arizona Christian; Nick Huntimer, North Star Athletic Association; Jake Knabel, Concordia, Nebraska; Gus Kautz, KAIR Radio; Kevin Lewis, Wayland Baptist; Eric Montgomery, Heart of America Athletic Conference; Sean Ostrander, Robert Morris, Illinois; Mark Potts, Valley City State; Bill Scott, St. Francis, Indiana; Dave Toelle, Kansas Wesleyan; Chris Wells, Mid-South Conference.
