WICHITA FALLS, Texas – The West Liberty University football program has produced another NCAA Division II All-American.
Senior tight end Daree Goodwin earned a share of the national spotlight on Tuesday when he was honored as a second-team selection on the 2015 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-America squad.
The D2CCA All-America Team is selected by a nationwide vote of the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors.
Goodwin and Urbana senior D’Gary Wallace were the only Mountain East Conference players included on the 2015 All-America honor roll. Wallace was a second-team selection at linebacker.
A sure-handed 6-4, 235-pounder from Wheeling, W.Va., Goodwin was a matchup nightmare for Mountain East Conference defensive coordinators throughout the 2015 season.
He led the MEC and ranked among the Top 10 nationally with 13 touchdown catches. A big-play specialist, more than half of his touchdown grabs came on plays of 20 yards or longer and the converted wide receiver had more than his share of highlight-reel receptions.
Despite being limited by injuries during the second half of the season, Goodwin still led the Hilltoppers and ranked near the top of the MEC charts with 58 catches for 916 yards.
The first-team All-MEC tight end caught at least one touchdown pass in 9 of West Liberty’s 11 games and was honored as the MEC Offensive Player of the Week after catching five passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in aSept. 24 rout of Urbana.
Goodwin had four 100-yard receiving games during his senior season, including a career-high 10-catch, 158-yard performance in an Oct. 22 outing against Notre Dame (Ohio).
Ferris State senior quarterback Jason Vander Laan was selected as the Ron Lenz Offensive Player of the Year while Grand Valley State (Mich.) defensive end Matt Judon was the Ron Lenz Defensive Player of the Year.
