AP All-America Team  |  D2CCA All-America Team

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – A trio of Slippery Rock University football players earned All-America honors when multiple organizations announced their 2024 NCAA Division II All-America teams Wednesday.
 
Defensive end Todd Hill was named to first team honors on the Associated Press All-America team and picked up second team honors on the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-America team. Offensive tackle Joe Cooper was also named to each of those teams with second team honors on both the AP and D2CCA All-America squads. Cornerback Josh Stokes was named to the AP second team.
 
No Slippery Rock players were named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America team, despite The Rock winning the Super Region One title and pushing powerhouse Ferris State to the brink in the national semifinals.
 
The three All-America teams announced Wednesday are three of the five major credible postseason teams that are announced in Division II. In the coming weeks, the D2football.com Elite 100 and the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America teams will be announced.
 
Hill and Cooper pick up their first career All-America awards while Stokes becomes an All-American for the second year in a row with a repeat selection to the AP squad.
 
That trio helped The Rock to post a 12-2 overall record in 2024 that included a trip to the national semifinals and a Super Region One title. The 12 wins tie for the second most in a single-season in program history. SRU took out undefeated No. 1 seed Kutztown and No. 3 seed California (Pa.) on the road in the second and third rounds of the playoffs before closing the season with a valiant effort in a 48-38 loss on the road at powerhouse Ferris State, which is headed to the national title game for the third time in the last four seasons.
 
A brief look at the accomplishments of The Rock's trio of All-Americans can be found below.
 
TODD HILL – Defensive End – 1st team AP / 2nd Team D2CCA
Hill was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year and picked up first team All-PSAC and All-Region honors in his lone season with The Rock. He led the team overall in total tackles this fall with 82 stops, including 40 solo tackles. Hill also led SRU with 16.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 13 QB hurries. He forced one fumble, recovered one fumble and had a safety as well. Hill had at least five tackles in all four of SRU's playoff games and was dominant in wins over Kutztown and California to pick up the regional title. He had eight tackles, 1.5 TFL and two QB hurries at Kutztown and seven stops, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery at California. Hill was named one of the eight national finalists for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award and he finished third in the national voting for that honor.
 
JOE COOPER – Left Tackle – 2nd Team AP / 2nd Team D2CCA
Cooper was named to first team All-PSAC and All-Region honors after starting every game this fall at the left tackle position. He started every game in 2023 at the right tackle spot before moving over to the left side this year. The only returner on an offensive line that lost four All-PSAC players to graduation last year, Cooper led a new-look unit that performed exceptionally well this season. The Rock ranked in the top 10 in Division II during the regular season in fewest sacks and fewest tackles for loss allowed per game. Cooper protected the blind side for Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Brayden Long, who ranks third in the nation in passing yards this year. The Rock offense averaged 384.4 yards per game with 247.9 passing yards and 136.5 rushing yards per game.
 
JOSH STOKES – Cornerback – 2nd Team AP
Stokes was named to first team All-Region honors and second team All-PSAC honors this fall and is a repeat selection to the AP All-America team. He paced the SRU secondary with 15 pass breakups this year, which ranks third among all players in Division II. He also grabbed a nation-leading four fumble recoveries this fall, including one that he returned 67 yards to set up a touchdown against No. 2 Ferris State in the national semifinals. Stokes had 53 total tackles and ranked third on the team with 36 solo stops this fall. He closed his SRU career with 35 passes defended to rank No. 7 all-time at The Rock.
 
 
 
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