Fort Hays State had 12 players named to the All-MIAA Football Team, released on Tuesday (Nov. 18). Leading the way with first-team honors for FHSU were wide receiver Ed Williams and defensive back Micheal Jordan. Earning second-team honors were defensive lineman Joita Te’i, defensive back Nathan Lindsey, and offensive lineman Matt Erbert, while Justin McPhail was named to the third team at linebacker. Honorable mention nods went to running back Edward Smith, defensive linemen Jesse Trent and Tomasi Molesi, linebackers Brock Long and Alex Schmidtberger, and defensive back Daniel Lindsey.
Williams, a senior from Tampa, Fla., earned a first-team selection by posting the sixth most receiving yards for a season in FHSU history with 946 on 53 catches. The reception total tied for 10th most in a single season at FHSU. His 86 receiving yards per game average was eighth-best for a single season in FHSU history. He finished with 1,617 receiving yards in his three-year career at FHSU, moving to 10th all-time in receiving yards. His 14 career receiving touchdowns ties for ninth most in school history.
Jordan, a senior from Kerens, Texas, earned a first-team selection after garnering second team honors last year and honorable mention honors in 2012. The three-time all-conference honoree finished with 250 tackles in his career, sixth-most in Fort Hays State’s NCAA Division II history. He also finished with six interceptions and 10 pass break-ups in his career. He finished third on the team in tackles this year with 80, adding an interception, sack, and an MIAA-best four forced fumbles. He had five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in his career.
Te’i, a senior from Oceanside, Calif., earned a second-team selection on the defensive line. Te’i was one of the top pass rushers in the MIAA this year with a team-high five sacks. He finished with 28 tackles, including 8.5 that went for losses. He tied for seventh in the MIAA in sacks during the regular season. He recorded three of the five sacks in Fort Hays State’s 7-6 win over nationally-ranked Pittsburg State. In his two-year career at FHSU, he produced 66 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
Nathan Lindsey, a senior from Inkster, Mich., earned a second-team selection at defensive back. Lindsey had a great all-around season, finishing with 41 tackles, one sack, 5.5 tackles for loss, four pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick. He tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. His best game of the season came against Missouri Southern, in which he recorded five tackles, two fumble recoveries (one for a 49-yard touchdown), a sack, an interception, and a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The effort gained him Division II National Athlete of the Week honors by Beyond Sports Network. In his two-year career at FHSU, Lindsey finished with 85 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions, and 291 kick return yards. He had three touchdown returns in his career, one kick, one fumble, and one interception.
Erbert, a junior from Ellis, Kan., earned a second-team selection on the offensive line. Erbert was the only offensive lineman to receive all-conference honors for the Tigers this year. At right tackle, he helped anchor a young offensive line. The Tigers finished with 3,432 yards of total offense and he helped the team produce more than 200 rushing yards in four games this year, including the last three.
McPhail, a junior from Liberal, Kan., earned a third-team selection for the second straight year at linebacker. McPhail led the Tiger defense in tackles with 108. He also recorded four sacks, a team-high nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. He was the team leader in tackles for the second straight year and now has 207 for his career at FHSU. He reached double figures in tackles in four contests this year, including a career-high 16 against Missouri Southern.
Smith, a senior from Miami, Fla., earned an honorable mention selection at running back. Smith completed his fifth year with the Tiger program in 2014, a career that saw him rush for 1,970 yards and rack up 2,514 all-purpose yards. This year, he finished with a team-best 667 rushing yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry with seven total touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving). He finished his career with two consecutive 100-yard rushing games, producing a season-best 144 rushing yards in the season finale helping the Tigers reach seven wins for the first time since 1996.
Trent, a senior from Dodge City, Kan., earned an honorable mention selection on the defensive line. It was the second all-conference honor for Trent after earning third-team honors last year. He finished the year with 40 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss. Trent is also a two-time Academic All-America selection by CoSIDA and could possibly earn the honor for a third-straight year.
Molesi, a senior from Oceanside, Calif., also earned an honorable mention selection on the defensive line, giving FHSU three defensive linemen to earn all-conference honors this year. He finished the year with 32 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss, despite playing through a good chunk of the season with an injury. He moved back to the defensive line this year after filling in for the Tigers on the offensive line last year due to injury issues.
Long, a junior from Assaria, Kan., had an impressive first year with the Tigers to earn honorable mention honors at linebacker. He finished second on the team in tackles with 93, while also recording 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He reached double figures in tackles four times this year, posting a season-high 13 against Northwest Missouri State.
Schmidtberger, a sophomore from Topeka, Kan., had another impressive year in the middle of the Tiger defense. Although he was not a regular starter on defense, he still finished with 69 tackles to rank fifth on the team and tied for a team-high three interceptions. He had a season-high 12 tackles in a home win over Lindenwood. In just two years of playing, he already has 125 career tackles.
Daniel Lindsey, a junior from Inkster, Mich., earned an honorable mention selection at defensive back. Playing the bandit position opposite of his twin brother Nathan, he finished with 77 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, six pass break-ups, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. The blocked kick was a big one, preserving the 7-6 win for FHSU at nationally ranked Pittsburg State on a potential go-ahead field goal attempt late in the game. He had two games this season in which he reached double figures in tackles.