By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team placed two players on the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-American team, with senior return specialist James Letcher Jr. and senior linebacker Grant Bruner earning first-team accolades.
Washburn senior James Letcher Jr. has received his seventh All-America honor as an Ichabod, earning first-team All-D2CCA recognition as a return specialist. [File photo]
Washburn senior linebacker Grant Bruner has received first-team All-America honors from the D2CCA, Bruner's first All-America honor as an Ichabod. [File photo]
The award is Bruner's first All-American award at Washburn and it is Letcher's seventh as an Ichabod, including being a repeat selection on the D2CCA All-American first-team as a return specialist.
The award is voted on by the division's athletic communication and sports information staffs across the country.
A repeat D2CCA first-team all-region selection at return specialist in 2022, Letcher is the two-time MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year as well as a two-time first-team All-MIAA return specialist.
Letcher averaged 26.0 yards per punt return on 11 attempts with two touchdowns, including an 89-yard return against Missouri Southern in the season finale.
Letcher was also a second-team D2CCA all-region pick at wide receiver in 2022.
Letcher was a second-team D2CCA wide receiver selection in 2021 and this season he led the MIAA in receiving with 80 receptions, 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 13.5 yards per catch and a league-best 7.3 receptions per game tallying 97.8 yards per game receiving.
Overall, Letcher had 24 more catches and 344 receiving yards than anyone else in the league.
Letcher has been a three-time All-MIAA selection at wide receiver with two first-team selections and a three-time selection as a return specialist.
Letcher also led the league in all-purpose yards with 1,575 averaging 143.2 yards per game -- more than 42 yards ahead of the next closest player.
Bruner earned first-team All-MIAA and first-team D2CCA all-region honors at linebacker in 2022 as he leads the nation with 137 tackles, including a nation-best 80 solo tackles while averaging 12.5 tackles per game.
His tackle total in 2022 of 137 is third on the Ichabod all-time single-season list and his assisted tackle total of 80 is third on the single-season chart.
Bruner is a six-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and a two-time All-MIAA player.
Past D2CCA All-American selections
2022 Grant Bruner, LB, 1st
2022 James Letcher, Jr., RS, 1st
2021 James Letcher, Jr., RS, 1st
2011 Dane Simoneau, QB, 1st
2010 Steve Ivanisevic, PK, 2nd
2009 Zach Watkins, LB, 2nd
2007 Cary Williams, DB, 1st
2005 Fletcher Terrell, DB, 1st
2005 Rudy Sué, OL, 2nd
2005 Grant Gould, LB, 2nd
1995 Michael Dritlein, WR, 2nd
