The American Football Coaches Association today announced its 2023 college football All-American lists and Howard Payne University’s Korey Kelley was named First Team All-American.

Named the American Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Korey Kelley guided an improved Yellow Jacket defense that finished with 232 points allowed.

Kelley anchored an HPU defense leading the ASC in interceptions with 14 and was the top individual with six in the league. He was second in the ASC for total tackles with 93, 42 solo tackles. Along with his 1st Team D3Footballcom All-Region honor, he was recognized as the ASC Player of the Week and to the D3Football.com National Team of the Week once.

Selection Process: 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.