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Jan. 4, 2010
IUP cornerback and return specialist Akwasi Owusu-Ansah has been selected to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game, becoming the first IUP player chosen to participate in a predominantly Division I all-star game since Leander Jordan was named to the Blue-Gray roster in 1999. However, Owusu-Ansah will not be able to compete in the January 23 game in Orlando due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the season finale versus Kutztown and subsequent surgery this winter. Still, he joins an elite list of football greats such as John Elway, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and 62 NFL Hall of Famers who have been chosen for America's longest-running college football all-star game. Owusu-Ansah was also named a first team All-American as an all-purpose player by the American Football Coaches Association and was on the Associated Press Little All-America second team at cornerback, a team that encompasses all NCAA and NAIA levels below the Football Bowl Subdivision. Owusu-Ansah is the 16th different IUP player named to the AFCA All-America team, a total topped only by Texas A&M-Kingsville's 28 among Division II schools. IUP has had a player on the team in 14 of the past 24 seasons including three of the past four. Jason Capizzi earned a spot on the team in 2006 and Terrence Jackson was selected a year ago. In 2009 Owusu-Ansah ranked 10th in the nation in kickoff return average at 29.7 and 15th in punt return average at 12.5 and scored five touchdowns. He had punt returns for touchdowns versus California (53 yards), Edinboro (70) and Lock Haven (55) and kickoff returns for scores versus Southern Connecticut State (89) and Edinboro (78). In his career, Owusu-Ansah scored a total of nine touchdowns, including four punt returns, three kickoff returns and one interception and one fumble return. He holds school records for punt return yards (788), punt return average (11.4) and kickoff return average (1,282). On defense, he had two interceptions in 2009 and a total of 10 in his career. He made eight interceptions as a junior in 2008, including seven over the final four games of the season and three versus Gannon, the most by an IUP player since 1991. |
