Also view this article from U.S. News & World Report on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans in the bowl games:
Dec. 14, 2009: As Bowl Season Heats Up What You Don't See on TV Takes Precedence: Here's how some football student-athletes are making waves in the classroom, by Jeff Greer, U.S. News & World Report (www.usnews.com)
TOWSON, Md. - When undefeated Alabama meets unbeaten Texas in the BCS Championship Game on January 7, the teams will be closely matched, both athletically and academically. Both teams will be led by two members of the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division Football Team, which was selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and announced last month.
In fact, there will be 11 Academic All-America® first team selections and 10 second team picks playing in bowl games over the next few weeks. This includes
Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow who claimed ESPN the Magazine Academic Football All-America® of the Year award for the second straight year.
Additionally,
two members of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football College Division team led Northwest Missouri State to the NCAA Division II national championship with a 30-23 win over Grand Valley State last week.
Graduate student Myles Burnsides, a first team selection, and
senior Sean Paddock, a second team pick, led the Bearcats to a 14-1 record and the national championship.
For
Alabama and Coach Nick Saban, tight end
Colin Peek is a finance major with a 3.79 GPA. One of the top receivers for #1 Alabama, he has caught 23 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. He made the biggest reception of his career when he caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Greg McElroy to give Alabama a 26-13 lead over Florida in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game. The 32-13 win over Florida enabled the Crimson Tide to earn a berth in the national championship game with a 13-0 record. A transfer from Georgia Tech, Peek is a Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. native who was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Football team twice.
A sophomore Management major with a perfect 4.00 GPA, offensive lineman
Barrett Jones of Alabama was selected to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team. A starter in all 13 games at right guard, Jones was a key blocker for Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and helped the Crimson Tide average more than 413 yards per game of total offense.
The Big 12 Conference champion,
Texas (13-0) is led by a pair of Academic All-America® first team selections, offensive lineman
Adam Ulatoski and defensive lineman
Sam Acho.
A graduate student who earned his B.A. degree in corporate communications, Ulatoski is pursuing his Master’s degree in advertising and has a 3.89 GPA. A starting tackle in 42 of 48 career games, he was named 2008 All-Big-12 Conference first team and earned second team All-Big-12 notice this season. A candidate for the Outland Trophy, he anchors the third-leading scoring offense in the nation for Coach Mack Brown. A native of Southlake, Texas, he was named first team Academic All-Big 12 three times.
A two-year starter on the defensive line for the second-ranked Longhorns,
Acho is a junior with a major in Honors business and a 3.62 GPA. A starter in all 13 games for Texas, he ranks among the team leaders with 57 tackles. He has made 13 tackles for lost yardage and a team-leading nine quarterback sacks. In the Longhorns’ 13-12 win over Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game, Acho had a team high ten tackles and one sack. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12. A native of Dallas, Texas, he leads the nation with four fumble recoveries. In 2008, he was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team.
Among the teams participating in bowl games,
Penn State, Fresno State, Brigham Young and Northwestern have multiple Academic All-America® selections. Coach Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions, who take a 10-2 record into the Capital One Bowl, are led by three Scholar-Athletes who were named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division first team.
An environmental systems engineering major with a 3.56 GPA, Nittany Lion senior linebacker
Josh Hull was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division first team for the second time. He was joined on the first team by a pair of Nittany Lion offensive linemen, graduate student
Andrew Pitz and junior Stefen Wisniewski. Pitz was also a repeat selection to the first team while Wisniewski was named to the second team in 2008.
Hull led Penn State with 110 tackles. A starter in all 12 games, he was named second team All-Big Ten Conference while leading the 9th-ranked Nittany Lions to a 10-2 record. A former “walk on” who has started all 25 games at middle linebacker the last two years, Hull ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference in tackles. A native of Millheim, Pa., Hull had five consecutive 10-tackle games this year.
A second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football University Division pick last year,
Wisniewski has started 24 games over the last two seasons. A starter at guard in 2008, he has been the Nittany Lions’ center in 2009. He was named first team All-Big Ten Conference this year. A Secondary Education major with a 3.89 G.P.A., the Bridgeville, Pa. native has helped Penn State lead the Big Ten in total offense.
A graduate student with a 3.93 GPA,
Pitz has been the long snapper for the Nittany Lions the last two seasons. A former “walk on,” he has not had any bad snaps in two years. A native of Bettendorf, Iowa, Pitz earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2008.
Penn State will face #13 Louisiana State (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on New Year’s Day.
With an 8-4 record,
Fresno State will face Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, December 19. Making its 10th bowl appearance in 11 years, Fresno is led by junior offensive lineman
Andrew Jackson, a first team Academic All-America® pick, and senior
Robert Malone, the punter on the Academic All-America® second team.
A starter in 34 consecutive games at right guard for Coach Pat Hill,
Jackson is a business administration management major with a 3.92 GPA. A two-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection, Jackson has been the top blocker for NCAA rushing leader Ryan Matthews. After earning second team All-WAC honors last year, he was a first team All-WAC choice in 2009. Jackson has helped Fresno to an 8-4 record this year. The Grass Valley, Cal. native has helped the Bulldogs average 250.8 rushing yards per game, fifth in the nation.
Malone, a kinesiology major with a 3.51 GPA, earned first team All-WAC honors at punter. The leading punter in the WAC, he averages 45.1 yards per punt. He has 14 punts of 50 yards or more and has placed 16 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
BYU senior defensive back
Scott Johnson and senior linebacker
Matt Baumann will lead the #14 ranked squad (10-2) into the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl on December 22 where BYU faces 18th-ranked Oregon State.
An exercise science major with a 3.82 GPA.,
Johnson is a first team Academic All-America® selection who has started 11 games for BYU. An honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference pick, the Provo, Utah native has made 64 tackles, third on the team. A two-year starter, the Southlake, Texas product has three interceptions this year.
A starter in all 12 games for BYU,
Bauman is a two-year starter at inside linebacker who was named to the Academic All-America® second team. A finance major with a 3.91 GPA, he has been one of the Cougars’ co-captains this season. The Salt Lake City, Utah native has made 53 tackles to date this year.
Led by wide receiver
Zeke Markshausen and place kicker
Stefan Demos, Northwestern (8-4) will face Auburn (7-5) in The Outback Bowl on January 1.
A graduate student who earned his degree in mechanical engineering with a 3.46 GPA,
Markshausen earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football University Division first team notice. A second team All-Big Ten Conference pick, he was second in the Big Ten with 79 receptions for 774 yards and three touchdowns. The 14th-leading receiver in the nation, the native of Capron, Ill. has been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team twice.
A second team selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® team,
Demos is a communication studies major with a 3.49 GPA. The fifth-leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference, he has connected on 18 of 23 field goal attempts and 31 of 32 conversion tries for a team-leading 85 points. A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Demos earned second team All-Big Ten Conference honors for Coach Pat Fitzgerald. Named as the Big Ten’s Special Teams Player of the Week three times, Demos also punted for the Wildcats.
The winner of the Academic All-America® of the Year award for the second straight season, senior quarterback
Tim Tebow will guide #5
Florida (12-1) into the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1. The Gators, who had their 22-game winning streak snapped by Alabama, will face fourth-ranked Cincinnati (12-0) in the Sugar Bowl.
A family, youth & communication studies major with a 3.66 GPA, Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. A three-year starter, he is putting the finishing touches on a remarkable college career. Tebow helped Florida win two national championships with a four-year record of 46-8. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he has passed for 8,588 yards with 83 touchdown passes in his career. He has also rushed for 2,614 career yards and scored 55 TD’s. The Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2009, he was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football University Division first team for the third straight year.
When
Michigan State (6-6) plays Texas Tech (8-4) in the Valero Alamo Bowl on January 2, the Spartans will be led by their terrific wide receiver
Blair White, a first team selection to the Academic All-America® University Division team. Named to the Big Ten All-Academic Team for the fourth time, White led the Spartans with 64 receptions for 876 yards and a league-leading eight touchdowns. A human biology major with a 3.89 GPA, the Saginaw, Mich. native was named first team All-Big Ten Conference.
Led by
Rocky Ross, a graduate student with a 3.88 GPA,
Central Florida (8-4) will play Rutgers (8-4) in the St. Petersburg Bowl on December 19. Named to the Academic All-America® University second team, Ross is the Knights’ second-leading receiver with 37 catches for 412 yards and three touchdowns. Named to the Conference USA All-Academic team, the Jacksonville, Fla. native majored in sports & fitness.
Stanford junior wide receiver
Ryan Whalen, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team selection, will lead the #22 Cardinal (8-4) against Oklahoma (7-5) in the Brut Sun Bowl on December 31. A science technology and society major with a 3.43 GPA, Whalen is Stanford’s top receiver with 54 receptions for 861 yards and four touchdowns. A native of Alamo, Calif., he earned honorable mention All-Pacific 10 Conference honors.
A mechanical engineering major with a 3.54 GPA, senior tackle
Zane Beadles of #24 Utah has also been selected as a consensus All-American. The 6-4, 305-pound lineman will lead Utah (9-3) into the Poinsettia Bowl where the Utes will play California on December 23. A member of the Academic All-America® University Division second team, Beadles has been a four-year starter on the offensive line for Utah. Named to the Mountain West All-Conference team three times, he is a finalist for the Wuerffel Award.
Selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team, sophomore tackle
John Dowd will lead the
U.S. Naval Academy (9-4) against Missouri (8-4) in the Texas Bowl on December 31. A mechanical engineering major with a 3.95 GPA, Dowd is a 6-4, 260-pound tackle who played in 13 games and started once. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., he helped Navy win its seventh straight Commander-In-Chief Trophy.
A graduate student working on his M.B.A., offensive lineman
Mitch Enright of Southern Methodist was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team. A native of Southlake, Texas, Enright is a three-year starter at offensive center for the Mustangs (7-5), who will play Nevada (8-4) in the Sheraton-Hawaii Bowl on December 24. A two-time Conference USA Academic Medal winner, he graduated from SMU in three years. He is pursuing his M.B.A. at SMU’s prestigious Cox School of Business.
A senior linebacker who was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team,
Reed Williams has helped 17th-ranked
West Virginia post a 9-3 record, earning a berth in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl where the Mountaineers will face Florida State on January 1. A finance and marketing major with a 3.86 GPA, Williams was named second team All-BIG EAST and he ranks among the team leaders with 57 tackles. He has two sacks and forced a fumble. A three-year starter, the Moorefield, W. Va. native has 243 tackles and eight sacks in his career.
Two members of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football College Division team led
Northwest Missouri State to the NCAA Division II national championship with a 30-23 win over Grand Valley State last week.
Graduate student Myles Burnsides, a first team selection, and
senior Sean Paddock, a second team pick, led the Bearcats to a 14-1 record and the national championship.
A graduate student pursuing his M.B.A.,
Burnsides earned his degree in business with a 3.90 GPA. A second team Academic All-America® pick last year, the Maryville, Mo. native was named as a first team All-American safety as a senior. Honored as the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year the last two years, he made 82 tackles with five interceptions this season. He finished his career with 294 tackles and 16 interceptions for Coach Mel Tjeerdsma.
Paddock, a 6-2, 255-pound defensive end, is a business management major with a 3.74 GPA. As a senior, he appeared in 11 games for the Bearcats and made 45 tackles with 7.5 sacks. He finished his career with 185 tackles and 27 sacks.
To be eligible for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America® honors, 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.
ESPN The Magazine - winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence - is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized biweekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports. For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit
www.cosida.com.
2009 ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America® Selections in Bowl GamesStudent-Athlete, Pos., Team, District, Yr., Hometown, GPA and major listedAll times listed are EASTERN
St. Petersburg Bowl Dec. 19 - 8:00 p.m. St. Petersburg, Fla.Central Florida: WR Rocky Ross 2nd team III Gr. Jacksonville, Fla. ( 3.88 GPA, Sports & Fitness Grad Level)
New Mexico Bowl Dec. 19 - 4:30 p.m. Albuquerque, New MexicoFresno State: OL Andrew Jackson, 1st team, District VIII Jr., Grass Valley, Cal. ( 3.92 Business Admin. Mgmt.) and
P Robert Malone, 2nd team District VIII Sr., Riverside, Calif. (3.51 Kinesiology)
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 22 - 8:00 p.m. Las Vegas, Nev.Brigham Young: DB Scott Johnson, 1st team VIII Sr., Southlake, Texas (3.82 Exercise Science)
LB Matthew Bauman, 2nd team VIII Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah (3.91 Finance)
San Diego Poinsettia Bowl Dec. 23 - 8:00 p.m. San Diego, Cal.Utah: OL Zane Beadles, 2nd team VIII Sr., Sandy, Utah (3.54 Mechanical Engineering)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Dec. 24 - 8:00 p.m. Honolulu, HawaiiSouthern Methodist: OL Mitch Enright, 2nd team VI Gr. Southlake, Texas (3.90 Management; Mktg. & Leadership)
Brut Sun Bowl Dec. 31 - 2:00 p.m. El Paso, TexasStanford: WR Ryan Whalen. 2nd team VIII Jr. Alamo, Calif. (3.43 Science Technology & Society)
Texas Bowl Dec. 31 - 3:30 p.m. Houston, TexasNavy: OL John Dowd, 2nd team II So., Staten Island, N.Y. ( 3.95 Mechanical Engineering)
Outback Bowl Jan. 1 - 11:00 a.m. Tampa, Fla.Northwestern: WR Zeke Markshausen, 1st team V Gr., Capron, Ill. (3.46 Mech. Engineering /Design & Innovation)
PK Stefan Demos, 2nd team V Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. (3.49 Communication Studies)
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Jan. 1 - 1:00 p.m. Jacksonville, Fla.West Virginia: LB Reed Williams, 2nd team II Sr., Moorefield, W. Va. (3.86 Finance/Marketing)
Capital One Bowl Jan. 1 - 1:00 p.m. Orlando, Fla.Penn State: OL Andrew Pitz, 1st team II Gr., Bettendorf, Iowa (3.93 Journalism/Telecommunications) and
OL Stefen Wisniewski, 1st team II Jr., Bridgeville, Pa. ( 3.89 Secondary Education)
LB Josh Hull, 1st team II Sr. Millheim, Pa. (3.56 Environmental Systems Engineering)
Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 1 - 8:30 p.m. New Orleans, La.Florida: QB Tim Tebow, 1st team III Sr., Jacksonville, Fla. 3.66 (Family, Youth & Comm. Science)
Valero Alamo Bowl Jan. 2 - 9:00 p.m. San Antonio, TexasMichigan State: WR Blair White, 1st team IV Sr., Saginaw, Mich. (3.89 Human Biology)
Citi BCS National Championship Game Jan. 7 - 8:00 p.m. Pasadena, Calif.Alabama: TE Colin Peek, 1st team IV Sr., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (3.79 Finance)
OL Barrett Jones, 2nd team IV So., Memphis, Tenn. (4.00 Management)
Texas: DL Sam Acho 1st team VI Jr., Dallas, Texas. (3.62 Honors Business)
OL Adam Ulatoski 1st team VI Gr., Southlake, Texas (3.53 Corp. Comm.; Advertising)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:Dan O’Connell, Towson University (doconnell@towson.edu) (410) 704-3102
CoSIDA Academic All-America ® Vice-Chair For Publicity/Communications Geoff Hassard, SUNY at Oneonta (hassargj@oneonta.edu) (607) 436-2106
CoSIDA Academic All-America ® Coordinator of Publicity