(Seguin) – Texas Lutheran senior defensive end Manny Longoria (Geronimo/Navarro) is the fifth American Football Coaches Association All-American in TLU Football history after being named Wednesday to the AFCA’s Second Team All-America squad for NCAA Division III.
On this select list of TLU award winners, Longoria joins former running back David Wehmeyer (1973, College Division II), linebacker D.W. Rutledge (1974, College Division II), offensive lineman Jerry Ellis (1975, College Division II), and place-kicker Allen Cain (2011, NCAA Division III).
Counting All-America awards from a variety of associations, Longoria is the 91st playing All-American in TLU Football history.
A three-time all-conference player in the American Southwest Conference and a two-time All-South Region selection, Longoria is a playing All-American in any association for the first time.
Longoria is TLU’s all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss. A three-year starter, Longoria ended his playing career with 24.5 sacks (158 yards in losses) and 46.5 tackles for loss (226 yards in losses). He also registered four forced fumbles, three recovered fumbles, a blocked kick, and two defensive touchdowns.
With Longoria starting at defensive end for the last 30 games (three seasons), the Bulldogs produced a 21-9 overall record and a 20-7 conference record.
In 2019, the Bulldogs won a school-record eight games in the ASC and won eight games overall for just the eighth time in school history. TLU’s runner-up finish in the ASC was a school-best result in the league.
In TLU’s 38-27 win over then-No. 6 Hardin-Simmons on Oct. 5, Longoria returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 24-13 lead in the third quarter.
TLU’s win that day in Abilene was the Bulldogs’ second-ever win in HSU’s Shelton Stadium. The victory, in the middle of a seven-game conference win streak, put the Bulldogs in position to play for the ASC Championship on Nov. 9 against No. 1-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor.
In his senior year, Longoria produced six sacks for 29 yards and 12 tackles for loss for 47 yards. He collected a single-season, career-best 43 total tackles. Longoria ended his playing career with 119 total tackles in 35 career games played.
Longoria already is an Academic All-American®, having claimed that honor in 2018 from the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Longoria is an Academic All-America® nominee again in 2019. The Academic All-America® Team for NCAA Division III Football will be announced on Dec. 11.
Only Longoria and Cain have claimed both AFCA All-America honors and Academic All-America® honors. Cain was a playing All-American and Academic All-American® in 2011. He repeated as an Academic All-American® in 2012.