TECH PUNTER  MICHAEL PODOBNIK NAMED THIRD-TEAM
DON HANSEN'S FOOTBALL GAZETTE ALL-AMERICA SELECTION

        PITTSBURG, Kansas – Arkansas Tech Wonder Boy Michael Podobnik was named a Third-Team NCAA Division II All-American punter by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette on Monday.

This marks the 20th year that Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, a recognized authority on small college football, has selected an NCAA D-II All-America team. The national publication selected All-Region teams with the first-team and second-team All-Region selections from each of the four geographic regions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest) comprising the national ballot, which was voted upon by a select national panel.

This year’s All-America teams consist of 146 players and players from 72 of the 150 football-playing schools in Division II earned Football Gazette All-America honors. NCAA D-II National runner-up Northwest Missouri State led the way by placing four players on the first-team All-America squad.

Podobnik earned his third-team All-America accolade after being a Second-Team All-Southeast Region selection. In addition to Podobnik, junior offensive tackle Jeremy Ashcraft (Dickinson, Texas) was a second-team All-Southeast Region honoree.

The Gulf South Conference had 15 players named to one of the three Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America teams and had six players named Honorable Mention All-America selections.

Podobnik, a native of Frankfort, Ill., earns his third-team All-America accolade after a record-setting season 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 named a First-Team Daktronics All-Southeast Region 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.

Already this season, Podobnik has been named an AP Little All-America, a Daktronics Division II All-American, an AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-American and a D2Football.com All-American. 

Complete 2007 Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-America teams

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