Junior Dalton Tjong named All-America by D3football.com
By Tim Glon
| 2023 All-America Team (.pdf) |
ADA — Junior safety Dalton Tjong (Cumming, Ga./West Forsyth) was named Fourth Team All-America for 2023 by D3football.com.
Tjong was also First Team All-Region and First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference pick this season.
He becomes the 35th Polar Bear to receive All-America honors and is the first since 2019 when Mark Niles, Christian Williams and Brock Martin were named All-America.
Tjong closed out his junior season tied for first nationally in Division III in total tackles with 122 (50 solo, 72 assisted) and is now a two-time All-OAC selection after earning Second Team honors last year when he led the OAC and was 11th nationally with 110 tackles. In 10 games this season, he also tallied 2.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
Tjong was twice named OAC Defensive Player of the Week this season. He posted seven games with double-digit tackles, including 21 against Alma (Mich.), which was two shy of the school's single-game record.
In 29 games at ONU, Tjong has 291 total tackles, which ranks seventh in program history, to go with 5.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and 12 pass breakups.
The Polar Bears closed the 2023 season by winning three of their final four games, finishing 4-6 overall and sixth in the OAC with a 4-5 mark.