Alfred University’s Manzer named AFCA All-American
12/15/09

ALFRED, NY — Jared Manzer (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City), a senior wide receiver/free safety on the Alfred University football team, has been named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American.

Manzer, who was named by the AFCA as a receiver, recently completed a stellar career at AU, where he broke virtually all the school’s major receiving records. This season he caught 65 passes for 1,046 yards and a school single-season record 15 touchdowns.

He was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year this season, and also earned First Team all-conference honors as a receiver, defensive back and all-purpose runner, and Second Team honors as a return specialist. As a free safety, he led the team and Empire 8 with five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and also averaged 20.5 yards on kick returns and 10.4 yards on punt returns. His 195 all-purpose yards per game ranks second in the nation.

Manzer will leave Alfred holding single-season records for catches (69, 2008), receiving yards (1,058, 2008) and touchdowns catches (15, 2009) and career marks for receptions (237), receiving yards (3,517) and touchdown catches (43). He also holds the school record for longest interception return (98 yards, set this season) and shares the school mark for longest punt return (90 yards) and touchdown catches in a game (three).

Manzer was the Empire 8 Conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2006 and earned all-conference honors four years. A three-time First Team Empire 8 selection, Manzer is the third Saxon player to earn AFCA All-American honors during head coach Dave Murray’s 12-season tenure at AU, joining linebacker Brenton Brady (2005) and defensive tackle Don Miller (2006 and 2007).

Alfred went 8-2 (4-1 Empire 8) this year and won the school’s first-ever Empire 8 Conference title and its first berth in the NCAA playoffs since 1981. The Saxons lost to Albright, 35-25, in the first round of the NCAA Division III championship tournament.