SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – Susquehanna University senior defensive end and Middle Atlantic Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./ Westminster H.S.) and near consensus All-American and freshman cornerback Antonio Nash (Washington, D.C./Spring Brook, Md., H.S.) are on the 1999 Lutheran Brotherhood Lutheran College All-American Football First Team. Junior center and first-team Academic All-America Dave Wonderlick (Shenandoah/ Shenandoah Valley H.S.) is a second-team selection, while junior offensive tackle and unanimous MAC Commonwealth League first-team All-Star Randy Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.) is an honorable mention selection.
Lutheran colleges from the Division I-AA, II, III, and NAIA levels nominated players for the team. Twenty-four players were named to the first team, with another 24 being second team selections. Twenty-three of 41 colleges were represented by either first or second team players. NCAA Division III national champion Pacific Lutheran University led all schools with six players chosen for the team.
Candidates for the 1999 Lutheran Brotherhood Lutheran College All-American football team were nominated by sports information directors at their institutions. Nominations
were then reviewed by a committee that included: three SIDs representing each region of
the country, two former sports writers, a former NCAA recruiter, and representatives of Lutheran Brotherhood. All-American team members were chosen based on a wide range of criteria including: personal statistics and honors, team statistics, division of play and personal character.
Lutheran Brotherhood is a member-owned fraternal benefit society of 1.1 million Lutherans joined together for financial security, benevolent outreach and volunteer service. The mission of Lutheran Brotherhood is to work together to provide financial security for members and to serve Lutherans, their congregations, institutions and communities.
The 6-2, 235-pound Bowers was the MAC's Defensive Lineman of the Year, as well as a repeat MAC Commonwealth League First Team All-Star. He was also a second-team All-South Region pick by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.
The 6-2, 235-pounder led the team with 16 tackles for losses of 68 yards, including a team best seven quarterback sacks, among his 35 tackles (24 solo). He also had a team high three blocked kicks, including a field goal in the championship-clinching 27-20 win at Albright, as
well as a pass break-up. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Week for his play in the 27-7 win at MAC total offense leader Juniata on October 9. Bowers finished his Crusader football career second in career tackles for loss with 42 for 177 yards (Record: 43 for 152, John Heim, 1990-92), and fourth in career sacks with 19.5 (Record: 24, Heim, 1990-92). He had 114 tackles in his career.
A mathematics major, Bowers is the son of Dennis and Pamela Bowers.
The Division III Defensive Back of the Year by Don Hansen's Football Gazette, Nash made three of four Division III All-American Teams, earning first-team in two of them, and was also named to the Little All-American Second Team by the Associated Press. The MAC Commonwealth League Rookie of the Year, as well as a first-team league All-Star at defensive back, and a second-team All-Star as a return specialist, he was also Susquehanna's defensive and special teams player of the year. The 5-9, 170-pounder tied the school record for season interceptions with 10 (Other Record Holders: Mike Fabian, 1971; Cory Mabry, 1988; Jeremy Zeisloft, 1996), leading the MAC while tying for third in NCAA Division III (1.0 per
game). Nash also led the team in pass break-ups with seven, also blocking a kick and posting 50 tackles (33 solo) — two of them for losses of two yards. He also led the MAC and was tied for 17th in Division III punt return average at 13.2.
An accounting major, he is the son of Joann and Sampson, Nash, Jr.
A 1999 GTE Academic All-America College Division Football First Team selection and a second-team MAC Commonwealth League All-Star, Wonderlick was also recipient of the team's Bob Pittello Offensive Lineman of the Year Award this year. In his first season as a full-time starter, the 5-10, 245-pounder became one of the top performers on a line which helped Susquehanna finish second in MAC rushing offense (163.5 yards per game), and fifth overall (345.7 yards per game). Wonderlick did not allow a sack in 289 pass plays, giving up just three-and-a-half hurries. He was a key member as the offensive line that was the team's Gus Weber Crusader Players of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral Family Restaurant in Shamokin Dam, in a 27-7 win at Juniata on October 9. The line led a punishing attack which rolled up 285 yards rushing, 28 first downs and didn't allow a sack, while keeping the ball for 37:28 against
A Juniata defense which was ranked 11th in NCAA Division III against the rush (61.8 yards per game) at the time.
Wonderlick is the top student in the junior class with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average as a communications/theatre arts major. Named one of the team's tri-captains for the
2000 season, he is the son of Len and Louise Wonderlick.
Zook has been a unanimous first-team MAC Commonwealth League All-Star each of the last two seasons, and also was also an honorable mention selection on the "Team of the Year" by D3football.com, as well as a repeat pick to the All-South Region Team by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. The 6-5, 260-pounder had 16 knockdown blocks and also helped key the aforementioned success of the Crusader offense.
Also chosen a team captain for the 200 season, Zook is a public relations major and the son of Raymond and Joann Zook.
These four players helped Susquehanna repeat as MAC Commonwealth League champions while posting the program's third-straight winning season and 14th-straight non-losing season – going 7-3 overall and 4-1 in league play. Under 10th-year head coach Steve Briggs, the Crusaders posted their best record since 1992 and were ranked 40th in the final regular-season Division III rankings by Football Gazette.
The complete 1999 Lutheran Brotherhood Lutheran College All-American follows:
1999 Lutheran Brotherhood Lutheran College All-American teams
