COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following an 11-1 season that saw the Northwest football team claim its third national championship in program history and first since 1992, three Rangers have been selected as NJCAA All-Americans, the league office announced Monday.

Sophomore running back Justin Crawford received NJCAA First Team All-American honors, while freshman quarterback Gardner Minshew and sophomore linebacker Malik Hawkins were named honorable mentions. 

Crawford, a Columbus, Ga. native, ends his Northwest career with a combined 15 school records, including all-time rushing yards (3,161), rushing touchdowns (30) and all-purpose yards (3,993). This season, he rushed for 1,610 yards on 248 carries (6.5 ypc) and scored 16 rushing touchdowns, while adding 29 receptions for 394 yards and six touchdowns. 

A two-time First Team All-MACJC and NJCAA All-Region 23 selection, Crawford finished with 15 100-yard rushing games in his Ranger career, including a school-record 338 yards and four touchdowns at Coahoma in 2014. He was a six-time MACJC Offensive Player of the Week nod and also earned second team all-American honors last season.

In his first season under center, Minshew started all 12 games for the Rangers, completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,288 yards (third in a single-season) and 28 touchdowns (tied-second single-season). The Brandon native was first in the conference and seventh in the NJCAA with 274 passing yards per game.

A native of Horn Lake, Hawkins led the Ranger defense in tackles this season, quietly collecting 94 total tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, seven quarterback hurries and three sacks. He finishes his Northwest career with 200 total tackles, tying Cassius Ware for eighth all-time in that category. 

The trio gives Northwest 107 all-americans in its rich football history, including 11 in the last six seasons alone. The Rangers have placed at least one player on an all-american team in 29 of the past 31 seasons.

To view the complete list of 2015 NJCAA All-Americans click [here].