2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Football Teams release dates:
College Division Team (Mon., Dec. 3)
NCAA Division III Team (Tue., Dec. 4)
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® Division II Football Team
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TOWSON, Md. – Junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan of West Texas A&M leads the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A biology/pre-med major with a 3.90 grade point average (G.P.A.), Vaughan has been chosen as the winner of the Academic All-America® of the Year award 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 2012-13 D-II Academic All-America® teams program.
Vaughan is making his first appearance on the Capital One Academic All-America®
NCAA Division II first team. He has led the Buffs to a 12-2 record, a Lone Star Conference championship and three straight victories in the NCAA Division II playoffs, earning a spot in the semi-finals against Winston-Salem State on Saturday.
A Corpus Christi, Texas native, Vaughan is one of eight finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy that is presented to the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year. He was honored as the LSC Offensive Player of the Year, the LSC Academic Player of the Year and Daktronics second team All-South Central Region in 2012.
Vaughn is currently ranked sixth in the nation with a 162.08 passer efficiency rating and stands seventh in the nation with 334.7 total yards of offense per game. He has completed 338-of-520 passes for 4,543 yards and 44 touchdowns while throwing only 11 interceptions this season. In his career, he has passed for 7,955 passing yards and 69 touchdowns in less than three complete seasons.
Ten members of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football first team have at least a 3.80 G.P.A. while one player has a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 24 members of the first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.75.
The 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football first team features four repeat selections to the first team.
Senior offensive lineman Andrew Mansaray of Indianapolis, senior defensive back Trent deBraga of Colorado Mesa, graduate student defensive back Brett Ginn of Central Missouri and
senior defensive lineman Jacob Clark of Michigan Tech earned first team honors for the second year in a row.
Senior tight end Brian Leonhardt of Bemidji State and
senior defensive back Branden Williams of Edinboro each moved from second team in 2011 to first team in 2012.
Ten members of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football first team and ten members of the second team represent teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
West Texas A&M led all schools with three first team selections and one second team honoree. Another national semifinalist, Minnesota State-Mankato, had two first team selections and one second team choice.
An accounting major with a 3.88 G.P.A.,
Mansaray earned first team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors while helping Indianapolis post a 10-3 record while winning its first-ever GLVC championship. The Greyhounds also won their first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native is a two-time all-GLIAC Academic Excellence honoree.
A criminal justice major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A.,
deBraga was an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection as a first team kick returner while earning third team notice at safety in 2011 and 2012. The Fallon, Nev. native was tenth in the RMAC with 101 tackles. He also led the league with 642 kick return yards and a 25.7 average. He finished his career with 299 tackles and 2,407 kick return yards.
An Arlington, Texas native,
Ginn was a three-year starter at safety at Central Missouri. A finance major with a 3.98 G.P.A., he led the Mules to a 6-4 record in 2012 while recording 34 tackles with one forced fumble. He will be a four-time member of the All-Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association Academic Honor Roll.
A civil engineering major with a 3.93 G.P.A.,
Clark was a second team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference choice who finished the season with 32 tackles. He made three tackles for lost yardage and had 2.5 sacks. Clark helped the Huskies finish second in the GLIAC in rushing defense at 118.3 yards per game while posting a 7-3 record.
A business administration major with a 3.71 G.P.A.,
Leonhardt led Bemidji State to a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division title in 2012. The Blaine, Minn. native was a preseason All-American and earned Capital One Academic All-America® Division II football second team honors last year. Named to the All-NSIC first team as a senior, he caught 25 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 while leading the Beavers to a 7-4 record.
An elementary education/special education major with a 3.65 G.P.A.,
Williams made 65 tackles at Edinboro. A native of Eastlake, Ohio, he started all 45 games in his career and earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors three times. As a senior, he blocked four kicks to increase his career total to 12 blocks. As a senior, he made 65 tackles and intercepted two passes. Named as the PSAC West Freshman of the Year in 2008, he had 129 career tackles and finished third on the Fighting Scots’ all-time list with 16 interceptions.
Senior Matt Curtin of Michigan Tech and
junior Nathan Slaughter (West Texas A&M) were named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division II football first team as wide receivers.
A civil engineering major with a 3.36 G.P.A.,
Curtin set a school record with 12 touchdown receptions while leading the Huskies to a 7-3 record. He caught 47 passes for 838 yards and was on pace to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards before suffering a season-ending injury. The Sturgeon Bay, Wis. native is a four-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Academic Team selection and earned first team all-conference honors in 2012.
Slaughter, a mass communication major with a 3.71 G.P.A., is the second-leading receiver for West Texas A & M as the Buffs prepare for their NCAA Division II semi-final contest against Winston-Salem State this weekend. The Lubbock, Texas native earned All-Lone Star Conference (LSC) honorable mention notice and LSC All-Academic Team honors this season with 63 catches for 797 yards and six touchdowns. He also averages 23.1 yards on 21 kick returns.
Juniors Glen Clinton of Chadron State and
Klay Fiechter (Indianapolis) are the running backs on the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football first team.
A biology major with a 3.58 G.P.A.,
Clinton led Chadron State to a 9-3 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. A native of Cody, Wyo., he rushed for 1,350 yards and scored seven touchdowns. A three-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) selection and he was the 2010 RMAC Freshman of the Year. He has already rushed for over 3,000 yards in his career.
Fiechter, an exercise science and pre-physical therapy major with a 3.64 G.P.A, was named to the 2012 Daktronics All-Super Region Four Football second team. A candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, he led Indianapolis to a 10-3 record and its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference championship. A native of Bluffton, Ind., he set school records this season with 1,475 rushing yards, 19 rushing touchdowns, 21 total touchdowns, 126 points, 2,237 all-purpose yards and 21.3 yards per punt return. He was a unanimous first team All-GLVC selection.
The offensive line on the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II Football first team offensive line is led by
seniors Andrew Beckman (St. Cloud State), Matt Mankoff (Colorado Mesa) and
Aaron Mullane (West Texas A&M) and
graduate student Brian Peterson (Missouri S&T).
A marketing major with a 3.67 G.P.A.,
Beckmann is a three-time All-NSIC North Division selection at center. The Waseca, Minn. native led St. Cloud State to a 7-4 record in 2012 as well as NCAA playoff appearances in 2010 and 2011.
A business administration major with a 3.95 G.P.A.,
Mankoff earned All-RMAC second team and RMAC All-Academic first team honors at Colorado Mesa. A Denver, Colo. native, he blocked for the leading rusher in the conference and finished his career as a four-year starter.
One of three West Texas A&M players on the first team,
Mullane is a biology and biochemistry major with a 3.84 G.P.A. A native of Amarillo, Texas, he has helped the Buffs reach the NCAA semi-finals after winning the Lone Star Conference title with a 12-2 record. He earned all-conference first team honors and earned LSC All-Academic Team honors. He has helped the Buffs’ offense average 483.1 yards per game, eighth in the nation.
A chemical engineering major with a 3.74 G.P.A.,
Peterson led Missouri S&T to a 10-1 record and a second place finish in the GLVC. The Jacksonville, Ill. native blocked for an offense that average 41.6 points per game, ninth best in the country as the Miners tied the school record for wins in a season. Peterson came back from an injury that cost him the 2011 season to contribute to the Miners’ success.
Junior place kicker Sam Brockshus of Minnesota State, Mankato is the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team honoree in that position. A civil engineering major with a 3.57 G.P.A., he is fourth in the country with 1.46 field goals per game, converting 19-of-24 this season. The Spencer, Iowa native kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal in overtime in an NCAA playoff win over Northwest Missouri State. He was named All-NSIC South Division first team, NSIC All-Academic Team and Daktronics All-Super Region 3 second team while helping the Mavericks to a 13-0 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II national semi-finals against Valdosta State this weekend.
Senior Donnie Dottei of Ashland joins deBraga, Ginn and Williams as the defensive backs on the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team.
An integrated mathematics major with a 3.74 G.P.A.,
Dottei helped Ashland post an 11-1 record and the GLIAC championship. The Toledo, Ohio native was part of a defense that ranks tenth in the country in yards allowed per game. He was a two-year starter who earned All-GLIAC honorable mention honors this year and was named to the GLIAC All-Academic team twice.
Seniors Ben Carlson of Emporia State and
Will Giles of Gannon join
graduate student Grant Caserta of Saginaw Valley State as the linebackers on the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team.
A business administration major with a 3.84 G.P.A.,
Carlson guided Emporia State to a 10-2 record, including a 45-38 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville in the Kanza Bowl. A native of Topeka, Kan. Carlson was a first team All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association selection after leading the Hornets with 112 tackles. He became the first Emporia State player with 100 tackles since 2001. He ranked sixth in the MIAA in tackles per game, and led the league with three fumble recoveries. Carlson was previously a sixth round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians and spent two years in their farm system. A former All-American baseball player at Missouri State University, he was a two-time Academic All-America® selection in baseball at Missouri State.
A sport and exercise science/physical therapy major with a 3.79 G.P.A.,
Giles made 91 tackles for Gannon, second on the team. A native of Nyack, N.Y., he was a second team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West selection. He had a team-high 10 tackles for losses with three sacks. He also led the Golden Knights with five interceptions while breaking up 15 passes.
Caserta graduated from Saginaw Valley State in May of 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in general business. Now enrolled in the graduate studies program, the Holland, Mich. native has a 3.81 G.P.A. A four-year starter at linebacker, he started all 11 games for the 8-3 Cardinals, leading the team with 109 tackles. He had 5.5 tackles for losses, including a pair of sacks, and intercepted two passes. A two-tim
e All-GLIAC first team selection, he made 85 tackles in 2011.
Juniors Zane Brown (Texas A&M-Kingsville) and
Christ Schaudt of Minnesota State, Mankato join
senior Brian Vukela of West Virginia Wesleyan and Clark as the defensive linemen on the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team.
A kinesiology/exercise science major with a 3.98 G.P.A.,
Brown led Texas A&M-Kingsville to a 6-6 record. A native of Houston, Texas, he made 41 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for losses and a team-high four sacks. The 6-0, 285-lb. defensive tackle is a two-year starter who earned second team All-Lone Star Conference honors this year.
A finance major with a 3.68 G.P.A.,
Schaudt led Minnesota State, Mankato to a 13-0 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II semi-finals against Valdosta State. A 6-4, 270-lb. defensive end, he is a three-time All-NSIC South Division selection, earning first team accolades twice after picking up honorable mention honors as a freshman. A native of Ballard, Iowa, he has 44 tackles, including a team-leading 15.5 tackles for lost yardage. He also has a team-high 10.5 sacks with four fumble recoveries.
An elementary education major with a 3.34 G.P.A.,
Vukela made 57 tackles for West Virginia Wesleyan. A native of Bethel Park, Pa., he was third on the team. He also ranks 23 in the nation with 23 tackles for lost yardage and had 8.5 sacks. He had three fumble recoveries and an interception for a touchdown.
Junior punter Brandon Kliesen of Colorado State-Pueblo rounds out the Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football first team. A civil engineering major with a 3.60 G.P.A., he helped the Thunderwolves to a 12-1 record and the number one ranking in NCAA Division II. A homegrown product from Pueblo, Colo., Kliesen averaged 45.6 yards per punt, good for third in the country. He had a long punt of 87 yards. A second team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection the last two years, he holds all of Colorado State-Pueblo’s punting records, including season and career bests
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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
Bob Shreve, Edinboro University
Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity
rshreve@edinboro.edu
(814) 732-1834
Shane Meling, University of Incarnate Word
Academic All-America ® Coordinator of Publicity
meling@uiwtx.edu
(210) 805-3071