Williams, Zerkel and Smith earn All-American honors

Don Hansen's All-America Team | D2football.com All-America Team

Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern's Brandon Williams, Landon Zerkel and Kenny Smith were all named to Don Hansen's All-America team today, while Williams was also named to the d2football.com All-America team, as well. 

Williams was a first-team pick to both Don Hansen's list and d2football.com. Zerkel was a third-team pick on Hansen's list, while Smith was an honorable mention pick. 

Williams is named to his third and fourth different All-America teams (Coaches, AP, Don Hansen and d2football.com), while picking up All-Region honors from the SID's, Daktronics and Don Hansen. He was a unanimous first-team All-MIAA pick after being named a pre-season All-American, as well. This year, Williams finished third in the MIAA in sacks (8), while ranking second in tackles for a loss. He ranked 13th nationally in tackles for a loss and 19th in sacks. His eight sacks this year is tied for fourth in a single-season, and his 18.5 career sacks rank third all-time. He needs just two to move into second and five to be the all-time sacks leader at Southern. 

Zerkel earns his first All-American nod after being named a first-team All-MIAA pick this year, finishing the season as the MIAA leader in receptions per game and in receiving yards per game. He ranked fourth and sixth nationally in each of those categories. He finished this season second all-time in career pass receptions (172) and needs just 78 to tie Colin Bado for No. 1 all-time. His 2,433 career receiving yards rank third all time and he needs just 357 to move into second and 690 to pass Rod Smith for tops in that category. His 17 career receiving touchdowns rank fourth all-time and he sits just one from tying for third and four from tying for second all-time. His 77 catches this year rank third all-time in a single-season, as well as his 1,047 receiving yards. 

Smith was one of the best interior lineman in the MIAA, as well as all of Division II this season. He was sixth in the MIAA in sacks per game (0.60), as well as ranking fifth in the MIAA in tackles for a loss. He also ranks 64th nationally in TFL. He helped the Lions tie a school record with nine sacks in a single game earlier in the season.