football
A pair of Panthers earned their first All-American honor from the Associated Press after an outstanding season
Cedar Falls, Iowa — On Tuesday afternoon, the FCS AP All-America Team was announced, recognizing UNI football’s standout players nationally.panther kicker Matthew Cook Earned Second Team All-America honors while defensive back after a record season Benny Sapp III He earned third-team approval to round out his college career.
A 5-11 year old, 199-pound junior from Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cook earned his first national honor from the AP after a great season at UNI. A 2022 First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) selection and a HERO Sports FCS First Team All-American selection, Cook had 14 of 17 field goal attempts this season and 42 overall on the season. I recorded the yards and set all the UNIs and MVFCs. -Cook set a career record for making 67 field goals. Having never missed a PAT kick attempt in his career, Cook broke the UNI program record of 124 consecutive PAT kicks after attempting all 45 kicks in 2022 .
Sapp also earned his first career AP honors after a strong senior season. The Lauderdale, Fla. native earned All-His MVFC first his team honors on defense this fall and recorded his 54 tackles in his final season as a Panther. . In 2022, when he served as UNI’s senior captain, Sapp not only forced one fumble, but also became the first Panther named to his list for Reese’s Senior Bowl to watch in 2023, earning a hula. also accepted an invitation to play in the bowl of