WACO, Texas - For the second straight year, the NAIA joined forces with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for the selection of the official NAIA All-American football squad. For the second straight year, the squad included an member of the Benedictine (Kan.) College football program.

Center Truman Ashby (Sr., St. Louis) earned his second straight AFCA-NAIA selection after anchoring the Ravens offensive line in 2007. Ashby was a key figure in the Ravens offense that averaged 342.2 total yards of offense this season.

Ashby was only one of two returning offensive lineman to the squad and just one of seven returning members to the 25-member squad.

In all four players from the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) were named on offense, defense or special teams.
   
Ashby was joined on the offense by Culver-Stockton wide receiver Preston Nicholson (Sr. Tampa, Fla.). Nicholson recorded 84 receptions for 1,259 yards in 2007. The 84 receptions were the third most in school history while his 1,259 yards was the second highest mark ever at Culver-Stockton.
   
Missouri Valley linebacker Reggie Singletary (Sr., Kansas City, Mo.), who helped lead the Vikings to their second straight appearance in the NAIA football championships final four, was the lone member of the HAAC to be named to the defense. Singletary was named HAAC Defensive Player of the Year after finishing 2007 with 54 total tackles, 33 of those solo, 17 tackles for a loss and five sacks.
   
The final member of the AFCA-NAIA All-American team from the HAAC was Baker University kicker Derek Doerfler (Jr., Lee's Summitt, Mo.) Doerfler set a school record for most field goals made in a season with 23. He also set school marks for most field goals made in a game (five vs. William Jewell) and longest field goal in school history at 62 yards, also set in the same game versus William Jewell.
   
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 -- Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. The AFCA is selecting an NAIA-only team for the second time this year.
   
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, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position has been replaced by an all-purpose player this season. 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.
   
The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine 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.

The complete release on the AFCA-NAIA All-American squad can be found on the NAIA website. To learn more about the AFCA, you can also go to the AFCA website.