MICHAEL PODOBNIK NAMED DAKTRONICS D-II FIRST-TEAM
ALL-AMERICAN SELECTION

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – The postseason accolades keep coming for Arkansas Tech junior punter Michael Podobnik as he was named a 2007 Daktronics Division II First-Team All-America on Thursday.

Wednesday’s Daktronics honor comes one day after the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) named Podobnik the punter on its Division II Coaches’ All-America team.

Podobnik becomes the fourth-ever Wonder Boy named a Daktronics All-American and the first since junior linebacker Cedric Cursh (Foreman, Ark.) was named a Second-Team selection in 2004. Other Tech players named Daktronics All-Americans include Todd Mathews (First-Team, 1999) and Tommy Edwards (First-Team, 2000 and Second-Team, 2003).

“What a tremendous honor for Michael and our football program,” Tech Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins said. “Michael had a tremendous season and was a weapon on special teams.”

Podobnik was one of four Gulf South Conference players honored and one of three GSC players that received first-team honors.

The 15th-annual Daktronics All-America team was selected by a vote of sports information directors from NCAA Division II football playing institutions.

Abilene Christian led the way with five selections, while Grand Valley State and California [PA] each had four selections. Northwest Missouri State, North Dakota and West Texas A&M had three players selected to one of the two All-America teams.

Podobnik, a native of Frankfort, Ill., earns first-team honors after a record-setting season as a punter for the Wonder Boys. This past season, Podobnik, who was a First-Team All-GSC selection as a punter and second-team selection as a kicker and was also a Daktronics All-Southeast Region First-Team selection, led the GSC and NCAA Division II in punting with a 45.2 yard average per punt. In 10 games, he punted 43 times for 1,945 yards and had seven touchbacks and downed eight punts inside the 20-yard line. In addition, he had 13 punts over 50 yards, including a season-best 75-yard punt in the fourth quarter of Tech’s season opener at Northeastern State. Podobnik’s 45.2 yard average set a new single-season Tech and GSC mark. The previous Tech mark of 42.0 yards was set in 2003 by Tommy Edwards, while the old GSC mark of 43.5 yards was set in 1982 by Jacksonville State’s Greg Lowery. On the season, Podobnik was named the GSC Special Teams Player of the Week three times and was named the D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week following the Harding game on Nov. 3. Against Harding, Podobnik averaged 52.5 yards on his four punts, which set a new Tech single-game record for punting average (51.0 was the previous record) and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line and boomed a 63-yard punt in the fourth quarter.

In addition to Podobnik, other GSC players selected included Delta State linebacker Michael Eubanks (First-Team), Valdosta State safety Sherard Reynolds (First-Team) and Valdosta State receiver Cedric Jones (Second-Team).

Listed below is the complete Daktronics Division II All-America Football team.

FIRST-TEAM

OFFENSE                       Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wt.    School

Kolo Kapanui                   TE      Sr.     6-5    255    West Texas A&M

Almonzo Banks                WR     Sr.     6-2    220    West Liberty State

Weston Dressler              WR     Sr.     5-8    165    North Dakota

Brandon Barnes              OL      Sr.     6-2    315    Grand Valley State

Ben Hochstein                 OL      Sr.     6-4    268    Nebraska-Omaha

Reid Kirby                       OL      Sr.     6-4    300    NW Missouri State

Tim McCutcheon             OL      Sr.     6-4    305    California [PA]

Nathan Young                 OL      Sr.     6-3    300    Abilene Christian

Daniel Polk                      QB     Sr.     6-2    202    Midwestern State

Xavier Omon                  RB      Sr.     5-11  220    NW Missouri State

Bernard Scott                  RB      Jr.      5-11  220    Abilene Christian

          DEFENSE                      Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wgt.  School

          Kurt Kissner                   DL      Sr.     6-3    245    Mesa State

          Dan Skuta                      DL      Jr.      6-3    225    Grand Valley State

          Brandon Swain               DL      Jr.      6-4    225    West Texas A&M

          Anthony Adams              LB      Sr.     6-1    232    Grand Valley State

          Will Clewis                       LB      Sr.     6-1    225    Central Oklahoma

          Jared Erspamer               LB      Sr.     6-0    235    NW Missouri State

          Michael Eubanks              LB      Sr.     6-2    225    Delta State

          Darren Banks                  CB     Jr.      5-11  180    West Liberty State

          Cary Williams                  CB     Sr.     6-2    190    Washburn [KS]

          Ranardrick Phillips            S        Sr.     5-10  202    Tarleton State

          Sherard Reynolds            S        Jr.      5-10  175    Valdosta State

          SPECIALISTS                Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wgt.  School

          Michael Podobnik          P       Jr.      6-0    230   Arkansas Tech

          Jared Keating                  K        Jr.      6-0    185    Mesa State

          Ryan Chappell                 AP      So.     5-11  193    North Dakota

          SECOND-TEAM

OFFENSE                       Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wt.    School

Dan Pickens                    TE      Sr.     6-4    240    Indiana [PA]

Cedric Jones                   WR     So.     6-0    180    Valdosta State

Johnny Knox                   WR     Jr.      6-0    180    Abilene Christian

Nick Smart                      WR     Sr.     6-1    185    Southwest Baptist

Heath Benedict                OL      Sr.     6-6    335    Newberry [SC]

Tony Burson                    OL      Sr.     6-4    280    Midwestern State

Mike Butterworth             OL      Sr.     6-7    330    Slippery Rock

Sam Collins                      OL      Jr.      6-2    270    Abilene Christian

John Strand                     OL      Sr.     6-8    280    Chadron State

Mark Nicolet                    QB     Sr.     6-2    220    Hillsdale [MI]

Dervon Wallace                RB      Sr.     6-5    177    Shepherd

Danny Woodhead             RB      Sr.     5-9    200    Chadron State

DEFENSE                        Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wt.    School

Kirby Griffin                      DL      Jr.      6-2    275    California [PA]

Curtis Johnson                 DL      Sr.     6-4    245    Clark Atlanta

Jake Visser                      DL      Jr.      6-2    275    Ferris State

Jared Brock                     LB      Jr.      6-1    232    West Texas A&M

Gary Butler                      LB      Sr.     6-1    230    California [PA]

Lateef Ferguson               LB      Sr.     6-1    220    West Chester [PA]

Cody Stutts                     LB      Sr.     6-0    230    Abilene Christian

Brandon Carr                   CB     Sr.     6-1    206    Grand Valley State

Rod Mosley                     CB     Sr.     5-10  175    TAMU-Kingsville

          Brian Bingnear                 S        Sr.     6-0    200    Kutztown [PA]

          Randy Kush                     S        Jr.      5-11  200    Nebraska-Omaha

          Kendall Ricketts               S        Sr.     5-10  190    Central Missouri

          SPECIALISTS                Pos.   Yr.     Hgt.  Wt.    School

          Jace Amore                     P        Sr.     6-0    230    California [PA]

          Brandon Hellevang           K        So.     5-9    189    North Dakota

          Ashton Gronewold           AP      Sr.     5-10  190    Missouri-Rolla

          Complete 2007 Daktronics Division II All-America Teams

 -- Tech Athletics --