PITTSBURG, Kan. (December 15, 2014) – The Don Hansen Football Committee released the 2014 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-Super Region Four squad, Dec. 15. Eleven Colorado State University-Pueblo student-athletes garnered 12 honors, while 10 players earned first team recognition.
Four members of the CSU-Pueblo football program earned yearly awards, as senior defensive end Darius Allen (Pueblo, Colo.) was honored as Regional Defensive Player of the Year, senior return specialist Stephan Dickens (Aurora, Colo.) was Regional Special Teams Player of the Year, true freshman fullback Grant Neal (Parker, Colo.) was Regional Freshman Player of the Year honors and ThunderWolves Head Coach John Wristen was named Regional Coach of the Year after leading CSU-Pueblo to an NCAA Division II National Championship Game.
Ferris State University quarterback Jason Vander Lann earned Regional Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen's Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
ThunderWolves named Don Hansen All-Super Region Four First Team Offense included, junior Cameron McDondle (RB, Littleton, Colo.), junior Kieran Duncan (WR, Goodyear, Ariz.), senior Scotland Coyle (C, Longmont, Colo.), junior Gary Dixon (OL, Fontana, Calif.) and junior Zach Martinez (OL, Redlands, Calif.).
First team defense honorees included Allen, junior Tony Campton (NG, Littleton, Colo.), sophomore Seth Brown (OLB, Colorado Springs, Colo.), Dickens and senior Jarrod Lacy (S, Boynton Beach, Fla.). Dickens was also named first team special teams.
The lone second team honoree was Neal.
The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2014 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named in January.
A total of 86 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-Super Region Four honors.
For the complete Don Hansen release, click HERE.
CSU-Pueblo was crowned NCAA Division II National Champions Dec. 20 after defeating No. 1 Minnesota State University, Mankato 13-0 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. The ThunderWolves finished the regular season with a program record 14-1 mark. The Pack earned their fourth consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship in 2014 with an 8-1 record to share the honor with Colorado School of Mines. The ThunderWolves entered their fourth straight NCAA Playoff appearance as the No. 2 seed in Super Region Four. After a first round bye, the Pack defeated No. 23 Angelo State University, 52-14. In the quarterfinals, CSU-Pueblo welcomed No. 9 Ohio Dominican University and used a fourth quarter punt return to record a 31-28 victory and advance to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history and the first time a RMAC team had reached the semifinals in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Pack punched their ticket to the national championship game with a 10-7 victory versus No. 25 University of West Georgia. The ThunderWolves finished the season with a perfect 6-0 record against nationally ranked opponents and finished the season No. 1 in the American Coaches Association Poll.
Darius Allen – Don Hansen Super Region Four Defensive Player of the Year and First Team Defense
Allen has earned All-American accolades from four different outlets this season to highlight a long list of awards, including Associate Press Little All-America Team, Daktronics Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, Daktronics First-Team All America, Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year (second consecutive year), American Football Coaches Association All-America, Beyond Sports Network All-America First Team, BSN All-Super Region Four Defensive Player of the Year, BSN All-Super Region Four First Team, Daktronics All-Super Region Four Defensive Player of the Year, Daktronics All-Region First Team, National Footbal Foundation Colorado Chapter Defensive Player of the Year and All-NFFCC First Team, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-RMAC First Team Defense.
Allen finished the regular season with nine sacks (-42 yards) to rank second in the RMAC, while his 14 tackles for loss (-54 yards) ranked fifth in the league. He totaled 43 tackles (22 solo), forced three fumbles (T-2nd in RMAC) and recovered two fumbles (T-8th in RMAC). The senior also added a pass break-up. He totaled five or more tackles six times in 2014. Allen recorded 3.5 sacks (-11 yards) at Sam Houston State University and three sacks (-21 yards) at Colorado School of Mines. He guided a ThunderWolves defense to a top 10 finish nationally in scoring defense (4th – 13.0 ppg) and team sacks (6th – 3.5 spg). Allen was named RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 15.
In four postseason games, Allen recorded 29 tackles (17 solo), nine tackles for loss (-47 yards), 6.5 sacks (-40 yards), two forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble.
Stephan Dickens – Don Hansen Super Region Four Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team Defense
Dickens led the nation in punt returns with 20.9 yards per return. He totaled 460 yards on 22 returns. He returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown Nov. 1 against Black Hills State. On the defensive side, Dickens racked up 54 tackles (30 solo) to rank fourth on the team. His seven interceptions led the RMAC and ranked eighth in the nation. He returned those seven picks a total of 27 yards, which included a 30-yard touchdown at Western New Mexico University (Sept. 27). He added five pass breakups to total 12 passes defended and 4.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards). The senior recorded 12 tackles (seven solo), a tackle for loss and an interception versus Chadron State College (Oct. 18). He was named Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2014. Dickens is three-time All-RMAC First Team Defense selection (2011, 2013, 2014), while this season was the first time he earned special teams recognition (first team). He was named Daktronics All-America First Team Defense, BSN All-America First Team Defense, while also earning second team recognition for his punt returning abilities. Dickens was also named Daktronics All-Super Region Four First Team Defense and Special Teams, 2014 BSN All-Super Region Four Special Teams Player of the Year, BSN all-region first team defense and special teams.
In four playoff games, Dickens totaled 25 tackles (16 solo) with a tackle for loss (-1 yard) and five break-ups (matching his 2014 season total). He returned his second punt for a touchdown against Angelo State, a 90-yard return. Dickens fielded 11 punts for 184 yards (16.7 yards per return).
Grant Neal – Don Hansen Super Region Four Freshman of the Year and Second Team Offense
Neal played in all 15 games, starting nine. He led the way for a CSU-Pueblo rushing attack that finished the regualr season first in the RMAC (197.5 ypg). The true freshamn was also an extention of an offensive line that only allowed 1.09 sacks per game during the regular season to finish first in the league and 17th in the nation. Neal was a driving force in C. McDondle's program record 2,014 yards rushing. Neal totaled six rushing attempts for 13 yards and caught five passes for 39 yards. Also added four tackles (two solo) on special teams.
John Wristen – Don Hansen Super Region Four Coach of the Year
In just seven seasons, CSU-Pueblo Head Coach John Wristen turned a revitalized football program into NCAA Division II National Champions. With a program record 14-1 season in 2014, Wristen guided the ThunderWovles to the national championship game where they defeated No. 1 Minnesota State 13-0. In those seven seasons, Wristen has accumulated a 68-16 (.810) overall and 51-12 (.810) RMAC record. A four-time RMAC Coach of the Year honoree, Wristen guided the ThunderWolves to their fourth straight RMAC Championship in 2014, as the Pack posted an 8-1 record to share the title with Colorado School of Mines. The ThunderWolves earned the No. 2 seed in Super Region Four this season to post their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Playoffs. The Pack have also finished the regular season in the top 10 in each of the last four years. He is also a 2011 National Coach of the Year Award recipient by the American Football Monthly magazine.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
