Central’s Alberts repeats as Mitchell Award finalist
PELLA—For the second straight year, Central College’s Jon Alberts (senior, Huntley, Ill.) is a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicker Award.
Alberts is among 10 kickers chosen from a field of 52 nominees from all non-Division I FBS schools for the award presented on the basis of athletics performance and community service. He was previously on the Mitchell Award watch lists in the preseason and throughout the fall. He is among four Division III kickers in the final 10. The winner will be announced later this month.
Last week, Alberts was tabbed as a first-team AFCA Division III All-America honoree. A three-time first-team American Rivers all-conference pick, he was a perfect 59-of-59 on extra points this year while connecting on 11 of 13 field goals (84.6%) with a long of 48 yards. He was 33 of 38 for his career on field goals while hitting 143 of 148 extra-point tries. Of his 84 kickoffs, 20 went for touchbacks.
He set a school season record for most extra points (59) and ranked fifth in field goals (11) after setting the school season mark of 14 in 2017. He ranked third in season field goal percentage (84.6%) after setting the school record of 87.5% in 2017.
On the school career charts, Alberts is first in field-goal percentage (86.8), third in field goals (33), fifth in field goal attempts (38), third in extra points (143), second in extra-point percentage (96.6%) and sixth in scoring (242). His 55-yard field goal at Wartburg College in 2018 was also a school record.
In 2018, Alberts was also named a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad for the third time this year but the 2019 Academic All-America squad has not yet been released. He carries a 3.91 grade point average while majoring in business management and philosophy. Alberts is a three-time academic all-conference honoree.
Last year Alberts was named to the D3football.com all-West Region second team and was a third-team pick for this year’s D3football.com preseason all-America squad. He’s received conference special teams player of the week accolades nine times, including four times this season. He was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda as the nation’s top football scholar-athlete as chosen by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
Central posted a 10-2 record, winning a share of the American Rivers championship–the school’s record 31st league crown—and gaining a 21st NCAA Division III playoff berth, reaching the second round.
