Wednesday, April 8, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – Two of the most decorated players over the second decade of GNAC football are among those selected by D2Football.com as part of its All-Decade Team.

Central Washington linebacker Adam Bighill and Humboldt State offensive lineman Alex Cappa were both named to All-Decade Team’s second team. The two were among 50 players that the website singled out as the best from NCAA Division II over the last 10 years.

While Bighill completed his career at Central Washington right at the beginning of the decade, playing from 2007 to 2010, his impact set the pace for Wildcat defensive players ever since. The GNAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and a three-time All-GNAC selection, Bighill was named a First Team All-American by the AFCA and was a second-team selection by D2Football.com in 2010. In addition, Bighill was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in 2009 and 2010.

Bighill’s 46 tackles for loss ranks No. 4 on the GNAC Career All-Time List. He also ranks No. 9 with 314 total tackles and No. 11 with 163 total tackles. He helped lead Central Washington to GNAC championships in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and a pair of NCAA Division II playoff runs, including to the second round in 2009.

Since his graduation from Central Washington, Bighill has played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League with the B.C. Lions (2011-2016) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2018-2019) and spent one season with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. A six-time CFL All-Star selection, Bighill was named the league’s Outstanding Defensive Player in 2016 and 2018 and was a member of Grey Cup championship teams with the Lions in 2011 and the Blue Bombers in 2019.

Cappa was a four-time First Team All-GNAC selection, one of just seven players in conference history to complete the feat, and was also the four-time GNAC Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was named a First Team All-American and the Associated Press in 2017. Cappa also earned Second-Team D2CCA All-America honors in 2015, Second Team All-America honors from the AFCA and AP in 2016 and Honorable Mention All-America distinction from D2Football.com and the Don Hansen Committee in 2015. In 2017, Cappa finished fifth in voting for the Gene Upshaw Award for the top Division II lineman in the nation.

Cappa helped lead the Lumberjacks to the GNAC championship and a run to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2015. He anchored a line that allowed Humboldt State to finish ninth in Division II in scoring offense with 41.4 points per game and 18th in total offense with 473.8 yards per game. Cappa’s line that season allowed 1.42 sacks per game, which led the GNAC.

Following graduation, Cappa was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in six games as a rookie and started in 13 games in 2019. His 2019 season ended when he suffered a broken arm against New Orleans on October 6.

To be eligible for selection to the D2Football.com All-Decade Team, a student-athlete must have played during any season from 2010 to 2019 but must have completed his eligibility prior to the 2020 season. He must also have been named a D2Football.com All-American during that period. The team was selected by the staff and writers of D2Football.com.