Football | 12/11/2023 3:29:01 PM
Defensive back Raylens Boutin of SUNY Brockport and defensive lineman John Stroughn of Utica University were named to the 2022 American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Division III All-America team on Monday, December 11. Boutin, a senior, earned first team accolades, while Stroughn, a graduate student, garnered second team plaudits.
Boutin was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, while earning his third All-Empire 8 first team selection and third D3football.com All-Region accolade. He led a Brockport defensive unit that is third in Division III, allowing just 212.2 total yards per game. In addition, the Brockport defense is 11th in DIII, allowing just 140.4 passing yards per contest and ninth, allowing just 12.3 points per game. Boutin, a native of Nyack, NY, finished the year with 51 tackles, including 35 solo stops to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pair of interceptions and nine passes defended. In addition, Boutin earned All-region second team honors as a return specialist. He averaged 16.3 yards per punt return, which is fifth-best nationally with five returns over 30 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Throughout his career, Boutin has made plays all over the secondary for Brockport's nationally recognized defensive unit. In total he has racked up 172 tackles (127 solo), 14 interceptions, 39 pass breakups, two blocked kicks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He has found the endzone for the Golden Eagles on six different occasions throughout his career. This includes four interceptions returned for a touchdown, with two coming in the same game against Framingham State back in 2019.
Boutin becomes Brockport's first AFCA All-American since 2021 and is now the 58th player in program history to become an All-American for the Golden Eagles.
Brockport football finished the 2023 campaign at 8-3 overall and 5-1 in Empire 8 play. The squad made its seventh consecutive postseason berth, by earning a chance to play in the ECAC's Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game against Carnegie Mellon to close out the year.
Stroughn is one of eight defensive linemen honored with All-American honors this season. He becomes Utica's third AFCA All-American, joining
Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) (2022 First Team) and Thomas Woodburn (2015 First Team). A native of Baldwin, NY, Stroughn, who previously earned All-Empire 8 first team honors and D3football.com All-Region second team plaudits, recorded 62 total tackles, 27 of which solo and 35 assisted. The graduate student also registered eight sacks which were the most in the Empire 8 this season along with his running mate on the d-line, Doug Simmons.
Stroughn ranks first all-time in Utica’s program history with 13 quarterback hurries, second all-time with 23 sacks, and third all-time with 37.5 tackles for loss. He helped lead Utica to 19 wins over the last two seasons. Prior to the season, Stroughn was named an Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team nominee for his work within the community as well as in the classroom.
Utica finished the year with an 9-2 record and won the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl.
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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