D2FOOTBALL.COM NAMES VISSER TO ITS ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Ferris State Defensive Lineman Garners Another Postseason Honor

Ferris State University football player Jake Visser (Coopersville) was recently honored as a 2006 honorable mention All-America selection by D2Football.com.

The D2Football.com All-America teams were chosen by the staff of D2Football.com with the input of coaches, sports information directors, and members of the media. D2Football.com is an online news service and the only national media source devoted entirely to the promoting and covering of Division II football.

The sophomore defensive tackle was second among Ferris State's 2006 season tackles leaders with 86 stops (52 solos) as an 11-game starter. The 2006 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) selection registered a team-leading 16.0 tackles for minus 74 yards, which included a conference-high 10.5 pass sacks for a loss of 62 yards. Visser posted a season-best 12 tackles (seven solos) against Michigan Tech (10/7) while garnering nine stops apiece (five solos) in road encounters versus Kentucky State (9/2) and Mercyhurst (9/9). The 2006 Daktronics, Inc. All-Northwest Region First-Team honoree preserved the Bulldogs' 26-23 conference win over then nationally fifth-ranked Saginaw Valley State (9/16) with a fumble recovery in the final half minute of Ferris' home opener and concluded the contest with eight tackles (four solos).

A two-time (2005-06) FSU Most Valuable Defensive Lineman, Visser's sacks total this fall represented the sixth-highest number on the Bulldogs' all-time single-season leaders list. The 6-2, 265-pound lineman ranked ninth among the final 2006 NCAA Division II statistical leaders in pass sacks (1.0 avg.), 30th in solo tackles (4.7 avg.), and 35th in tackles for loss (1.5 avg.).

In 23 career outings, Visser has accumulated 184 tackles (95 solos) with 24 tackles for a loss of 103 yards to go with three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and three pass breakups. He's currently 16th on Ferris' all-time pass sacks leaders chart with 14.5 total for a minus 84 yards.

Visser and senior cornerback Jim Skodak (Lennon/Corunna) were chosen to D2Football.com's 2006 All-Northwest Region Second Team in December.

Ferris State, which turned its best record since 1996 at 8-3-0 overall for the 2006 season, also finished ranked 22nd nationally in the final 2006 D2Football.com Top 25 Media Poll.