Jeremiah Hays, a 6-foot-1, 300-pound offensive lineman at Evangel University, has been selected to the first ever American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches’ All-America team. The AFCA now coordinates the selection process for five all-America teams (NCAA I-A, I-AA, II, III and NAIA). The NAIA team is selected by a committee of coaches in each of the AFCA’s nine districts.
Hays is a four-year starter for the Crusaders. He earned first team All-Heart of America Athletic
Conference honors as a junior and senior and was an honorable mention pick following his first two seasons
at Evangel. Hays was the second-highest rated lineman in the conference and the fourth-highest rated
player in the league.
In 2005, Hays was awarded three all-America honors. The Ft. Smith, Arkansas product (Southside High School) earned honorable mention NAIA and Football Gazette all-America honors and was a fourthteam pick on the naiafootball.net all-America team.