Jefferson Picks Up D2CCA First Team All-American Honors
Findlay, Ohio – On Thursday, Dec. 19, the Division II Conference Commissioners Association released its 2019 Football All-America teams, as voted on by the nation's Sports Information and Athletic Communications personnel. University of Findlay safety Christopher Jefferson was an overwhelming selection for first-team all-America status as a safety, receiving 26 of the 65 first-place votes among the eight players eligible for nomination. Jefferson is the first Findlay player named D2CCA All-American since Andrew Alten in 2017 and is just the third player all-time at Findlay to garner the award.
Jefferson, who was just named Associated Press (AP) First Team All-American yesterday, is the only player from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) on the first team.
The Euclid, Ohio native exploded onto the scene this season, earning a starting role after filling in as a backup in his freshman season. In the inaugural game of the 2019 season, Jefferson finished with five tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and an incredible leaping interception against the second-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs.
His season continued to improve as midway through the year he went on a stretch where he recorded seven interceptions over a four-game stretch to quickly make a name for himself on the national scene. Jefferson, a two-time recipient of the league's Defensive Player of the Week honors, would end the year with nine interceptions, tying the Findlay school record. Those nine picks are also tied for the most in the country, regardless of NCAA division, and helped the Oilers defense to a turnover margin that ranked seventh in the country.
Jefferson, who was also named first-team all-conference and all-region, rounded out his year with 62 tackles, fourth on the team, and recorded one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a conference-leading 1.4 passes defended per game.