University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Cook and Schnee named to 2023 FCS AFCA All-America Teams
12/20/2023 2:06:00 PM | Football
The American Football Coaches Association named Cook and Schnee All-Americans
WACO, Texas — The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced their 2023 FCS All-America Teams on Wednesday afternoon. From the AFCA release, "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."
This season, placekicker Matthew Cook and wide receiver Sam Schnee were both named to the 2023 AFCA FCS All-America Second Team. This is both Cook's and Schnee's first AFCA All-American honor.
MATTHEW COOK
A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and possibly the best kicker to come through FCS football, Matthew Cook finished his career a perfect 155-155 in PATs with 31 coming this season. He scored 88 total points on the season, the second-highest mark in the MVFC, and became the second player in MVFC history to reach 400 career points. Cook recorded a league-high 1.73 field goals per game and a 90.48 field goal percentage while making the most field goals in the MVFC this season (19) with a long of 50 yards against Indiana State. This season, Cook broke the UNI scoring record set by David Johnson in 2014.
SAM SCHNEE
A wide receiver from Dubuque, Iowa, Sam Schnee was both UNI's and the conference's leading receiver with 1,041 total receiving yards and 94.64 per game as well as 18.26 yards per reception. Schnee had three 100+ receiving yard games including a season-high 174 yards against No. 9 North Dakota State and recorded a season-long 66-yard reception against Missouri State. A 2023 team captain, he scored six touchdowns on the season, the fifth-best conference mark, and moved to seventh on UNI's all-time receiving yards list and the 11th Panther to join the 2,000+ receiving yard club.
