Missouri State was honored with two more All-America awards today with the release of the Associated Press FCS All-America Team. Bears senior offensive lineman Randy Richards (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and sophomore safety Caleb Schaffitzel (Fair Grove, Mo.) were both named to the AP All-America third-team on Wednesday (Dec. 12).
Richards, who started every game this season for the Bears at right tackle, carried out a 98-percent assignment grade in 2012, had 56 knockdown blocks and graded out at 85 percent overall. He was MSU's Offensive Lineman of the Week for key games against Kansas State (Sept. 1) and North Dakota State (Nov. 3), earned the Bears' Offensive Lineman of the Year Award, and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team.
The squad co-captain transferred to MSU in 2011 from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., and started all 22 games he played in two seasons for Missouri State. He anchored an MSU offensive line that surrendered just 15 sacks this season and averaged 327.5 yards per game.
On Dec. 11, Richards was named to the AFCA All-America Team.
Schaffitzel registered a team-high 109 tackles for the Bears with 5 interceptions and 11 passes defended. He is tied for 9th nationally in interceptions per game (0.45) and is 24th in tackles per game (9.91) in this week's NCAA Division I FCS statistical rankings. He was also a two-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week, two-time CFPA National Defensive Back of the Week and one-time CFPA National Defensive Player of the Week this season.
The Sports Network, which placed Schaffitzel on its 2012 All-America third team on Dec. 10, named him as its National Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5 for his efforts against No. 1 North Dakota State. In the NDSU game, he broke an MSU record and tied an MVFC record with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Schaffitzel was also named to the Capital One Academic All-America second team this season, earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors and was tabbed to the MVFC All-Academic first team. He also earned MSU's Media Player of the Year, Team MVP and Lifter of the Year Award at Missouri State's annual team awards ceremony on Dec. 2.
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