Hackett named to AFCA All-America team

WACO, Texas—Hobart College sophomore Kyle Hackett is the first place kicker in program history to be named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America teams. The native of Charlton, Mass., earned a spot on the 2018 second team after a record-breaking 2018 season. For the second season in a row, Hackett was the only kicker in NCAA Division III football to average at least one field goal made per game with a perfect field goal percentage. He was 9-for-9 on field goals this season, including a season-long 41-yarder. Hackett also converted all 37 of his PAT attempts and finished the year with a team-high 64 points. Hackett also handled kickoffs for the Statesmen, averaging a league-best 56.3 yards and tying for the league lead in touchbacks with 13. Hackett broke or tied several Hobart game records this season. In a 62-24 win over Morrisville State, he broke the program record for points by a kicker, logging 13 points on seven PATs and two field goals. In fact, Hackett accounts for six of the 13 times in program history that a Hobart kicker has scored 10 or more points in a game. A week later in a 56-48 win at Shenandoah, Hackett tied the record for most PATs made with eight. In a 29-28 win over Union, he tied the record for most field goals made with three, including his 41-yarder. Hackett also holds the Hobart marks for most consecutive PATs made (48 through season's end) and most consecutive field goals made (19 through season's end). Hackett has been named Liberty League Special Teams Player of the Year and voted to the all-conference first team in each of his first two seasons. He was named the Liberty League Special Teams Player of the Week three times this season and earned a spot on the league's weekly honor roll twice. Hackett was voted to the D3football.com All-East second team last week. In 19 career games, Hackett is 19-for-19 on field goals, tied for the most field goals made in a career, and is 80-for-82 on PATs. He is third in career PATs made. Hackett is just the seventh Statesman to be named an AFCA All-American and the first since current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ali Marpet '15 in 2014. Hobart ended its 125th campaign with a 5-4 record, the program's 11th consecutive winning season. The Statesmen tied for third in the Liberty League with a 3-2 mark in conference play.