WACO, Texas - Kendrioun Boatman of the Belhaven Football team has been named a First Team All-American in Division III by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Boatman earns his first ever All-America nod after anchoring the right side of the Belhaven offensive line during the most successful season in program history. The Blazers' go-to right tackle for five seasons, Boatman and the Blazers won their first ever outright conference title in 2023 taking home the USA South Football title and reaching the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time.

The McAdams, Mississippi native helped the Blazers' offense to a historic season as they rushed for 270.5 yards per game, a top five mark nationally. As a unit, the Blazers' offensive line allowed just four sacks in 11 games with Boatman recording 75 knockdowns and being credited with zero sacks allowed as an individual. 

The Belhaven offensive averaged 35.8 points per game during the 2023 campaign and 429.5 yards of offense per contest. Per play, the Blazers averaged 6.7 yards while Boatman and the Blazers' offensive line helped block for a rushing attack that tallied 6.1 yards per carry.

In addition to his AFCA All-America nod, Boatman was named to the D3football.com All-Region III Second Team Offense and was named to the USA South Athletic Conference First Team Offense. Prior to the start of the year, Boatman was named a Preseason All-American for D3football.com. 

Boatman is the Blazers first ever AFCA First Team All-American and first First Team All-American at the Division III level from any publication. Carlton Brown was the Blazers' first ever AFCA All-American earning a second team nod in 2021.

From the AFCA

"The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen.

From 1967 through 1971, two teams – University Division and College Division – were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II.

In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA.

In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. The AFCA began selecting an NAIA-only team in 2006. Also in 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively.

From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.

Selection Process: 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 Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches' All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate."

To view the full release from the AFCA click here. 

For the latest news on Belhaven Blazers athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. To support Belhaven Athletics check out Team Green Giving.