Over the weekend, the Associated Press released its Division III All-America Team. Hobart College linebacker Emmett Forde earned first team acclaim. Forde, who was also named a first team All-American by the AFCA and D3football.com, is the first Statesman to be a unanimous All-American since D3football.com debuted its All-America team in 1999.
Coming into this season, Forde was one of only two Statesmen during that time to be a consensus All-American (named to at least half of all first teams). In 2019, he was a first team pick by the AFCA and D3football.com and a second team selection by the AP. He joined Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ali Marpet ’15, who was a 2014 AFCA and D3football.com first team honoree and an AP second team pick.
Forde is the first Hobart player to be an AP All-American twice since Hobart Hall of Famer William Morton ’55 (1953 honorable mention, 1954 second team).
In nine games this season, Forde made 51 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and an interception. Despite missing two games due to injury, he led the Liberty League in tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles. He ranked 20th in the nation in forced fumbles per game (0.33) and 25th in tackles for loss per game (1.7). The performance earned him his second Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year award.
Forde was named the Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week after logging five tackles, all solo, including three for loss, with an interception in the season-opening win at Alfred. He notched a season-high nine tackles at nationally-ranked Ithaca. He had eight tackles, including a season-high two sacks, in Hobart’s win over NCAA quarterfinalist Rensselaer. Forde also had eight tackles at nationally-ranked Union.
Forde led Hobart to four straight winning seasons, including 9-2 marks in 2019 and 2021. He and his teammates won the 2019 New York State Bowl 30-10 at SUNY Cortland and the 2021 ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl 21-3 at Westminster (Pa.). The 2021 Statesmen ranked 11th in the nation in team passing efficiency defense (95.74), 12th in scoring defense (12.6 ppg), 14th in passing yards allowed (152.5), 15th in third down percentage defense (.286) and 16th in total defense (252.9). Hobart received votes in the final AFCA poll and D3football.com Top 25.
The three-time All-Liberty League selection appeared in 39 career games, producing 190 tackles, 43 for loss, 14.5 sacks, eight pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Forde finished sixth on Hobart’s career tackles for loss list and 11th on the career sacks list.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].