Senior offensive tackle selected to Associated Press first team, with Kaufman on second team and Pavel on third

Eastern Washington University offensive tackle Will Post has added a third All-America award to his honor-filled senior season, as he was a first team selection on the Associated Press NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America team announced Wednesday (Dec. 12).

Post was joined on the squad by junior wide receiver Brandon Kaufman (second team) and senior kicker Jimmy Pavel (third team). All three have been honored previously on All-America teams, including prestigious first team honors received by Post from the American Football Coaches Association.

Post has started every game at right offensive tackle in 2012, with a total of 35 career starts in 44 games played. The first team All-Big Sky selection and team co-captain allowed just one sack in the regular season (opponents had a total of 24). He consistently grades out in the high 80's and low 90's according to offensive line coach Aaron Best.

The Eagles had a season-best 542 total yards versus Cal Poly on Nov. 3 and are now fourth in the Big Sky and 19th in FCS in total offense (435.8), seventh in FCS in passing offense (306.4 per game) and 22nd in scoring offense (33.1).

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Post is from Portland, Ore., and graduated from Southridge High School in 2008. The Eagles have now had 19 offensive linemen earn All-America accolades in the last 20 years (1993-2012) while winning 21 first team All-Big Sky Conference honors (1993-2012), including Post this season.

Kaufman is on the cusp of a FCS record after breaking the Big Sky Conference record for single season receiving yards during EWU's 51-35 victory over Illinois State. He finished with nine catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns, and his 17-yard TD catch in the third quarter gave EWU a 38-17 lead and broke the previous Big Sky record of 1,525 set by Weber State's Tim Toone in 2008. Earlier in the game, Kaufman broke the school record of 1,453 set by Eric Kimble in 2004.

Kaufman's current total of 1,635 yards ranks fifth in FCS history, just 77 yards from the record of 1,712 yards set in 1998 by Delaware's Eddie Conti. This season, Kaufman has 84 catches (fourth in school history), 13 touchdowns (fourth in school history) and an average of 19.5 yards per catch (sixth in school history).

In his last three games, Kaufman has 28 catches for 526 yards (18.8 per catch). The first team All-Big Sky performer had career highs of 11 catches for 201 yards (fifth-most in school history) versus Southern Utah on Oct. 27. He had 10 catches for 174 yards against Wagner on Dec. 1, and before that had nine catches for 161 yards against Portland State on Nov. 17 in which he had two sensational, highlight-reel catches after tipped balls.

Kaufman has gone over the 100-yard mark 10 times this season and 18 times in his career. He leads the Big Sky and ranks third in FCS in receiving yards per game (125.8). Because of hand and knee injuries requiring surgery, Kaufman received an injury redshirt in the 2011 season after playing in the first four games of the year. Kaufman, who is from Denver, Colo., and is a 2009 graduate of Heritage HS, now has 212 career catches (fifth in school history, ninth in Big Sky history) for 3,516 yards (third) and 30 touchdowns (third).

Pavel, a first team All-Big Sky pick, made a 20-yard field goal against Illinois State on Dec. 8 to earn sole possession of EWU's single season school record with 17 for the season. His 45-yard field goal against UC Davis on Nov. 10 equaled the record of 16 set last year by Mike Jarrett. But because of Eastern's offensive efficiency in ending drives with nine touchdowns, Pavel didn't attempt a field goal in his next two games.

The Eagles have 18 as a team for the season, breaking the previous team record of 16 set last year. An impressive 17-of-18 on the season, Pavel ranks 18th in FCS with an average of 1.31 field goals per game. His .944 percentage is the best in FCS among kickers with at least 11 attempts this season.

Pavel, who handled kickoff duties a year ago, took over this season for Mike Jarrett, who made a school-record 16 field goals in just 18 attempts as a senior in 2011. Pavel missed his only attempt in the 2011 season, a 52-yarder. Thus, including a field goal Kevin Miller made earlier this season, the Eagles have made 34 of 38 field goal attempts the last two seasons for 89.5 percent.

Pavel has also assumed part of EWU's punting duties the last three games, and currently has a 42.4 average on 17 punts with three downed inside the opponent 20-yard line. A transfer from Boise State, he is from Molalla, Ore., and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 2008.

A total of five Eastern players have been selected as All-Americans this season thus far. Post has been honored by the American Football Coaches Association (first team), Associated Press (first team) and Beyond Sports College Network (second team). Kaufman has been selected to All-America teams picked by College Sports Madness (first team), Beyond Sports College Network (first team), The Sports Network (second team) and Associated Press (second team). Pavel has earned honors from Beyond Sports College Network (first team), The Sports Network (second team), Associated Press (third team) and College Sports Madness (third team).

In addition, senior defensive end Jerry Ceja was on the College Sports Madness All-America squad (second team) and junior cornerback T.J. Lee was honored by The Sports Network (second team). A year ago, there were nine All-America teams selected, including those by the AFCA, The Sports Network, Associated Press and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Others are College Sporting News, Phil Steele Publications, College Sports Journal, Beyond Sports College Network and College Sports Madness.