The Associated Press named University of Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to its All-America third team Tuesday. Seferian-Jenkins, a Gig Harbor native, is the first UW player to make an AP All-America team since linebacker Mason Foster also made third team in 2010, and the first tight end so honored since Mark Bruener in 1993.
Seferian-Jenkins, a sophomore, caught 63 passes for 789 yards (12.5-yard average) and six touchdowns for the Las Vegas Bowl-bound Huskies (Dec. 22 vs. Boise State). His 65.8-yard per-game average led the team.
Seferian-Jenkins, who had a season-best 154-yard receiving game in Washington’s 21-13 victory over California Nov. 2, finished the regular season with 104 career receptions, No. 1 on Washington’s all-time list by a tight end. He also has 1,327 receiving yards, another school record.
He ended the regular season as the NCAA leader in receptions by a tight end at 5.25 per game.
One of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, presented annually to the nation’s top tight end, Seferian-Jenkins had a number of notable performances during the regular season, including nine catches for 82 yards against San Diego State, eight catches for a 110 yards against Arizona and seven receptions for 99 yards against Utah.
Seferian-Jenkins’ six TD catches tied Kasen Williams for the team lead, and his 63 receptions set a single-season record for a tight end.
Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert made first – and second-team All-America.
Washington has not produced an AP first-team All-American since wide receiver Reggie Williams in 2002, or a consensus All-American since offensive lineman Olin Kreutz in 1997. Kreutz went on to become a six-time Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears.