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ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America® University and College Division Teams (.pdf)
TOWSON, Md. — Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback
Tim Tebow of the University of Florida and senior quarterback
Greg Micheli of undefeated Mount Union College headline the 2008
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Tebow and Micheli have been named as the winners of the Academic All-America® of the Year award in the University and College Divisions, respectively.
A three-year starter for the Gators, Tebow has been named as the winner of the Academic All-America® of the Year award for the second year in a row. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he is a junior with a major in Family, Youth and Community Services and a 3.70 G.P.A. As a sophomore, he was honored as the winner of the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award. A first team All-American quarterback, Tebow passed for 3,286 yards and threw 32 touchdown passes as a sophomore. He also set an NCAA record by rushing for 23 touchdowns.
In 2008, he has led the Gators to a 10-1 record and a number three national ranking. A strong candidate to win a second consecutive Heisman Trophy, he has passed for 1,913 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his career, he has thrown 56 touchdown passes and scored 42 rushing touchdowns.
Tebow is one of seven repeat selections on the 22-man Academic All-America ® first team. Senior running back Tyler Roehl of North Dakota State, senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie of Ohio State, senior defensive lineman Nick Reed of Oregon and senior defensive back Andrew Berry of Harvard joined senior offensive linemen Ryan McDonald of Illinois and Gerald Cadogan of Penn State as scholar-athletes honored for the second straight year.
A Physical Education major with a 3.38 grade point average, Roehl is the leading rusher for the Bison, ranked 24th in NCAA FCS with a 6-4 record. One of the leading rushers in school history, the West Fargo, N.D. native has rushed for 832 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry this season. A pre-season All-American, he set a school record by rushing for 263 yards at Minnesota last season.
A Marketing major with a minor in Business Administration and Finance, Robiskie has been a three-year starter at Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ leading receiver as a senior, he has caught 37 passes for 419 yards and eight touchdowns while leading the 10th-ranked Buckeyes to a 10-2 record. A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Robiskie has caught a pass in 39 consecutive games.
A three-year starter on the defensive line, Reed ranks among the NCAA leaders with 10 quarterback sacks. A History major with a 3.44 G.P.A., he has made 47 tackles for the Ducks, helping Oregon post an 8-3 record. An All-Pacific 10 Conference selection, the Trabuco Canyon, Cal. native has made 26 sacks in his career, third on Oregon’s all-time list. Reed was named as a second team All-American as a junior.
Named as a two-time All-Ivy defensive back, Berry ranked among the Harvard team leaders with 43 tackles this season. A native of Bel Air, Md., he has a double major in Economics and Computer Science and a 3.78 G.P.A. Berry, who also returns kickoffs and punts for Harvard, had three interceptions this season while helping the Crimson post a 9-1 record and earn a share of the Ivy League title. Berry has been named as a finalist for the Wooden Cup.
An All-Big Ten Conference selection on the offensive line, McDonald has been a four-year starter for the Fighting Illini. A two-year starter at offensive center, he has started at right tackle the last two years. Last season, he helped Illinois post a 9-4 record and reach the Rose Bowl. An Aerospace Engineering major with a 3.81 G.P.A., McDonald has started every game for the last three years. A native of Holland, Michigan, he was named as a pre-season All-American in 2008.
A two-year starter at left tackle, Cadogan has helped seventh-ranked Penn State win the Big Ten championship with an 11-1 record. A four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, he has helped the Nittany Lions’ offense average 221 rushing yards and 220 passing yards per game. A Rehabilitation Services and Psychology major with a 3.68 G.P.A., the Portsmouth, Ohio native has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher the last four years.
Led by Cadogan, Penn State dominated the Academic All-America ® University Division with four first team selections and one second team honoree. Brigham Young University placed three student-athletes on the first team while the University of Dayton was represented by two first team selections and two second team picks. North Dakota State also had a pair of first team selections.
Senior offensive lineman Andrew Pitz, senior linebacker Josh Hull and graduate student Mark Rubin joined Cadogan as Nittany Lions on the first team.
A Journalism major with a 3.94 G.P.A., Pitz has served as the long snapper on all of the Nittany Lions’ punts and placements. In his role as the long snapper, he has helped Penn State’s special teams rank among the best in the nation. A native of Bettendorf, Iowa, he was named to the Big Ten All-Academic team.
One of the top performers for the Rose Bowl-bound Nittany Lions’ defense, Hull has started all 12 games at an inside linebacker position. An Environmental Systems Engineering major with a 3.50 G.P.A., Hull has made 66 tackles, second on the team. The Millheim, Pa. native also has one interception and two fumble recoveries.
A two-year starter at safety, Rubin has a double major of Finance and Advertising with a 3.80 G.P.A. Named as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the Nittany Lions’ win at Ohio State, he is fifth on the team with 57 tackles. The Amherst, N.Y. native also has two interceptions.
Led by its trio of Academic All-America® first team selections, Brigham Young has rolled to a 10-2 record and a number 14 national ranking. Representing BYU on the Academic All-America® first team are senior offensive lineman David Oswald, junior linebacker Matthew Bauman, and senior defensive back Kellen Fowler.
A two-year starter at right tackle, Oswald is an International Relations major with a 3.85 G.P.A. A native of Sandy, Utah, he has helped the Cougars win back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships.
The Cougars’ leading tackler, Bauman has started all 12 games at middle linebacker. A Finance major with a 3.92 G.P.A., he has made 101 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for lost yardage. A Salt Lake City, Utah native, Bauman also has a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery.
A Finance major with a 3.82 G.P.A., Fowler is third on the team with 73 tackles from his strong safety position. Bound for Law School at the University of Virginia, the Kaysville, Utah native has broken up two passes and recovered a fumble.
Senior tight end Bart Bergfeld and junior defensive lineman Brandon Wingeier represent Dayton on the Academic All-America® first team. A Philosophy and Religion major with a 3.95 G.P.A., Bergfeld is the Flyers’ third-leading receiver with 21 receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns. A native of Delphos, Ohio, Bergfeld has helped the Flyers post a 9-3 record. A starter in all 11 games at defensive end, Wingeier is a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.76 G.P.A. He is ninth on the team with 37 tackles but ranks among the team leaders with five quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles.
Senior wide receiver Kole Heckendorf, a second team Academic All-America® pick in 2007, joins Roehl as North Dakota State’s representatives on the 2008 first team. A Physical Education major with a 3.81 G.P.A., Heckendorf leads the Bison with 36 receptions for 648 yards and four touchdowns. Named first team All-Great West in 2007, he is the Bison’s all-time receiving leader with 173 catches for 2,636 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Kyle Minett of South Dakota State, graduate student Phil Brunner of Northwestern, and senior kicker Louie Sakoda of Utah complete the Academic All-America® University Division first team offense.
An Economics major with a 3.50 G.P.A., Minett is averaging 146.6 all-purpose yards per game for the Jackrabbits. The Ruthton, Minn. native has rushed for 1,204 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in addition to catching 42 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns. With 17 touchdowns, Minett is the ninth-leading scorer in NCAA FCS.
A graduate student with a major in Chemical Engineering and a 3.79 G.P.A., Brunner has been the Wildcats’ long snapper for the last three years. A native of South Milwaukee, Wis., Brunner has helped the 24th-ranked Wildcats post an 8-3 record this season.
The leading scorer in Utah history with 301 points, Sakoda was a first team All-American as a junior. A Business Marketing major with a 3.73 G.P.A., he has connected on 21 of 23 field goal attempts and 52 of 53 conversion tries for the seventh-ranked Utes, who are 12-0 on the season. In his career, the San Jose, Cal. native has made 56 of 65 field goal attempts to rank among the NCAA career leaders. He also has a 41.5 punting average for Utah.
Senior Brian Flagg of Arkansas State and senior Kyle Hawari of Yale join Wingeier and Reed as the defensive linemen on the Academic All-America® University Division first team.
A four-year starter at defensive end, Flagg was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference pre-season team. An Electrical Engineering major with a 3.78 G.P.A., he has made 21 tackles with two sacks this season. A native of Ripley, Tenn., Flagg had 44 tackles as a junior.
An honorable mention All-Ivy League selection as a sophomore, Hawari has started all 10 games at defensive end for Yale. A History major with a 3.65 G.P.A., he is fifth on the team with 42 tackles. The Plano, Texas native helped the Bulldogs post a 6-4 record with a team-leading seven sacks.
Senior Zach Arnett of New Mexico completes the linebacking corps. A History major with a 3.88 G.P.A., he was a starter in all 12 games for the Lobos. The NCAA leader with six forced fumbles, he made 92 tackles as a senior, second on the team. A three-time All-Mountain West Academic selection, he had 190 tackles in his career.
A Technical Sales major with a 4.00 G.P.A., junior Beau Hadley of Weber State is the fourth defensive back on the Academic All-America® first team. A starter in all 11 games at safety, Hadley leads the Wildcats with 95 tackles. He has also intercepted three passes and forced five fumbles. A native of Taylor, Utah, he has helped the 8th-ranked Wildcats win the Big Sky Conference championship with a 9-2 record.
Senior punter Tim Masthay of Kentucky, a second team Academic All-America® pick in 2007, completes the Academic All-America® University Division first team. A Business Economics major with a 3.81 G.P.A., he leads the Southeastern Conference in punting with a 45.5 average. The third-leading punter in the nation, he has placed 12 of his 44 punts inside the 20-yard line while helping the Wildcats to a 6-5 record.
The 24 members of the Academic All-America® University Division first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.74.
A two-year starter at quarterback for Mount Union, Micheli is the Academic All-America® of the Year in the College Division. A Physics and Mathematics major with a 3.84 G.P.A., he is a repeat selection as a first team Academic All-America®. An All-American quarterback for the Raiders, he has completed 179 of 232 passes for 2,791 yards. While leading the Raiders to an 11-0 record, he has thrown only two interceptions and has 29 touchdown passes. His passing efficiency rating is an outrageous 215.77.
The Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Stagg Bowl when he led the Raiders to the NCAA Division III championship, he has an amazing 25-1 record as a starting quarterback. In his career, the Upper Sandusky, Ohio native has completed 517 of 692 passes (.745) for 7,527 yards and 73 touchdowns. He has only thrown nine interceptions in his career and his 197.8 career passer rating is the highest in NCAA history.
Micheli is one of six student-athletes named to the Academic All-America® College Division first team for the second straight year. Senior running back Caleb Farabi of Pittsburg State, senior offensive lineman Mitch Braegelmann of North Dakota, senior offensive lineman Brian Freeman of Carnegie Mellon, senior defensive lineman Clay Crites of Carnegie Mellon and senior defensive back Jake Visser of Ferris State were also repeat selections.
A Management major with a 3.79 G.P.A., Farabi was an honorable mention All-American selection as a junior. Honored as a first team All-MIAA pick the last two years, he is the 14th-leading rusher in NCAA Division II in 2008. The Pittsburg, Kan. native has rushed for 1,387 yards and scored 14 touchdowns while helping the third-ranked Gorillas post an 11-2 record. Farabi is the seventh-leading rusher in school history.
A three-year starter at offensive center at North Dakota, Braegelmann earned NCAA Division II second team All-America honors as a junior. A Chemical Engineering major with a 3.86 G.P.A., he has helped the Fighting Sioux to a 6-5 record. A native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, he was named first team All-North Central Conference twice. Led by Braegelmann and defensive back Rory Manke, North Dakota was the only school that had two players on the Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A three-year starter at offensive tackle, Freeman was named first team All-University Athletic Association as a junior. A native of Independence, Ohio, he is a Chemical and Biomedical Engineering major with a 3.95 G.P.A. Crites is a three-year starter at defensive end. A Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.91 G.P.A., the Tuscarawas, Ohio native was named first team All-UAA as a junior. He was third on the team with 67 tackles in 2007. As a senior, he made 64 tackles, third on the team. Led by Freeman and Crites, the Tartars had a 5-5 record this season.
Visser, a three-year starter at defensive tackle at Ferris State, was a consensus first team All-American pick as a junior. A strong candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, he is a three-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference first team pick. A History Education major with a 3.89 G.P.A., he made 105 tackles as a senior with 7.5 sacks and four blocked kicks. The Coopersville, Mich. native made 395 tackles in his career for the Bulldogs with 27.5 sacks.
Junior Calvin Bueltel of Rose-Hulman joined Farabi as the other running back on the Academic All-America® College Division first team. Honored as a first team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference selection, Bueltel is a Chemical Engineering major with a 3.82 G.P.A. The Huntingburg, Indiana native led the conference with 1,096 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Averaging 5.3 yards per carry, he led the Fightin’ Engineers to a 7-3 record.
Seniors Matt D’Angelo of Elmhurst and Keith White of Michigan Tech are the wide receivers on the Academic All-America® College Division first team. A History major with a 3.76 G.P.A., D’Angelo was a record-setting receiver for the Bluejays. En route to first team all-conference honors, he caught 67 passes for 1,149 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the team post a 7-3 record. A Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.97 G.P.A., White earned honorable mention all-conference notice as a senior. He led the Huskies to an 8-3 record by catching 63 passes for 944 yards and eight touchdowns.
Senior Thomas Franklin of Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named as the tight end on the Academic All-America® College Division first team. An Aerospace Engineering major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A., Franklin caught 11 passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns while helping M.I.T. post a 5-5 record.
Juniors Marcus Greatens of Winona State, Brian Monaco of Hobart and Blaine Westermeyer of Augustana (Ill.) join Braegelmann and Freeman to complete the offensive line.
A 6-5, 300-pound offensive tackle, Greatens started nine of ten games for the Warriors, helping them post a 6-5 record. A native of Oneida, Wisconsin, he is a Cellular Molecular Biology major with a 4.00 G.P.A. A two-year starter at right guard, Monaco has earned All-Liberty League honors the last two seasons. A Biology major with a 3.97 G.P.A., he has helped 23rd-ranked Hobart post a 9-1 record and earn an NCAA playoff berth. A Biochemistry major with a 3.94 G.P.A., Westemeyer is a two-year starter at tackle for Augustana. A 6-5, 280-pound lineman, he is a two-time all-conference selection who helped his team post a 7-3 record.
Senior place kicker Dustin Strickler of Missouri Western completes the Academic All-America® first team offense. A Business Marketing major with a 3.90 G.P.A., Strickler was named second team All-MIAA after scoring 77 points for the Griffuns. He converted 14 of 17 field goal attempts, including a pair of game-winners. The Bellevue, Nebraska native also made 35 of 37 conversion attempts.
Graduate student Jon Ochs of Bloomsburg and senior Shaine Odell of Chadron State join Crites and Visser as the defensive linemen on the Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, Ochs has started all 12 games for the 14th-ranked Huskies, who are 11-1 on the season. A Business Administration major with a 3.89 G.P.A., Ochs has 44 tackles, including 16.5 tackles for lost yardage. In addition, he has eight sacks and five forced fumbles. A starter in 13 games at defensive tackle, Odell earned first team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors while leading the Eagles to an 11-2 record and their third straight conference championship. An Industrial Management major with a 3.86 G.P.A., the Camp Crook, South Dakota native led the Eagles with 18 tackles for lost yardage and nine sacks. He also made 52 tackles and forced three fumbles.
Seniors Bryan Boyce of Mercyhurst and Luke Hoffman of Wayne State (Neb.) join junior Lee Sasala of Case Western as the linebackers on the Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, Boyce is a Biology major with a 3.81 G.P.A. He led Mercyhurst to a 7-4 record by making 91 tackles, including 10 for lost yardage and 5.5 sacks. For Boyce, it was a comeback season as the Hubbard, Ohio native missed the 2007 campaign with an injury.
A starter in all 12 games, Hoffman led Wayne State to a 9-3 record and an NCAA Division II playoff berth. An Elementary Education major with a 3.87 G.P.A., he earned all-conference honors as he made 97 tackles and intercepted two passes. For the 22nd-ranked Wildcats, the nine victories matched the school record.
A Pre-Med major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Sasala was the second-leading tackler for Case Western with 75 stops. He helped the Spartans win a second straight University Athletic Association championship as they went unbeaten in the regular season. Ranked 11th in NCAA Division III, Case Western finished the season with a 10-1 record.
A second team Academic All-America® selection in 2007, senior defensive back Rory Manke of the University of North Dakota leads the secondary on the 2008 Academic All-America® College Division team. A Biology major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Manke led the Fighting Sioux with 63 tackles and one sack. A native of Detroit Lakes, Minn., he helped UND post a 6-4 record this season.
Joining Manke as defensive backs on the first team are seniors Paul Bielmeier of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Levi DeVries of Concordia-Moorhead and Jason Donnelly of Augustana (S.D.). A Kinesiology major with a 3.93 G.P.A., Bielmeier made 47 tackles as a senior, third on the team. He helped the Blugold post a 6-4 record. A Physics and Mathematics major with a 3.96 G.P.A., DeVries was an honorable mention All-MIAC selection for the Cobbers. He made 33 tackles and broke up seven passes while helping his team post a 6-4 record. A second team all-conference selection, Donnelly made 39 tackles for the Vikings, leading them to a 7-4 record. A Physics and Mathematics major with a 3.96 G.P.A., he led the Vikings with four pass interceptions and broke up eight passes.
Senior punter Ryan Nye of Kutztown completes the 22-man Academic All-America® College Division first team. An Elementary Education major with a 3.63 G.P.A., Nye was the 14th-ranked punter in NCAA Division II as he averaged 41.2 yards per punt. A native of Bernville, Pa., Nye had a seasonal long punt of 70 yards as he helped Kutztown post a 5-6 record.
The average G.P.A. for the 24-member Academic All-America® College Division first team is 3.89.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
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