SALEM, Va. — Travis Sparks-Jackson might need a new shelf in his trophy case soon.
The senior running back was named to the 2015 Second Team D3football.com All-America team on Friday at the Stagg Bowl, the site of the NCAA Division III Football Championship final.
This is the 17th annual D3football.com All-America team, one of two recognized by the NCAA for inclusion in its record book along with the American Football Coaches Association teams.
Sparks-Jackson becomes La Verne's first All-American since Anthony Jones and Andy Moran earned the honors in 1995 and the first Leopard to receive the D3football.com award.
The Huntington Beach native was named to First Team All-West Region on Dec. 7, which put him in consideration for All-American. In addition, he was named to First Team All-SCIAC and was named the MVP of the National Bowl, an all-star game consisting of top players from non-FBS schools.
Sparks-Jackson was the driving force behind La Verne's first SCIAC Championship since 1995 and its first NCAA Championship appearance since 1994 as he ran for 1,521 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. He surpassed the century mark on the ground in every game but one and scored a touchdown in every game this season.
He ran for 155 rushing yards and a score in the first round of the NCAA Championship against St. Thomas (Minn.)—an eventual championship finalist—which were the most yards any player had recorded against the Tommies this season.
Sparks-Jackson leaves La Verne as the program's all-time leading rusher with 3,046 career rushing yards.