OTTAWA, Kan. – The Ottawa University football team had two players named NAIA All-American the national office announced on Wednesday morning. OU linebacker, AJ Hemphill, was named AFCA NAIA First Team All-American. Running back, Wynton Ruth, was named to the NAIA Coaches' All-American – Third Team.
 
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. 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 two head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven 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.
 
Hemphill, a junior from Strasburg, Colo., is OU's ninth AFCA NAIA All-American selection and seventh First Team selection. He earned First Team All-KCAC honors in 2023 and was named KCAC Defensive Player of the Week once. Hemphill finished the season with 136 tackles (56 solo/80 assisted), 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass break ups, and one recovered fumble. Hemphill had a career high 18 tackles against Kansas Wesleyan University. He is ranked 13^th in the NAIA in solo tackles, third in assisted tackles (80), second in total tackles (136), and third in tackles per game (11.3).
 
Ruth, a senior from Little Rock, Ark., earned the football program's 100^th All-American honor with his NAIA Coaches' All-American Third Team selection.  He rushed for 1,237 yards on 187 attempts in 2023. Ruth averaged 6.6 yards per carry, scored 12 rushing touchdowns, and averaged 103.1 yards rushing per game. He also had 13 receptions for 116 yards and one receiving touchdown. Ruth is ranked 18^th in the NAIA in rush attempts (187), eighth in rushing yards (1,237), 11^th in rushing yards per game (103.1), 12^th in yards per rush (6.6), and 14^th in touchdowns (12).
 
Team Background: 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 — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively.
 
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 was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
 
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches' All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
 
AFCA NAIA Player Selection History: NAIA players who were selected to AFCA All-America teams were named to the AFCA College Division team from 1967-71. In 1972, the AFCA College Division was split to College I and College II. Players from NAIA Division I teams were placed in AFCA College I, while players from NAIA Division II were placed in AFCA College II. That process lasted until 1996, when College I and College II were renamed Division II and Division III. From 1996-2005, all NAIA players who were selected as AFCA All-Americans were placed on the AFCA Division II team. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.
 
For more information on the AFCA and its programs, visit www.afca.com and follow us on Twitter @WeAreAFCA.
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