Football | 12/13/2022 3:21:23 PM
Wide receiver Nate Palmer of Utica University and defensive back Joshua Cordero of the SUNY Cortland were named to the 2022 American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Division III All-America team on Tuesday, December 13. Palmer, a graduate-student, earned first team accolades, while Cordero, a senior garnered second team plaudits.
Palmer, the 2022 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year recorded 75 catches and set single-season program records with 1,291 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. Palmer's 120 points recorded this season also rank first all-time in a single-season in program history. His 75 receptions rank third all-time in a single-season and he finished fifth all-time for total touchdowns in a season with 20. A model of consistency, Palmer finished with eight 100-yard games receiving this season and scored at least one touchdown in 11 games for the Pioneers. Beyond E8 Offensive Player of the Year honors, Verona, NY native was also named to the All-Empire 8 First Team as a wide receiver and all-purpose player, the All-Empire 8 Second Team as a return specialist, and to the D3football.com All-Region 2 First Team as a wide receiver.
He was also selected to participate in the NFL Scouted FCS Bowl in Daytona Beach, Florida on December 11 which gave the top FCS/DII/DIII players a direct path to play in a top FBS game. Palmer was also one of 15 semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy which is awarded to the best player in NCAA Division III.
Utica made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2022, finishing with a 10-2 mark. The Pioneers defeated Susquehanna in the NCAA Tournament, while their 10 wins are a school record.
Cordero is one of eight defensive backs recognized on the AFCA All-America squad. He is the ninth Cortland player overall, and first since 2019, to earn AFCA All-America honors since the organization first started choosing a college-division level team in the mid 1960s.
Cordero, an All-E8 first team and D3football.com All-Region first team pick, started all 11 games and finished the season with 39 tackles, six interceptions and seven pass breakups. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns, tied for first nationally in Division III. He tied a school single-season record for defensive touchdowns, and he matched a school single-game record with three interceptions in a win over The College of New Jersey.
Cortland finished the year with an 9-2 record. The Red Dragons repeated as outright Empire 8 champions with a 6-0 mark and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The AFCA's Division III All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen. The AFCA All-American Team is the only post season accolade that is selected by the coaches, marking this award as truly significant, as it is selected by the people who know the players the best.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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