TOWSON, Md. — When Penn State University faces the University of Southern California in the Rose Bowl on January 1, the Nittany Lions will be led by a contingent of five players who were named to the ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-America® football team last month.
Senior offensive lineman Gerald Cadogan (Portsmouth, Ohio), senior lineman Andrew Pitz (Bettendorf, Iowa), senior linebacker Josh Hull (Millheim, Pa.), graduate student defensive back Mark Rubin (Amherst, N.Y.) and sophomore offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville, Pa.) were named as members of the Academic All-America® team as the Nittany Lions topped all football programs with five selections.
With Cadogan, Pitz, Hull and Rubin earning first team honors, Penn State set a record by having four players named to the first team. Coach Joe Paterno has now coached 27 players who have been named as first team Academic All-America® selections with four players earning the honors twice.
A Rehabilitation Services and Psychology major with a 3.68 G.P.A., Cadogan was a repeat selection on the first team. The senior tackle was also named first team All-Big Ten Conference as he led the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 record and the Big Ten championship. A Journalism major with a 3.94 G.P.A., Pitz has handled all of the long snapping duties for the Nittany Lions the last four years.
Rubin, who graduated in August with his degree in Finance, Advertising and Public Relations and a 3.80 G.P.A., is a talented safety who is tied for fourth on the team with 57 tackles. An Environmental Systems Engineering major with a 3.50 G.P.A., Hull is second on the team with 66 tackles.
In addition to earning second team Academic All-America® notice, Wisniewski was named second team All-Big Ten Conference. He is a Secondary Education major with a 3.89 G.P.A.
The Nittany Lions are led by five of the 24 Academic All-America® selections who will be playing in bowl games over the next few weeks.
With a trio of first team Academic All-America® honorees on the roster, Brigham Young (10-2) will play Arizona in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl on December 20. Senior offensive lineman David Oswald (Sandy, Utah), junior linebacker Matthew Bauman (Salt Lake City, Utah) and senior defensive back Kellen Fowler (Kaysville, Utah) represented the Cougars on the first team.
An International Relations major with a 3.85 G.P.A., Oswald has been a two-year starter at right tackle for the high-powered Cougar offense. A Finance major with a 3.92 G.P.A., Bauman leads BYU with 101 tackles. Fowler, a Finance major with a 3.82 G.P.A., is third on the team with 73 tackles.
When top-ranked Oklahoma faces Florida in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game on January 8, both the Sooners and the Gators will be led by Academic All-America® quarterbacks. Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford (Oklahoma City, Okla.), the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner and a second team Academic All-America® quarterback, will lead the Sooners.
A Finance major with a 3.95 G.P.A., Bradford was also the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award as the top quarterback in the nation. While leading the Sooners to a 12-1 record, he has completed 302 of 442 passes for 4,464 yards. Bradford leads the nation with 48 touchdown passes with only six interceptions.
Meanwhile, junior quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.), the first team Academic All-America® quarterback, will guide the Gators. A Family, Youth and Community Sciences major with a 3.70 G.P.A., Tebow earned first team Academic All-America® honors for the second year in a row. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow was also named as the Academic All-America ® of the Year for the second straight year. A three-year starter for the Gators, Tebow has led Florida to a 12-1 record and the Southeastern Conference title this season. He has completed 174 of 268 passes for 2,515 yards with 28 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He has also rushed for 564 yards and scored 12 TD’s.
Bradford is one of two Sooners who earned Academic All-America® second team honors. Sophomore running back DeMarco Murray (Las Vegas, Nev.) was also honored. A Communications major with a 3.31 G.P.A., Murray is the Sooners’ second-leading ball carrier. He has rushed for 1,002 yards on 179 carries and has scored 14 touchdowns.
Five other ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® first team selections, including offensive lineman Phil Brunner (S. Milwaukee, Wis.) of Northwestern, wide receiver Brian Robiskie (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) of Ohio State, defensive lineman Nick Reed (Trabuco Canyon, Cal.) of Oregon, place kicker Louie Sakoda (San Jose, Cal.) of Utah, and punter Tim Masthay (Murray, Ky.) of Kentucky, will be participating in bowl games this month.
A graduate student with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and a 3.79 G.P.A., Brunner has been the long snapper for Northwestern the last three years. Brunner has helped 23rd-ranked Northwestern post a 9-3 record. The Wildcats will face Missouri in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29.
A Marketing major with a 3.54 G.P.A., Robiskie has been named as a first team Academic All-America® honoree the last two years. The Buckeyes’ leading receiver with 37 catches for 419 yards and eight touchdowns, Robiskie has led Ohio State to a 10-2 record. Ohio State will face Texas in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 5.
A first team Academic All-America® pick for the second consecutive year, Reed has helped 17th-ranked Oregon compile a 9-3 record. The Ducks have earned a berth in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl where they will play 13th-ranked Oklahoma State on December 30. A History major with a 3.44 G.P.A., Reed has been named first team All-Pacific 10 Conference twice. Reed, who is second in the nation with 13 quarterback sacks, leads the country with five fumble recoveries. He has 50 tackles this year and was named as a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation.
A first team AFCA All-American selection, Sakoda has helped 7th-ranked Utah to a perfect 12-0 record. A Business Marketing major with a 3.73 G.P.A., Sakoda is the fourth-leading scorer in the nation with 115 points in 12 games. He has made 52 of 53 conversion kicks and 21 of 23 field goal attempts. Sakoda will lead the Utes into the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 where they will face Alabama.
Masthay, the fourth-leading punter in the nation with a 45.3 average, has helped Kentucky post a 6-6 record. A Business Economics major with a 3.81 G.P.A., he will lead Kentucky into an AutoZone Liberty Bowl appearance against East Carolina on Jan. 2.
Senior wide receiver Todd Peterson (Grand Island, Neb.) and senior linebacker Tyler Wortman (Grand Island, Neb.), a pair of second team Academic All-America® selections, will lead Nebraska into the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl against Clemson on Jan. 1. The Cornhuskers’ second-leading receiver with 58 catches for 690 yards and three touchdowns, Peterson is a Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics major with a 3.76 G.P.A. Wortman, a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.96 G.P.A., has made 32 tackles this season. Peterson and Wortman have helped Nebraska post an 8-4 record this season.
Sophomore running back Chris Ogbonnaya (Missouri City, Texas), a member of the Academic All-America® second team, will lead the University of Texas (11-1) into the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State on Jan. 5. A Corporate Communications and History major with a 3.33 G.P.A., Ogbonnaya was an honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference selection this season. He is the fourth-leading rusher on the Longhorns with 331 yards and four touchdowns. He is also the third-leading receiver for Texas with 42 receptions for 484 yards and three TD’s.
Junior offensive lineman Phillip Swanson (Grand Haven, Mich.) was named to the Academic All-America® second team and will lead Western Michigan (9-3) against Rice in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 30. A first team All-Mid-American Conference tackle, Swanson is a Journalism major with a 3.92 G.P.A.
In the Texas Bowl, Rice will counter with a second team Academic All-America® selection of its own, sophomore wide receiver James Casey (Azle, Tex.). An Economic Management Studies major with a 3.84 G.P.A., Casey was an important part of the Owls’ record-setting offense. A first team All-Conference USA selection, Casey is the second-leading receiver in the nation with 104 receptions for 1,217 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 231 yards and scored six TD’s while helping Rice post a 9-3 record.
With graduate student Conor Lee (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) handling the place kicking duties, 20th-ranked Pittsburgh will face Oregon State in the Brut Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. An Academic All-America® second team selection, Lee is an Economics and Business major with a 3.71 G.P.A. He has helped Pittsburgh post a 9-3 record by scoring 98 points. Lee has made 20 of 23 field goal attempts and all 38 conversion tries.
Senior defensive lineman Doug Slavonic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) of West Virginia University was also an Academic All-America® second team selection. A Finance major with a 3.48 G.P.A., Slavonic will join his WVU teammates when they face North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Dec. 27. Slavonic, who has made 26 tackles for the Mountaineers, has helped WVU compile an 8-4 record.
An Academic All-America® second team selection at defensive back, senior Mike Anello (Orland Park, Ill.) will lead Notre Dame into the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24. A Finance major with a 3.93 G.P.A., Anello made 23 tackles for the Fighting Irish, now 6-6 on the season.
Junior defensive back Myron Rolle (Galloway, N.J.) of Florida State is the final Academic All-America® second team selection who will be playing in a bowl game. A Public Administration major with a 3.71 G.P.A., Rolle is a Rhodes Scholar who has helped the Seminoles post an 8-4 record. A second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, Rolle was second on the team with 57 tackles. He also broke up five passes. Rolle will lead the Seminoles into the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 27 where they will face Wisconsin.
On Saturday, December 20, junior quarterback Greg Micheli of Mount Union, a first team Academic All-America® College Division selection, will lead the Raiders into the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III championship game. Mount Union will face Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1) in the Stagg Bowl at 11:00 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
A two-year starter at quarterback for Mount Union, Micheli was 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®. While leading the Raiders to a 14-0 record, he has completed 228 of 301 passes for 3,481 yards. He has thrown only two interceptions and has 34 touchdown passes. His passing efficiency rating is an outrageous 208.4. The Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Stagg Bowl when he led the Raiders to the NCAA Division III championship, he has an amazing 28-1 record as a starting quarterback. In his career, the Upper Sandusky, Ohio native has completed 566 of 761 passes (.744) for 8,217 yards and 79 touchdowns. He has only thrown nine interceptions in his career and his 197.8 career passer rating is the highest in NCAA history.
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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For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit
www.cosida.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dan O’Connell, Towson University (
doconnell@towson.edu) (410) 704-3102
Academic All-America ® Vice-Chair For Publicity/Communications
Geoff Hassard, SUNY at Oneonta (
hassargj@oneonta.edu) (607) 436-2106
Academic All-America ® Coordinator of Publicity
2008 ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America®
Academic All-America® Selections in the Post-Season
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 20 – 8:00 p.m. Las Vegas, Nev.
Brigham Young –
OL David Oswald 1st team VIII Sr. Sandy, Utah 3.85/ International Relations
LB Matthew Bauman 1st team VIII Jr. Salt Lake City, Utah 3.92/ Finance
DB Kellen Fowler 1st team VIII Sr. Kaysville, Utah 3.82/ Finance
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Dec. 24 – 11:00 p.m. Honolulu, Hawaii
Notre Dame – DB Mike Anello 2nd team V Sr. Orland Park, Ill. 3.93/ Finance
Meineke Car Care Bowl Dec. 27 – 1:00 p.m. Charlotte, N.C.
West Virginia – DL Doug Slavonic 2nd team II Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. 3.48/ Finance
Champs Sports Bowl Dec. 27 – 4:30 p.m. Orlando, Fla.
Florida State – DB Myron Rolle 2nd team III Jr. Galloway, N.J. 3.71/ Public Administration
Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 29 – 8:00 p.m. San Antonio, Tex.
Northwestern – OL Phil Brunner 1st team V Gr. S. Milwaukee, Wis. 3.79/ Chem.Eng.& Mat. Sci. Eng.
Texas Bowl Dec. 30 – 8:00 p.m. Houston, Tex.
Western Michigan – OL Phillip Swanson 2nd team IV Jr. Grand Haven, Mich. 3.92/ Journalism
Rice – WR James Casey 2nd team VI So. Azle, Tex. 3.84/ Eco., Man. Stud., Sport Mgt.
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Dec. 30 – 11:00 p.m. San Diego, Cal.
Oregon – DL Nick Reed 1st team VIII Sr. Trabuco Canyon,Cal. 3.44/ History
Brut Sun Bowl Dec. 31 – 2:00 p.m. El Paso, Tex.
Pittsburgh – PK Conor Lee 2nd team II Gr. Upper St. Clair, Pa. 3.71/ Economics and Business
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Jan. 1 – 1:00 p.m. Jacksonville, Fla.
Nebraska – WR Todd Peterson 2nd team VII Sr. Grand Island, Neb. 3.76/ Nutritional Sci. & Dietetics
Rose Bowl Presented by Citi Jan. 1 – 4:30 p.m. Pasadena, Cal.
Penn State –
OL Gerald Cadogan 1st team II Sr. Portsmouth, Ohio 3.68/ Rehab. Services & Psychology
OL Andrew Pitz 1st team II Sr. Bettendorf, Iowa 3.94/ Journalism
LB Josh Hull 1st team II Sr. Millheim, Pa. 3.50/ Environmental Systems Eng.
DB Mark Rubin 1st team II Gr. Amherst, N.Y. 3.80/ Finance, Advertising & P.R.
OL Stefen Wisniewski 2nd team II So. Bridgevillle, Pa. 3.89/ Education
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Jan. 2 – 5:00 p.m. Memphis, Tenn.
Kentucky – P Tim Masthay 1st team IV Sr. Murray, Ky. 3.81/ Business Economics
Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 2 – 8:00 p.m. New Orleans, La.
Utah – PK Louie Sakoda 1st team VIII Sr. San Jose, Cal. 3.73/ Business Marketing
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Jan. 5 – 8:00 p.m. Glendale, Ariz.
Ohio State – WR Brian Robiskie 1st team IV Sr. Chagrin Falls, Ohio 3.54/ Marketing
Texas – RB Chris Ogbonnaya 2nd team VI Sr. Missouri City, Tex. 3.33/ Corporate Comm. & History
FedEx BCS Nat’l Championship Game Jan. 8 – 8:00 p.m. Miami, Fla.
Florida – QB Tim Tebow 1st team III Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. 3.70/ Family, Youth & Comm. Sci.
Oklahoma –
QB Sam Bradford 2nd team VI So. Oklahoma City, Ok. 3.95/ Finance
RB DeMarco Murray 2nd team VI So. Las Vegas, Nev. 3.31/ Communications