D.J. Coker '19, a business major from Buford, GA, has been named to the 2017 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America second team by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best—the coaches themselves.
Coker, representing Rhodes' offensive line, is the only junior to garner the award on either the first or second team. Coker was also named first team All-SAA and earned the first d3football.com All-South Region nod for a Rhodes offensive lineman. Rhodes' offense averaged 517 yards in the last five games of the season and tallied 4,686 yards of total offense for a season average of 468.6 yards per game. Coker helped his quarterback rank second in the nation for total offensive yards with 16 rushing touchdowns and 1,111 rushing yards.
"D.J. was a force this year for our offense," says head coach Jim Ryan. "He has size and speed, and was often downfield 40 or more yards finishing blocks. He is also one of the finest young men I've had the pleasure to coach and is the embodiment of a true student-athlete."
