STAMFORD, Conn. - Headlined by three-time first-team selections Ryan Johnson (Montana State) and Dan Dyke (Georgia Tech), a total of 13 student-athletes have earned repeat honors on this year's Verizon Academic All-America® University Division football first and second teams. Also voted to the team was Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, who was named this year's Academic All-America® of the Year. The teams were selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
To be nominated, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for his career. No athlete is eligible until he has reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his institution.
Kingsbury, who earned his first Academic All-America® honor, holds several NCAA records, including: career completions (1,199), career attempts (1,840), career plays (2,107), career plays per game (50.1) and single-game completion percentage (83.1%, 49-of-59 vs. Texas A&M). This year, he led the Red Raiders to an 8-5 regular-season record while completing 447-of-669 passes (66.8%) for 4,642 yards and 42 touchdowns. Kingsbury, who has thrown for 12,054 career yards, holds 39 school records, 13 Big 12 marks and seven NCAA records. He is a candidate for numerous postseason awards, including the Heisman Trophy.
Besides Johnson and Dyke, Mark Kasmer (Dayton), Jon Stinchcomb (Georgia), Rodney Reed (LSU), Eric Pauly (Colorado State), Jordan Carstens (Iowa State), Hadley Prince (McNeese State), Rob Turner (Central Michigan), Chris Tuminello (Toledo), Andy Bentley (Dayton), Gene Mruczkowski (Purdue) and Kyle Eaton (Oklahoma State) are repeat Verizon Academic All-America® honorees. Eaton and Mruczkowski earned Academic All-America® honors in 2000.
Eight institutions placed multiple student-athletes on this year's teams: Colorado State University, University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Iowa State University, University of Miami, Montana State University, Ohio State University and Purdue University. For the second straight year, Dayton led all schools with three Academic All-America selections while the other seven institutions had two recipients each.
The Academic All-America program was created in 1952 by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Verizon, in cooperation with CoSIDA, has been the exclusive sponsor of the Verizon Academic All-America® Teams program since 1985. No other award acknowledges as many scholar-athletes for the hard work, success and balance they achieve in sports and academics.
VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® FOOTBALL TEAM (University Division)
First-Team Offense
NAME SCHOOL POSITION YR. HOMETOWN GPA MAJOR
Kliff Kingsbury ** Texas Tech Quarterback Gr. New Braunfels, Texas 3.78* Management
Kyler Randall Eastern Washington Wide Receiver Jr. Ferndale, Wash. 3.89 Education
John Standeford Purdue Wide Receiver Jr. Monrovia, Ind. 3.51 Elementary Education
Erick Streelman Nevada Tight End Sr. Bellflower, Calif. 3.97 Secondary Education
Ryan Johnson Montana State Running Back Sr. Fort Collins, Colo. 3.99 Pre-Physical Therapy
Jason Wright Northwestern Running Back Jr. Diamond Bar, Calif. 3.25 Psychology/Pre-Medicine
Travis Barclay Ball State Offensive Line Jr. Iowa City, Iowa 3.98 Physics
Kyle Eaton Oklahoma State Offensive Line Gr. Rogers, Texas 4.00* Management Information Systems
Joe Iorio Penn State Offensive Line Sr. Sylvania, Ohio 3.70 Info & Science Technology
Rodney Reed LSU Offensive Line Jr. West Monroe, La. 3.93 Accounting
Jon Stinchcomb Georgia Offensive Line Sr. Lilburn, Ga. 3.73 Microbiology
Nick Browne TCU Place-kicker Jr. Garland, Texas 4.00 Finance-Real Estate
First-Team Defense NAME SCHOOL POSITION YR. HOMETOWN GPA MAJOR
Jordan Carstens Iowa State Defensive Line Jr. Bagley, Iowa 3.60 Agricultural Business
Vince Crochunis Pittsburgh Defensive Line So. Schuylkill Haven, Pa. 3.78 Political Science
Jon Montoya Montana State Defensive Line Jr. Brandon, S.D. 3.60 Elementary Education
Matt Walters Miami (Fla.) Defensive Line Sr. Melbourne, Fla. 3.45 Mechanical Engineering
Hunter Hillenmeyer Vanderbilt Linebacker Sr. Nashville, Tenn. 3.70 Economics/Human & Organizational
Development
Eric Pauly Colorado State Linebacker Jr. Conway Springs, Kan. 3.78 Bus. Admin./Computer Info. Systems
Jonathan Vilma Miami (Fla.) Linebacker Jr. Coral Gables, Fla. 3.34 Finance
Mark Kasmer Dayton Defensive Back Sr. Brecksville, Ohio 3.94 Computer Engineering
Brian Lowder Western Kentucky Defensive Back Jr. Bowling Green, Ky. 4.00 Government/Sociology
Hadley Prince McNeese State Defensive Back Sr. Sulphur, La. 3.61 Agricultural Science
Justin Rosato Monmouth Defensive Back Sr. Old Bridge, N.J. 3.88 Business Finance
Dan Dyke Georgia Tech Punter Sr. Winter Springs, Fla. 3.84 Electrical Engineering
Second-Team Offense NAME SCHOOL POSITION YR. HOMETOWN GPA MAJOR
Craig Krenzel Ohio State Quarterback Jr. Utica, Mich. 3.56 Molecular Genetics
Rob Turner Central Michigan Wide Receiver Sr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 3.96 Business/Mgt. Info. Systems
Jack Whitver Iowa State Wide Receiver Jr. Grinnell, Iowa 3.69 Exercise & Sport Science
Ben Hartsock Ohio State Tight End Jr. Chillicothe, Ohio 3.73 Biology
Jay Bailey Austin Peay Running Back Sr. Clarksville, Tenn. 3.22 Health & Human Performance
Mike Hilliard Duquesne Running Back Jr. Homer Center, Pa. 3.59 Finance
John Crowther Notre Dame Offensive Line Sr. Edina, Minn. 3.70 Finance & Computer Applications
Nathan Frowsing Saint Mary¢s Offensive Line Sr. Madera, Calif. 3.96 Politics
Grant Moody U.S. Naval Academy Offensive Line Sr. Eureka, Kan. 3.93 Quantitative Economics
Gene Mruczkowski Purdue Offensive Line Sr. Cleveland, Ohio 3.75 Movement and Sport Sciences
Chris Tuminello Toledo Offensive Line Sr. Boardman, Ohio 3.93 Civil Engineering
Nate Kaeding Iowa Place-kicker Jr. Coralville, Iowa 3.54 History & Secondary Education
Second-Team Defense NAME SCHOOL POSITION YR. HOMETOWN GPA MAJOR
Andy Bentley Dayton Defensive Line Sr. Marion, Ohio 3.56 Secondary Education/Math
Shawn Johnson Duke Defensive Line Jr. Fairport, N.Y. 3.40 Biological Anthropology & Anatomy
Trent Karn Dayton Defensive Line Sr. Piqua, Ohio 3.50 Secondary Education/Social Studies
Kenny King Alabama Defensive Line Sr. Daphne, Ala. 3.24 Business Marketing
Brooks Bahr Utah Linebacker Sr. Bountiful, Utah 3.95* Biology/MBA
Michael Dulaney Tulsa Linebacker Sr. Turpin, Okla. 3.86 Sociology
Drew Wood Colorado State Linebacker Jr. Buena Vista, Colo. 3.63 Psychology
Rodney Johnson Furman Defensive Back Sr. Marion, N.C. 3.54 Health and Exercise Science
Nathan Jones Rutgers Defensive Back Jr. Scotch Plains, N.J. 3.73 Finance
Ryan MacLean Albany Defensive Back Sr. Colden, N.Y. 3.72 Management Information Systems
Joe Pavlick Duquesne Defensive Back Jr. Canton, Ohio 3.97 Information Technology
Mark Gould Northern Arizona Punter Jr. Boise, Idaho 3.51 Marketing
** Verizon Academic All-America® of the Year * undergraduate GPA only
