Football | 3/23/2018 2:54:00 PM

2017 DON HANSEN DIVISION II ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

BROOKFIELD, Ill. - Redshirt junior defensive lineman Jake Klinger (Berwick, Pa./Central Columbia) of the Bloomsburg University football team has been named a Don Hansen Division II First Team All-American as announced on Friday afternoon. It adds to his already-lengthy list of postseason accolades after his monster breakout season in 2017.

Klinger, who earlier this offseason was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division First Team, to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region 1 Second Team, and to the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1 First Team, was a tremendous force on the Huskies' defensive line as he helped Bloomsburg to a 7-4 overall record last season.

The defensive tackle led the Huskies with career-highs in total tackles (69), tackles for a loss (22.0), and quarterback sacks (11.0). His 22 tackles for a loss surpassed Justin Shirk's 21.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage during the 2014 season and is the most by a Bloomsburg player in at least 18 years. Klinger had 18.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks over the last seven weeks of the regular season. He recorded at least one tackle in all 11 games, at least one tackle for a loss nine times, and at least one sack on six different occasions. He posted a career-best five tackles for a loss in the win at Millersville on September 30 and recorded a career-high three sacks in the win at East Stroudsburg on October 21. Klinger was also named the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week after posting nine total tackles, four tackles for a loss, two quarterback sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a 16-point victory over Clarion in the final game of the regular season.

The redshirt junior finished second overall in the PSAC, and led the PSAC East, in both tackles for a loss and sacks during the 2017 campaign. He entered the season with 23 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and one quarterback sack in his first two seasons combined. He did miss all but two games of the 2016 season due to a season-ending injury.

The Huskies closed out the 2017 season with a 7-4 record - Bloomsburg's 19th consecutive winning season dating back to 1999. It is the third-longest streak in PSAC history, behind West Chester's 31 (1940-42, 1945-72) and Clarion's 22 (1964-85). The 19 straight seasons with at least six victories, however, continues a PSAC record. Bloomsburg has now posted a winning record in 23 of the last 24 years.