AFCA Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University senior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) was one of 22 student-athletes across all divisions of college football named to the 2022 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team on Monday, Sept. 19.

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the award, which was established in 1992 to recognize a select group of college football players who have made a commitment to service and enriching the lives of others.

A fan vote will run from now until Nov. 22 at www.ESPN.com/Allstate to decide this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain. Fans may cast one vote per device each day.

Wozniak is one of four honorees from the NCAA Division III level – joining Matthew Feldick of Bethel, Alan Gorny of Johns Hopkins (Md.) and Matt Lilja of Mount Union (Ohio) – and one of six defensive linemen.

Wozniak is the sixth Johnnie to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the fifth in the last six seasons: quarterback Chris Backes '21, offensive lineman Ben Bartch '20, quarterback Jackson Erdmann '19 and wide receiver Will Gillach '19. Defensive end Kevin McNamara '07 was the first SJU student-athlete to receive the honor in 2006. The full list of SJU's honorees and nominees is below.

This past summer, sports information directors from Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA schools across the country submitted nominations of players they felt best embodied the spirit of the Good Works Team award. A voting panel was faced with a list of 114 nominees that was narrowed down to the 22 student-athletes and an honorary coach, Kentucky's Mark Stoops, named to the team.

A 2022 Lindy's Preseason All-American and a 2021 D3football.com All-America first-team selection, Wozniak has nine tackles (five solo), including 4.5 for a loss and three sacks, as well as a forced fumble through the season's first two games. He totaled 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and the forced fumble in the Johnnies' 24-10 win over then-No.-4 Wisconsin-Whitewater Sept. 3 and was named MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week for the performance. Wozniak has 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his last four games going back to last season, and 22.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 22 career games.

No. 2 SJU (2-0 overall) returns to competition with the MIAC opener - a 1 p.m. kickoff at No. 20 Bethel (1-1 overall) - this Saturday, Sept. 24, in Arden Hills. 

Wozniak started all 12 games and finished with a team-leading 15.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, including 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in two NCAA playoff games, last fall. He totaled 30 tackles (20 solo), five quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. 

He returned to the field in 2021 after suffering a season-ending hand injury on the first defensive play of the 2019 season - a tackle for loss - at Wisconsin-Stout.

Off the field, Wozniak is in his fifth year raising money for a pair of SJU football's initiatives, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Tackle Cancer. He was also a member of the Johnnies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which holds an annual Kids Fighting Hunger meal-packing event every March, for two academic years (2020-21 and 2021-22). Wozniak also helped organize a swim meet for local Special Olympians in Spring 2022 in Collegeville. 

Back home, Wozniak volunteered to coach 2nd- and 3rd-grade youth football for the Armstrong Cooper Youth Football Association.

In addition to his exemplary athletic performance and community service experience, Wozniak is also a decorated student. He was named to the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America first team and is a two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree (minimum 3.5 GPA) with a 3.86 GPA in accounting.

SJU's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominees/Honorees Since 2006
2022 - Defensive Lineman Michael Wozniak (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)
2021 - No Nominee
2020 - Quarterback Chris Backes '21 (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)
2019 - Offensive Lineman Ben Bartch '20 (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)
2018 - Quarterback Jackson Erdmann '19 (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)
2017 - Wide Receiver Will Gillach '19 (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)
2016 - Linebacker Carter Hanson '17 
2015 - Offensive Lineman Ben Brown '16 
2014 - Offensive Lineman Alex Jarosz '15 
2013 - Running Back Colin Moynihan '14 
2012 - Running Back Stephen Johnson '13 
2011 - Defensive Back Andrew Rotschafer '11 
2010 - Linebacker John Stanton '10 
2009 - No Nominee
2008 - Running Back Jeff Schnobrich '09 
2007 - No Nominee 
2006 - Defensive Lineman Kevin McNamara '07 (Allstate AFCA Good Works Team)