2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Football Teams release dates: 
College Division Team: teams/release
NCAA Division III Team: teams/release
NCAA Division II Team: below
NCAA Division I Team: Thr., Dec. 4
• Capital One Academic All-America® website
Note: The 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Volleyball Teams will be announced Dec. 8-11.
• Capital One Academic All-America® Football Team - Division II PDF version Word doc version
Henderson State University graduate student quarterback Kevin Rodgers headlines the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Division II football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Rogers has been named the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year for Division II football.
The Capital One Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2014-15 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
An MBA student with a 3.81 G.P.A., Rogers was named the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. In 2014, the Rockwall, Texas, native completed 283-of-427 passes for 3,602 yards and 34 touchdowns. Rogers averaged 327.5 yards per game and threw for 300 yards or more seven times.
During his illustrious career, Rodgers, who is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, compiled 13,678 passing yards, which ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division II history. The two-time All-American completed 1,010 of 1,518 career passes for a 66.5 completion percentage and 124 touchdowns, third all-time in NCAA Division II.
The Capital One Academic All-America® Division II football team features 12 returning Academic All-America® picks with nine finding a spot on the first team. Three-time Capital One Academic All-America® selection and F
ort Hays State University senior defensive lineman Jesse Trent is a first team choice after two years on the second team.
A Dodge City, Kansas, native, Trent earned honorable mention All- Mid America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honors this year after collecting third team laurels as a junior. He finished the year with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks. Trent is a biology major with a 3.89 G.P.A.
Trent is one of six returning Capital One Academic All-America® picks on the defensive side of the ball. Trent is joined on the first team defensive line by
Chadron State College senior Zach Sandstrom, a health and physical education major with a 3.94 G.P.A. The Chadron, Nebraska, native posted 20 tackles in 11 starts this season. Sandstrom added 2.5 tackles for loss and one QB sack to his 2014 statistics ledger.
Two linebackers and two defensive backs find their names on the Division II Capital One Academic All-America® list for the second year in a row.
Northwest Missouri State University senior linebacker Eric Reimer and
Seton Hill University senior linebacker Tyler Zimmer return for a second Academic All-America® tour. Zimmer is a repeat member of the first team, while Reimer made the 2013 second team.
A business management major with a 3.92 G.P.A,
Reimer led the NCAA playoff participant Bearcats with 76 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, native also topped the Northwest. Missouri State charts with two blocked kicks. Reimer added 3.5 quarterback sacks to his statistics book. He intercepted his first career pass against Washburn University this season.
Zimmer is an elementary education major (pre-K through fourth grade emphasis) with a 3.80 G.P.A. This season, the Harrison City, Pennsylvania, product recorded 62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 QB sacks and one interception. Zimmer won the 2013 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Fall Top Ten Award. In addition, he was named to the Daktronics All-American first team following his sophomore campaign. Zimmer was the first Griffin football player to earn first team Daktronics All-American laurels.
In the secondary, two student-athletes return to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division II football first team for the second consecutive year:
Mercyhurst University senior defensive back Colin Kimball and
University of Indianapolis senior defensive back Koby Orris. Kimball is graphic design major with a 3.97 G.P.A., while Orris is an exercise science and pre-physical therapy major with a 3.89 G.P.A.
Kimball was a first team All-PSAC selection in 2014, charting third on the Lakers defensive list with his career-best 63 tackles. The Erie, Pennsylvania, native also set or tied career-highs with seven interceptions, 184 interception return yards and two interception returns for touchdowns. This year, Kimball led the PSAC in picks, interception return yards and pick-sixes, ranking in the NCAA top five in each of the three categories. He broke the MU school record with 15 career interceptions.
A three-year starter in the Indianapolis defensive backfield,
Orris was named to the All- Great Lakes Valley Conference first team after his senior season. The Fishers, Indiana, product led the Greyhounds with three interceptions while charting fourth on the team with his 57 tackles. One of two defensive captains, Orris and his teammates were third in the NCAA Division II in passing defense (139.5 yards per game allowed).
Three Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team members were promoted from the 2013 second team:
Mercyhurst junior tight end John Matarazzo, Chadron State senior offensive lineman Sam Parker, and
Ferris State University defensive lineman Justin Zimmer. Matarazzo is a biology major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A., Parker is a communication arts major with a 3.85 G.P.A., and Zimmer is a business/management/marketing and technology major with a 3.87 G.P.A.
A New Castle, Pennsylvania, native,
Matarazzo established career-highs with 14 receptions, 138 receiving yards and one touchdown this season. He caught his first career touchdown pass in a victory at Seton Hill. Matarazzo and the Lakers finished the 2014 campaign with a seven-game winning streak, averaging 42.7 points per game and 498.1 yards per game in the process.
Parker hails from Harrison, Nebraska. He has started 35 games in his career. This season, he helped the Eagles’ offense average 449.9 yards per game and 34.3 points per game. The Chadron State team completed the 2014 season with an 8-3 overall record, winning seven of its last eight games. Parker was a two-time All- Rocky Mountain Athletics Conference selection.
Zimmer, who hails from Greenville, Michigan, helped lead the Bulldogs to 11-1 mark this year and the school's first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship since 1999. As a team captain and two-time All-GLIAC first team selection, Zimmer has been the leader of a much-improved Ferris State defensive unit this season. He leads the squad and is among the GLIAC and national leaders in sacks (5.5 for -34 yards) along with tackles for loss (12.0 for -53 yards). In addition, he's forced three fumbles and added 76 tackles, ranking among the top three on the team, with 31 solo hits and 45 assisted stops.
Three Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football second team selections from the 2013 season found a spot on the 2014 second team:
Lenoir-Rhyne University senior defensive back Joe Anderson, Wingate University redshirt senior tight end Brandon Ellington and
Northeastern State University junior offensive lineman Ross Dvorak.
Anderson helped the Bears win their fourth consecutive South Atlantic Conference championship in 2014. In addition, Lenoir-Rhyne qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the third straight season. L-R was the NCAA national runner-up in 2013. Statistically, Anderson has 30 tackles, seven pass breakups and a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown this fall. In the classroom, he has a 3.74 G.P.A. as an economics major.
Ellington finished his Wingate career as a three-time All-SAC performer. He is a two-time All-SAC first team choice, as he earned first team distinctions following the 2011 and the 2014 campaigns. This year, the Wilmington, North Carolina, native posted 21 receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Ellington’s reception and yardage totals are career-highs. A sport management major, he possesses a 3.87 G.P.A.
Dvorak has played and started 23 games for the RiverHawks. He owns 15 career starts at center and eight starts at left guard. A Louisburg, Kansas, product, Dvorak was named to the All-MIAA honorable mention team following his sophomore season. He has a 3.97 G.P.A. with a business administration major.
The 24 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team members hold a composite 3.85 G.P.A. First team members
Matarazzo from Mercyhurst and
junior wide receiver Lee Mayhall from the University of North Alabama both possess a perfect 4.00 G.P.A.
Wingate has a school-record five Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football honorees, while Chadron State has four.
Wide receivers Alex Macaulay of the University of West Georgia and
Lee Mayhall of the University of North Alabama; running backs Giresse Forchu of Missouri Southern State University and
Connor Thomas of the Minnesota State University, Mankato; offensive linemen Matt Borowicz of the University of Minnesota, Crookston, Josh Meeker of Minnesota State, Cole Parker of Concordia University, St. Paul, and Will Poteat of Wingate; and
kicker Tom Obarski of Concordia-St. Paul make up the remainder of the first team offense.
The other members of the first team defense include
defensive backs Charles Moore of Tarleton State University and Trevor Pesek of Texas A&M University-Kingsville; linebacker Spencer Lynn of California University of Pennsylvania; defensive linemen Bryan Thomson of East Stroudsburg University and Justin Zimmer of Ferris State University; and punter Daniel Backx of American International College.
Quarterback Liam Nadler of Gannon University;
wide receivers Jon Schnaars of East Stroudsburg and Mitchell Shegos of Notre Dame College (Ohio); tight end Ethan Bauer of Chadron State; running backs Austin Ekeler of Western State Colorado University and
Randall Freeman of Carson-Newman University; offensive linemen Kyle Gilbert and Richie Rice of Colorado School of Mines, Ryan Michaels of Mercyhurst, and
Randy Toth of Gannon; and
Randy Wentz of Chadron State make up the remainder of the second team offense.
The other members of the
second team defense include defensive backs Jon Davis of Wayne State (Neb.) College, Jon Jimenez of Wingate, and
Justin Otto of Minnesota State; linebacker Michael Fisher of Northwood (Mich.) University, Eric Mapoles of Wingate, and
Gary Yoemen of Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) College; defensive linemen Dan Belfiore of LIU Post, Matthew Gawlik of Gannon, Kyle Lamothe of Ouachita Baptist University and
Nick Napolitano of Wingate; and
punter Patrick Carney of New Mexico Highlands University.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael MacEachern, Young Harris College (
mfmaceachern@yhc.edu) (706) 379-5106
Academic All-America® Co-Chair for Publicity/Communications
David Sherwood, Wingate University (
dsherwod@wingate.edu) (704) 233-8186
Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity