WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Another day means more All-America honors for a pair of Boilermakers as the Associated Press announced its All-America teams Monday afternoon. Purdue wide receiver David Bell was selected First Team All-America, while defensive end George Karlaftis was named Third Team All-America.
Keeping with the trend of a memorable season, Purdue has two AP All-Americans for the first time since 1980. Forty-one years ago, Boilermaker quarterback Mark Herrmann and tight end Dave Young were tabbed AP All-Americans.
The AP All-America nod officially made Bell a consensus All-American, having already earned First Team All-America honors from the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation as well. The AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) and The Sporting News round out the five teams used to formulate the NCAA's annual consensus All-America team. Bell is now the 21st consensus All-American in Purdue Football history and the first since Rondale Moore (2018).
As the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year, the best receiver in the Big Ten, Bell's accolades continue to add up from a stellar junior campaign. Bell was one of the best receivers nationwide, selected as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. He broke the 17-year drought of a Purdue wide receiver landing on the AP All-America team, as Taylor Stubblefield became an All-American following a 2004 season in which he was a Biletnikoff Award finalist as well.
Bell leads the Big Ten in catches per game (8.5) and receiving yards per game (116.9), ranking second and fourth in the country, respectively. With 1,286 receiving yards on the year, the Indianapolis native's total sits second in program history, just 21 yards shy of the school record for a single season.
Eclipsing the 100-yard plateau in seven of his 11 games in 2021, Bell set a new Purdue record with 17 career 100-yard receiving games. He also ranks in the school's all-time Top 10 for receptions (4th), receiving yards (5th) and receiving touchdowns (T-5th). Bell has averaged an FBS-leading 101.6 receiving yards per game for his career, the only active receiver in triple digits. His 8.0 receptions per game is currently the 2nd-most for an active NCAA career.
Bell torched No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) with 11 catches for 240 yards, the 2nd-most receiving yards ever by a Boilermaker in a single game. He added another 200-yard day against No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), hauling in 11 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown to lead Purdue to another Top-5 win. With the pair of performances, Bell joined Brian Alford as the only Boilermakers with multiple 200-yard receiving games in a season.
Bell started his 2021 campaign with a 134-yard, eight-catch effort vs. Oregon State (Sept. 4) before following it up with a 121-yard, six-catch, three-touchdown outing at UConn (Sept. 11). His three touchdowns versus the Huskies matched a career high, and he became only the second Purdue wide receiver to record multiple games with three receiving touchdowns.
Joining Ryan Kerrigan (2010), the last Boilermaker on defense to earn AP All-America honors, Karlaftis became another All-American defensive lineman for Purdue. The West Lafayette, Indiana, native was one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten all season long, exemplified as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award that is given to the defensive player of the year. He was also a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the top defensive end in college football.
Karlaftis led the Boilermakers in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (5.0), forced fumbles (3), fumble recoveries (2) and quarterback hurries (8). The Purdue defensive end was a consensus First Team All-Big Ten honoree, earning all-conference honors for the second time in his career. Karlaftis became the first Boilermaker on the defensive side of the ball to be tabbed First Team All-Big Ten since defensive tackle Kawann Short in 2012. His 11.5 tackles for loss ranked seventh in the Big Ten, as Karlaftis recorded at least 1.0 TFL in eight of nine conference games. The junior was one of only four Big Ten defenders to force at least three fumbles throughout the 2021 campaign.
Perhaps his most memorable play of the season was a 56-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Wisconsin (Oct. 23). Karlaftis was a force in some of Purdue's biggest wins. In a road victory at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), the edge rusher produced 12 pressures to help the Boilermakers hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. Facing another unbeaten team at the time, Karlaftis' forced fumble and fumble recovery helped Purdue knock off No. 3 Michigan State at home (Nov. 6).
Making an impact on special teams as well, Karlaftis blocked the first field goal of his career in a win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field (Nov. 20); it was the first field goal blocked by a Boilermaker since 2018.
Both Bell and Karlaftis announced last week that they will forego their senior seasons and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. The two Boilermakers left their mark during their final year in West Lafayette, helping lead Purdue to eight victories for the first time since 2007 and a second-place finish in the Big Ten West.
Bell's Honors (As of Dec. 13, 2021)
Karlaftis' Honors (As of Dec. 13, 2021)
Keeping with the trend of a memorable season, Purdue has two AP All-Americans for the first time since 1980. Forty-one years ago, Boilermaker quarterback Mark Herrmann and tight end Dave Young were tabbed AP All-Americans.
The AP All-America nod officially made Bell a consensus All-American, having already earned First Team All-America honors from the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation as well. The AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) and The Sporting News round out the five teams used to formulate the NCAA's annual consensus All-America team. Bell is now the 21st consensus All-American in Purdue Football history and the first since Rondale Moore (2018).
As the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year, the best receiver in the Big Ten, Bell's accolades continue to add up from a stellar junior campaign. Bell was one of the best receivers nationwide, selected as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. He broke the 17-year drought of a Purdue wide receiver landing on the AP All-America team, as Taylor Stubblefield became an All-American following a 2004 season in which he was a Biletnikoff Award finalist as well.
Bell leads the Big Ten in catches per game (8.5) and receiving yards per game (116.9), ranking second and fourth in the country, respectively. With 1,286 receiving yards on the year, the Indianapolis native's total sits second in program history, just 21 yards shy of the school record for a single season.
Eclipsing the 100-yard plateau in seven of his 11 games in 2021, Bell set a new Purdue record with 17 career 100-yard receiving games. He also ranks in the school's all-time Top 10 for receptions (4th), receiving yards (5th) and receiving touchdowns (T-5th). Bell has averaged an FBS-leading 101.6 receiving yards per game for his career, the only active receiver in triple digits. His 8.0 receptions per game is currently the 2nd-most for an active NCAA career.
Bell torched No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) with 11 catches for 240 yards, the 2nd-most receiving yards ever by a Boilermaker in a single game. He added another 200-yard day against No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), hauling in 11 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown to lead Purdue to another Top-5 win. With the pair of performances, Bell joined Brian Alford as the only Boilermakers with multiple 200-yard receiving games in a season.
Bell started his 2021 campaign with a 134-yard, eight-catch effort vs. Oregon State (Sept. 4) before following it up with a 121-yard, six-catch, three-touchdown outing at UConn (Sept. 11). His three touchdowns versus the Huskies matched a career high, and he became only the second Purdue wide receiver to record multiple games with three receiving touchdowns.
Joining Ryan Kerrigan (2010), the last Boilermaker on defense to earn AP All-America honors, Karlaftis became another All-American defensive lineman for Purdue. The West Lafayette, Indiana, native was one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten all season long, exemplified as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award that is given to the defensive player of the year. He was also a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the top defensive end in college football.
Karlaftis led the Boilermakers in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (5.0), forced fumbles (3), fumble recoveries (2) and quarterback hurries (8). The Purdue defensive end was a consensus First Team All-Big Ten honoree, earning all-conference honors for the second time in his career. Karlaftis became the first Boilermaker on the defensive side of the ball to be tabbed First Team All-Big Ten since defensive tackle Kawann Short in 2012. His 11.5 tackles for loss ranked seventh in the Big Ten, as Karlaftis recorded at least 1.0 TFL in eight of nine conference games. The junior was one of only four Big Ten defenders to force at least three fumbles throughout the 2021 campaign.
Perhaps his most memorable play of the season was a 56-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Wisconsin (Oct. 23). Karlaftis was a force in some of Purdue's biggest wins. In a road victory at No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16), the edge rusher produced 12 pressures to help the Boilermakers hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. Facing another unbeaten team at the time, Karlaftis' forced fumble and fumble recovery helped Purdue knock off No. 3 Michigan State at home (Nov. 6).
Making an impact on special teams as well, Karlaftis blocked the first field goal of his career in a win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field (Nov. 20); it was the first field goal blocked by a Boilermaker since 2018.
Both Bell and Karlaftis announced last week that they will forego their senior seasons and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. The two Boilermakers left their mark during their final year in West Lafayette, helping lead Purdue to eight victories for the first time since 2007 and a second-place finish in the Big Ten West.
Bell's Honors (As of Dec. 13, 2021)
- Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year (Big Ten Receiver of the Year)
- First Team All-America (AP, Walter Camp Football Foundation, FWAA, CBS Sports, ESPN)
- First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media, AP)
- Second Team All-America (The Athletic)
- All-America Honorable Mention (PFF)
- Biletnikoff Award Finalist
- Second Team All-Big Ten (PFF)
Karlaftis' Honors (As of Dec. 13, 2021)
- First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Media, AP, PFF)
- Second Team All-America (Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Athletic, CBS Sports)
- Third Team All-America (AP, PFF)
- Ted Hendricks Award Finalist
- Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist
- Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist