WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the 2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Teams on Thursday morning. Saginaw Valley State University junior linebacker Micah Cretsinger was listed on the first-team defense.

Cretsinger had a historic season that was punctuated by him tying the NCAA Division II record with four interceptions returned for a touchdown. He is the first player in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to achieve that feat, and only the fifth player in DII history to meet that mark (the last occurrence came in 2011). The Jackson, Michigan native, led the team in tackles with 100 and had 3.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and four pass breakups. His eight interceptions are tied for the most in the GLIAC and ranks second in all of NCAA DII.

"Micah has earned this great honor with years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice," said SVSU head football coach Ryan Brady. "Micah has always been a team-first guy and continuously puts others before himself. He is a tremendous teammate, leader, and mentor to the younger generation within our program. Micah has made us all proud with his actions both on and off the field. He is a great ambassador for SVSU, and the best is yet to come. Congratulations Micah on this well-deserved and earned accomplishment and recognition."

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.

The AFCA's Division II All-America selection committee is made up of three head coaches 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 teams are chosen.

Cretsinger is one of two GLIAC football players named to the first team. Four GLIAC players were named in total between the two All-America teams. Cretsinger is the only member of SVSU to receive the honor this season.