JaQuan Hardy has been named AFCA Second Team All American.
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 Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three 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 teams are chosen.
Hardy is the lone GMAC football player represented on the two teams. The honor adds to the recognition Hardy has received after a sensational junior season in which he was named 2019 GMAC Player of the Year, First Team All-GMAC, and three-time GMAC Offensive Player of the Week. In addition, he was 1st in GMAC and 3rd in DII with 1,554 total rushing yards; 1st in GMAC and 6th in DII with 7.62 yards per carry, 1st in GMAC and 7th in DII with 141.3 rushing yards per game, and tied for 1st in GMAC and 10th in DII with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Hardy's AFCA honor is the first such honor for a TU football player since 1993 when TU Hall of Fame inductee Brian Diliberto was named as a running back as well.
Hardy's season was also historic. His 1554 rushing yards was most in TU's Division II history, second-most all-time at TU, and tied for highest total in GMAC history. His 141.3 yards per game broke the program's DII record by over 40 ypg and also set a new GMAC record. He continued to rewrite the GMAC record book with 7.62 yards per carry, while his 15 rushing touchdowns is the most in TU DII history, third all-time at TU, and tied for fifth in GMAC history. He also set a program-record and GMAC record 94-yard touchdown run against Walsh on Sept. 21.
He helped lead the Dragons to the GMAC Championship with a 7-0 conference record (9-2 overall) and the first NCAA Championships appearance in program history. The team also posted back-to-back nine-win seasons for just the second time in program history (2006, 07).