Wheaton, Ill. – Wheaton College senior
Peter Johanik has been named to the Division III All-American Team by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). There have been 23 AFCA Division III All-American selections from Wheaton through the years,
sixth among Division III programs. The Thunder football program has had at least one player selected to the AFCA Division III All-America Football Team for eleven-consecutive seasons, currently the longest streak in Division III.
Johanik earns Second Team AFCA All-America honors at defensive line this year. Last month he picked up his third-consecutive All-CCIW First Team award. Johanik went record chasing this season, breaking the Wheaton all-time career tackle for loss record with 60 tackles for loss, breaking the record originally set by Andy Studebaker who would go on to get drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Draft. He also entered into second all-time in career sacks with 32. His effort this season is tied for fifth in single season sacks with 14 and second all-time in single-season tackles for loss with 23.0. Johanik led the CCIW this season in TFLs with 16.5 and tied for first in sacks with 8.5 in conference games.
He was recognized as the CCIW's Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week this season, earning the award on November 17, following CCIW wins against North Park. Johanik has recorded one tackle for loss in all but two games this season and had a stretch of five consecutive games with multiple TFLs totaling 13.5, including his Student-Athlete of the Week winning game against North Park where he recorded four in a single game. That game allowed him to surpass Studebaker for the all-time record and was the highest single game total in the CCIW this season. Johanik also had a stretch of seven consecutive games with at least 0.5 sacks, including the aforementioned North Park game where he brought down the Viking QB three times.
Johanik currently is tied for fourth in Divison III in TFL (23), seventh in sacks (14), eighth in TFL yards (110) and tied for fifth in sack yards (89). Amongst all active Division III athletes, Johanik ranks fifth in career tackles for loss with 60. Additionally, he is tied for fifth among Division III players in career sacks (32).
Johanik's AFCA All-America award marks the eleventh-consecutive year that a Wheaton player has been selected to the AFCA team, joining:
Ben Bonga (2024);
Giovanni Weeks (2023);
Trevor Gabriele (2022); Dallas McRae (2021 & 2019); Eric Stevenson (2018); Chase Greenlee (2017), Peter Gibson (2016), Adam Dansdill (2015) and Spencer Clark (2014). Wheaton's 23 selections to the AFCA Division III All-American Team since the awards began in 1996 is among the most in the history of the award.
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, and the return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Johanik's selection marks the 23rd time that the AFCA has honored a Wheaton football player as an All-American as he joins: linebacker Larry Wagner (1977); quarterback Scott Hall (1978); quarterback Keith Bishop (1983); offensive lineman Doug Johnston (1995); receiver Mark Loeffler (1996); offensive lineman James Hoxworth (2003); receiver Brad Musso (2004); Andrew Day (2005); defensive lineman Andy Studebaker (2006); defensive back
Pete Ittersagen (2007 & 2008); offensive lineman Nick Biggee (2010); offensive lineman Spencer Clark (2014); linebacker Adam Dansdill (2015); offensive lineman Peter Gibson (2016); defensive lineman Chase Greenlee (2017); linebacker Eric Stevenson (2018); defensive lineman Dallas McRae (2019 & 2021); offensive lineman
Trevor Gabriele (2022);
Giovanni Weeks (2023); and wide receiver
Ben Bonga (2024).
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.
MOST AFCA DIVISION III ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS ALL-TIME
1.) Mount Union - 38
2.) Mary-Hardin Baylor - 28
3.) UW-Whitewater - 25
4.) Linfield, North Central - 24
T5.)
WHEATON, St. John's (Minn.) - 23
6.) UW-La Crosse - 22
T7.) Wittenberg, Washington & Jefferson - 21
8.) Springfield - 20
9.) Augustana -19
T10.) Ithaca, Widener, Central (Iowa)- 18
