JD Leman earns two All-American selections

Wheaton,

Ill. (12/15) - Wheaton College senior J.D. Leman (Champaign,

Ill./Central) continues to receive honors for his stellar effort on the gridiron

this season. Leman, a senior linebacker for the Thunder football team, has

earned two All-American selections this week by various Division III football

outlets. Today Leman was named to the D3Football.com "Team of the Year"

First Team. Earlier in the week Leman was selected as a Third-Team linebacker

on the 23rd Annual Hewlett-Packard Division III All-American Team.

At the conclusion of the season Leman was honored by the coaches of the College

Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) as the CCIW "Co-Defensive Player

of the Year". The talented senior linebacker helped lead a Wheaton team that

finished the season with an 8-2 record and a 6-1 mark in CCIW play for a share

of the conference championship.

On

the season Leman tallied a team-best 116 total tackles, including 85 solo

tackles. He made 13 tackles for lost yardage (-57 yards) with four quarterback

sacks (-33 yards). The athletic outside linebacker also made three interceptions,

had 12 passes broken up, forced six quarterback hurries with two fumble recoveries.

Leman totaled double-digits in total tackles in four of Wheaton's last five

games of the season as he helped the Thunder's drive toward the CCIW Championship.

He tallied nine or more total tackles in eight of Wheaton's ten games in the

2000 season.

On October

30 he was named the CCIW "Defensive Player of the Week" for his stellar effort

in Wheaton's 28-24 win at Elmhurst on October 28. In that game Leman made

15 total tackles, including 12 solo tackles with three tackles for loss (-4

yards), a fumble recovery and a game-saving pass interception with 00:53 left

in the game to end a Blue Jay rally and secure the win for the Thunder.

Leman earned

one of his two D3Football.com "Team of the Week" honors for his effort

in the win at Elmhurst. His other "Team of the Week" selection came for his

effort in Wheaton's 37-30 two-overtime win at Augustana. In that game Leman

made 19 total tackles, including 12 solo tackles and two tackles for lost

yardage (-8 yards) with a quarterback sack (-5 yards). He also recovered a

fumble, tallied one quarterback hurry and had a pass broken-up in only Wheaton's

second win at Augustana since 1978. His effort at Augustana also earned him

one of his two nods as a Division III "Defensive Player of the Week" as selected

by Football Gazette. His other selection by Football Gazette came for

his effort in Wheaton's 35-21 win over fellow CCIW Tri-Champion Illinois Wesleyan.

In the win over the Titans Leman made nine total tackles with seven solo tackles,

a tackle for lost yardage (-5 yards), an interception and two passes broken

up.