2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Football Teams release dates:
College Division Team: (below)
NCAA Division III Team: (Tue., Dec. 4 release)
NCAA Division II Team: (Wed., Dec. 5 release)
NCAA Division I Team: (Thur., Dec. 6 release)
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Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football Team
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TOWSON, Md. – Senior quarterback Jake Snodgrass of McPherson College once again headlines the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A biology major with a 3.89 G.P.A., Snodgrass has been chosen as the winner of the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® of the Year award for the football team, marking the second year in a row he received this honor. He is the first student-athlete to win the award on the College Division level twice.
The Capital One College Division Academic All-America® football team is comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.
Snodgrass is one of six student-athletes who are repeat selections on the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® football team
There are 11 members of the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® first team who led their teams to the NAIA Football Championship Series. NAIA semi-finalist Saint Xavier University placed two student-athletes on the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® football first team.
Nebraska Wesleyan University led all schools with five first-team honorees. The Prairie Wolves posted a 6-4 record this season. Northwestern (Ia.) had three first-team selections.
Snodgrass
(left) completed 171-of-287 passes for 2,053 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping McPherson to a 4-5 overall record. He also rushed for 497 yards and scored three touchdowns on 110 carries, finishing the season ranked ninth in the NAIA in offensive yards per game with an average of 283.3. The Derby, Kan., native had his best game of the season against Bethel (Kan.) College when he threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-32 passing and rushed for 51 and another score on five attempts in a 61-9 victory.
The 25 members of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football first team have a 3.63 average G.P.A.
Senior wide receiver Shane Zackery of Saint Xavier, senior offensive lineman Nathan Nieuwendorp of Northwestern (Iowa), senior defensive back Cody McAllister (Cumberland), and
Nebraska Wesleyan senior defensive lineman Russell Walton and
junior punter Kelby Vandenberg were named to the first team for the second year in a row.
A business administration major with a 3.70 G.P.A.,
Zackery led No. 4 Saint Xavier to an 11-2 record and a second consecutive appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series semifinal round. He ranks seventh in the NAIA in total receiving yards with 1,122. Zackery caught 80 passes and scored 13 touchdowns. A native of Rockford, Ill., he was named first-team all-conference.
An actuarial science major with a 3.93 G.P.A.,
Nieuwendorp paced Northwestern’s rushing attack, which ranked fourth in the NAIA with 3,191 yards. A native of Orange City, Iowa, Nieuwendorp earned first team all-conference honors as a senior while helping the Red Raiders to a 9-3 record and a berth in the NAIA playoffs.
A physical education with finance and math major and a 3.84 G.P.A.,
McCallister made 30 total tackles with nine pass breakups while helping Cumberland post an 8-3 overall record.
A business administration major with a 3.82 G.P.A.,
Walton anchored the second-best rushing defense in the NAIA as Nebraska Wesleyan only surrendered 64 rushing yards per game. A first-team all-conference selection, the Franklin, Neb. native racked up 61 total tackles with 2.0 sacks and five pass breakups.
A repeat first team selection as a punter,
Vandenberg ranks 10th in the NAIA in punting average with a 40.5 mark for Nebraska Wesleyan. The David City, Neb., native made the all-conference first team by racking up 2,268 yards on 56 punts.
Three other
Nebraska Wesleyan student-athletes
- junior place kicker Aaron Lorraine, junior defensive back Michael Huettner and
sophomore defensive back Seth Wardyn round out the school's contingent on the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® first team.
A business administration with a 3.85 G.P.A.,
Lorraine kicked 12 field goals rank him eighth in the NAIA. The Omaha, Neb., native went 12-for-20 on field goal attempt with a long of 45 yards. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs, helping the Prairie Wolves to a 6-4 record.
An accounting major with a 3.95 G.P.A.,
Huettner recorded 38 tackles, including four tackles for a loss of 11 yards. The Verdon, Neb. native recovered one fumble and broke up eight passes.
A biology major with a 3.81 G.P.A.,
Wardyn was second on the team with 64 tackles. He made 5.5 tackles for lost yardage. A native of Grand Island, Neb., he recovered three fumbles and intercepted two passes, returning one of them for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Senior Tyler Walker of Northwestern (Iowa) College joins Zackery as the wide receivers on the first team. An accounting and business administration double major with a 3.70 G.P.A., Walker was a second-team all-conference selection who caught 33 passes for 640 yards and six touchdowns. Averaging 19.4 yards per reception, the Arlington, Texas, native helped Northwestern post a 9-3 overall record and earn a berth into the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Junior Andrew Friederich of Saint Ambrose University is the tight end on the first team. A chemistry pre-med major with a 3.60 G.P.A., he averaged 19.5 yards per reception as he caught 24 passes for 468 yards and seven touchdowns. The Davenport, Iowa, native helped Saint Ambrose post a 9-2 record and a berth into the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Senior John Niesen of Dakota State University and
sophomore Lamont Wims of Robert Morris (Ill.) University are the running backs on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team.
An elementary and special education double major with a 3.65 G.P.A.,
Niesen led the Trojans in rushing with 579 yards and six touchdowns on 172 carries. He also caught 12 passes for 60 yards.
A business administration major with a 3.83 G.P.A.,
Wims is the second-leading rusher in NAIA. He ran for 1,623 yards on 225 carries and scored 15 touchdowns, leading Robert Morris to an 8-3 record. The Frederick, Md., native ranks second in the NAIA in rushing yards per game (147.5). Wims also caught 20 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns as he scored 114 total points on the year.
All five Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first-team offensive linemen play on teams which advanced to the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Seniors Alexander Berg of Saint Ambrose, Brice Darling of University of Saint Francis (Ind.), Tyler Klyn of Northwestern, and
Mason Woods of William Penn University join Nieuwendorp on the offensive line.
A physical education major with a 3.80 G.P.A.,
Berg anchored the line which helped the Bees become one of the best passing attacks in the NAIA, ranking ninth in total passing yards with 3,039. Saint Ambrose ranked 12th in total offense per game (440.5) and 21st in points per game (32.6).
Darling helped Saint Francis post a 9-3 overall record and earn a quarterfinal appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series. A first-team all-conference selection, Darling manned the Cougars’ line which paved the way to the 10th scoring offense in the NAIA with 418 points. A native of New Castle, Ind., Darling has a 3.87 G.P.A. as a secondary education major.
A business, finance and math major with a 3.94 G.P.A.,
Klyn was a second-team all-conference selection for Northwestern. A business management major with a 3.66 G.P.A.,
Woods led William Penn to a 9-3 record and an NAIA playoff berth. A two-time all-conference first team selection at center, he helped the Statesmen pile up 4,105 total yards, including an NAIA-leading 3,530 rushing yards.
Senior Logan Schultz of Ottawa (Kan.) University joins Huettner, Wardyn and McCallister as the defensive backs on the Capital One Academic All-America® first team. An accounting major with a 3.59 G.P.A., Schultz led the NAIA with 12 interceptions. He returned those 12 interceptions for 267 yards. A first team all-conference selection, he made 53 tackles while helping the Braves post an 8-3 record and an NAIA playoff berth.
Senior Michael Bushnell of Saint Xavier, senior Zach Eagler of Union (Ky.) College and
junior Brock Peery of William Penn are the linebackers on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A biology major with a 3.57 G.P.A.,
Bushnell registered 75 tackles for Saint Xavier to go along with one interception and four pass breakups. A native of Tinley Park, Ill., he earned first-team all-conference honors.
A business administration major with a 3.71 G.P.A.,
Eagler helped Union to a 4-7 overall record as he made 73 tackles with two sacks and 4.5 tackles for lost yardage. The Florence, Ky., native also had two fumble recoveries.
A secondary education major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A.,
Peery earned second team all-conference honors as he made 87 total tackles for William Penn,. The Payson, Utah, native also recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass.
Senior Cason Christensen of Doane College, senior Tim Oehring of Peru State College and
junior Cody Schwerin of Taylor University join Walton as the defensive lineman on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A biology major with a minor in chemistry and a 3.93 G.P.A.,
Christensen was a second team selection on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division team last year. The Raymond, Neb. native led Doane to a 7-3 record as he made 24 tackles with one sack and an interception.
A double major in elementary education and K-12 special education and a 3.82 G.P.A.,
Oehring appeared in only seven games for Peru State, which finished the season with a 5-6 record. When he was on the field, the Lincoln, Neb., native registered 17 tackles with two sacks and one pass breakup.
Schwerin, a social studies education major, earned an all-conference honorable mention notice after helping Taylor post a 4-6 mark. He made 18 tackles and had five sacks on the season.
Junior punter Zach Antie of Grand View University joins Vandenberg as the punters on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team due to a tie in the voting. Antie averaged 39.0 yards per punt for Grand View, which finished the season with an 8-3 record. Antie punted 48 times for 1,874 yards. The Allerman, Iowa, native has a 3.82 G.P.A. as a secondary education major..
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About the Capital One Academic All-America® Program
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. 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 16,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit
www.cosida.com.
For More Information, please contact:
Dan O’Connell, Towson University
Academic All-America ® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
doconnell@towson.edu
(410) 704-3102
Michael MacEachern, Young Harris College
mfmaceachern@yhc.edu
(706) 379-5106
Jay Stancil, Union College
jstancil@unionky.edu
(606) 546-1292