By Brian Ramsey
OBU Sports Information

BROOKFIELD, Ill. — The honors list for Ouachita Baptist University football players TJ Cole and Peyton Stafford became longer on Monday as the Don Hansen Football Committee named both to its All-America honorable mention team.

This is the third All-America honor this season for Cole. The Texarkana, Texas native was named to the AFCA All-America First Team and the D2Football.com Elite 100 All-America Second Team. In 2021, the junior running back broke the Great American Conference single-season rushing record, ending up with 1,530 yards on 236 carries. He was responsible for 18 touchdowns, and finished the year with nine games out of 11 with at least 100 yards.

This is the second All-America honor for Stafford after earning a spot on the D2 Conference Commissioners All-America Second Team. The junior from Amarillo, Texas was Ouachita’s best offensive lineman in 2021, grading out at 90 percent for the season with an average of just over 11 domination blocks per game. He did not allow a sack all season. Stafford led Ouachita to a top five finish in the nation in rushing offense, sacks allowed, and tackles for loss allowed.

The namesake for the Don Hansel All-America team was a long-time advocate for small college football, publishing a national weekly gazette for three decades. He began selecting All-America teams in 1988.