Sutton One of 42 Div. III All-Stars to Compete in Aztec Bowl

» 2004 United States Aztec Bowl Roster

Tony Sutton (Akron, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban), who wrapped up his record-setting career at The College of Wooster this past weekend, will get a chance to showcase his skills on an international stage, as he's accepted an invitation from the American Football Coaches' Association to play in the Aztec Bowl in Cancun, Mexico, on Saturday, Dec. 11, announced the AFCA on Monday.

Sutton will become the second Wooster player in as many years to appear in the annual game, which pits 42 of the best NCAA Div. III seniors against the Mexican National Team. Former Scot All-American cornerback Nick Hajjar made six tackles, including four solos, in the 2003 Aztec Bowl.

With three weeks of the Div. III postseason remaining, Sutton leads the country in rushing (186.7 ypg), scoring (16.5 ppg), and all-purpose yardage (219.5 ypg). Barring a late surge from an individual on one of the teams still in the playoffs, he'll become the first player in NCAA football history, regardless of division, to finish as the national leader in those three categories in back-to-back years.

Sutton, a two-time North Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004), is one of 10 finalists for the 2004 Gagliardi Trophy, the NCAA Div. III Outstanding Football Player-of-the-Year award. The 5'10”, 200-pound elusive running back broke his own conference records for rushing yards (2,240), rushing touchdowns (31), total touchdowns (33), scoring (198), and all-purpose yardage (2,634) this season. In terms of Div. III national "totals" records, Sutton's rushing was the fifth-most by a Div. III player for a single-season, his 198 points tied for the third-best scoring mark, and his all-purpose yards ranked seventh.

For his career, Sutton finished with four NCAA Div. III records — rushing yards per game (187.1 ypg), rushing touchdowns per game (2.5), total touchdowns per game (2.7), and scoring (16.0 ppg) — and five NCAC records — rushing yards (5,613), rushing touchdowns (76), total touchdowns (80), scoring (480), and all-purpose yards (6,415). Additionally, his 16.0 points per game is an NCAA all-divisions record and he ranks third in Div. III history in all-purpose yards per game (213.8 ypg).

The Aztec Bowl traditionally is the capper for Mexico's college football season. Since 1947, it has taken place 33 times, with the last seven featuring the Div. III all-stars from the United States vs. Mexico match-up. The U.S. is 6-1 in those games, but four have been decided by seven points or less.

The 2004 Aztec Bowl can be heard live over the Web, as Chitwood Sports Media of Marshall, Texas, will be broadcasting it. Announcers Charlie Chitwood and Ned Fratangelo also will produce 90-minute preview shows Dec. 8-10, each night at 6:30 p.m. CST, from the Team USA hotel. On Dec. 11, kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CST.

Two former Aztec Bowl participants are currently in the National Football League — London Fletcher (John Carroll, Buffalo Bills) and Clint Kriewaldt (Wis.-Stevens Point, Pittsburgh Steelers).