McSurdy Is a Hit

Photo Courtesy UM Athletics

The University of Montana’s Caleb McSurdy has been named to the prestigious 2011 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team announced yesterday by the American Football Coaches Association. 

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

A 6-1, 242-pound senior linebacker from Boise, Idaho, McSurdy was named the Big Sky’s “Defensive Player of the Year” this season.  He has a team-high 117 tackles for the fifth-ranked Grizzlies, along with 7.5 stops for loss and three sacks.

UM’s defensive team captain, McSurdy has had 11 or more tackles in six of 12 games this season,  including a career-high tying 17 stops in a win against Cal Poly.  He also has one interception, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.  He has played in 53 career games and is ranked 13^th in school history with 279 career tackles.