Moon Township, Pa. - Senior defensive lineman Ray Gensler (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks) of the Robert Morris University football team became the first Colonial in school history to garner I-AA/FCS All-America honors from The Sports Network Monday, as he was named to the third team defense.
It marks the fourth postseason honor for Gensler in 2006, as he was also named to the All-Northeast Conference First Team, the I-AA Mid-Major All-America Team by The Sports Network and garnered a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team for owning a 3.91 grade point average as a manufacturing engineering major.
In 2006 Gensler led the Northeast Conference in sacks (11), which also tied the Robert Morris single-season record. His 11 sacks also pushed his career total to 19, establishing a new Colonial career record. Gensler finished fourth for RMU in tackles with 65, including an NEC-best 23 for a loss that totaled 106 yards.
Gensler is the third Colonial in school history to garner I-AA/FCS postseason honors. Original running back Tim Hall (1994-95) was named a I-AA All-American by The Associated Press in 1995, while former linebacker James Noel (2002-05) was named to the 2004 American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) I-AA Coaches' All-America team.
Under the guidance of head coach Joe Walton, the program's only head coach in its 13-year history, the Colonials finished the 2006 campaign with an overall record of 7-4, including a 5-2 mark in the NEC that tied them for second place with Albany and Stony Brook. Walton has guided Robert Morris to an overall record of 82-49-1 (.625) in his 13 years at the helm of the Colonials.
