BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Eight Patriot League football student-athletes earned 2023 DI FCS All-America honors when it was announced by the Associated Press (AP). The eight honorees are the most selected to the AP All-America teams in League history. 
 
Two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Dobbs (5th-year, LB) of Holy Cross and teammate Jalen Coker (Sr., WR), a three-time All-Patriot League honoree, received First Team AP All-America recognition.
 
Lafayette sophomore running back Jamar Curtis and senior linebacker Billy Shaeffer, and Crusaders’ senior offensive lineman Luke Newman garnered second-team accolades. Holy Cross senior quarterback Matthew Sluka, the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, teammate Jordan Fuller (Jr., RB) and Lafayette senior defensive back Saiku White made the third team.
AP STORY
 
AP FCS All-America First Team
WR - Jalen Coker, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB – Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, 5th-year
 
AP FCS All-America Second Team
RB – Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, So.
OL – Luke Newman, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB – Billy Shaeffer, Lafayette, Sr.
 
AP FCS All-America Third Team
QB – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB – Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Jr.
DB – Saiku White, Lafayette, Jr.
 
Holy Cross Names Five to AP FCS All-America Team
Five Holy Cross football student-athletes earned Associated Press FCS All-America honors this season. Coker had the most touchdown receptions in all of FCS during the regular season, with 15 on the year; his 1,040 receiving yards ranked fifth in the nation. Dobbs, who became a two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year this season, also became a four-time All-Patriot League honoree this season. Named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, Dobbs ranked as one of the most elite defensive players in the nation in 2023, totaling 123 tackles (63 solo), 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles and 14 quarterback hurries in nine games.
 
Newman started all 11 games at left tackle for the Crusaders. He led one of the top offensive lines in all of FCS, with Holy Cross ranking in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense (third, 264.2 yards per game), total offense (fourth, 466.6 yards per game) and scoring offense (sixth, 36.9 points per game). 
 
Sluka, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award who finished fourth in voting, was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned a spot on the All-Patriot League squad for the third straight year. In 2023, he completed 122 of his 197 passes (62%) for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 1,247 yards – third-most in single-season program history and most by a Division I quarterback this year – and nine touchdowns. Fuller was named the New England Football Writers' Agganis/Zimman Award winner as the most outstanding player in New England. This year, he became a two-time All-Patriot League selection after earning first-team honors. In 2023, Fuller led the nation with 19 total touchdowns, including a school-record 18 rushing touchdowns.
HOLY CROSS RELEASE
 
Three Leopards Named to Associated Press All-America Teams
2023 Patriot League co-champion Lafayette placed three student-athletes on the Associated Press FCS All-America squad. Heading that list was sophomore running back Jamar Curtis, who was named to the AP Second-Team Offense. The Waldorf, Md. native finished second in the nation in rushing, grinding out 1,460 yards to set a Lafayette single-season rushing record. 
 
Senior linebacker Billy Shaeffer led the Leopards and the conference with 10 sacks (0.83 per game) to end the season tied for 10th in the nation. It was the most sacks for a Leopard since 2000 and the second-most ever in a season at Lafayette. The Warrington, Pa. native also had 21.5 tackles for loss (TFL) to pace the Patriot League and rank him fourth in the nation. He was recently named as one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the national defensive player of the year in college football.
 
Fellow defensive stalwart Saiku White was an AP Third-Team Defense selection following his junior campaign. White guided the Leopards’ secondary from his safety position, finishing second on the team in tackles (77) while leading the Maroon and White with four interceptions.
LAFAYETTE RELEASE

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.