WACO, Texas (MacBulldogs.com) – The accolades keep rolling in for junior safety Nehemiah Figueroa as he was named a 2023 AFCA NAIA Second-Team All-American, the American Football Coaches Association announced Wednesday morning (Dec. 13). Figueroa was also named to the All-KCAC First-Team last month.
Figueroa’s first season with the Bulldogs was one to remember, finishing with a team-high six interceptions, a mark that placed him tied for third in the NAIA. He also recorded 55 total tackles, including 39 solo stops and four tackles for a loss.
“We are extremely proud of Nehemiah,” head coach Jeremiah Fiscus said. “It has been a process to get him to where he wants to be, but this award is a culmination of all of the hard work that he has put in since he got to McPherson.”
The Boyertown, Pa. native got his season started with four interceptions in the first three games, including a career day in the second game of the year that saw him pick off a pair of passes late to seal the comeback victory over Sterling, while recovering a fumble early on. That performance led to being named KCAC and NAIA defensive player of the week.
Figueroa is the third Bulldog in the last four years to receive AFCA All-American honors, joining Jonathan White and Melvin Reid.
The organization 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.
The AFCA’s NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two head coaches 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.
