Mount Ida College football senior defensive end and the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference’s (ECFC) 2011 Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year A.J. Knibbs (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) has started his senior year off strong being honored as a pre-season All-American selection as a member of the second team North Defense to participate in the fourth annual 2012 D3 Senior Classic hosted by the Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL) in Salem, Virginia on December 7th, 2012.
Knibbs was named Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year by the ECFC after another spectacular season in his second year playing in the defensive end position in 2011. Knibbs was also honored with a defensive first team All-Conference selection for the second time in his career as well. Knibbs, who shared the honor with two-time ECFC Defensive Player-of-the-Year Keith Barnes from Maritime College (SUNY), was ranked eighth nationally and second in the conference with 11.0 sacks and has surpassed the all-time Mount Ida record by far with 21.5 sacks in his career. Knibbs recorded 41 total tackles, 37 solo tackles, 10 tackle assists, 14.0 tackles for a loss of 87 yards, five pass break-ups, nine quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick compiling another impressive season statistically. Knibbs was also selected to the 2011 New England Sports Writers Division II/III All-Star team for the second consecutive year. He was also honored with a Consensus Draft Services (CDS) pre-season All-American selection last season as well.
Congratulations to A.J. on this wonderful individual accomplishment.