Denney, Pauly and Simnjanovski Earn Verizon Academic All-America® Football Team Honors

Ryan Denney claims first-team honors; Eric Pauly and Brian Simnjanovski second-team.

Ryan Denney has been named to the Verizon Academic All-America team.
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Dec. 10, 2001

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STAMFORD, Conn. - Headlined by Montana State running back Ryan Johnson, the 2001 Verizon Academic All-America of the Year, a total of 15 student-athletes have earned repeat honors on this year's Verizon Academic All-America® University Division football first and second teams. Also named to the first team was Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, one of four finalists for this year's Heisman Memorial Trophy Award. The team was 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.

Johnson, a first-team selection a year ago, finished seventh in Division I-AA rushing with a 139.7 yards per game average. He scored 15 touchdowns, 14 rushing and one receiving. Johnson carries a perfect 4.00 grade point average in pre-physical therapy.

Besides Johnson, Thomas Hammock (Northern Illinois), Ryan Schmid (Oregon), Jon Stinchcomb (Georgia), Kyle Young (Clemson), Todd France (Toledo), Aaron Kampman (Iowa), Chad Carson (Clemson), Adam Waugh (Illinois State), Chris Hope (Florida State), Vince Huntsberger (Montana), Jon McGraw (Kansas State), Dan Dyke (Georgia Tech), Eric Damko (Northern Arizona) and Josh Thornhill (Michigan State) are repeat Verizon Academic All-America® honorees. All but Stinchcomb, France, Kampman, Damko and Thornhill are repeat first-team selections.

Six institutions placed multiple student-athletes on this year's teams: Clemson University, University of Dayton, Kansas State University, University of Montana, University of Oregon and University of Toledo. Dayton led all schools with three Academic All-America selections while the other five institutions had two recipients each.

The Academic All-America program, celebrating its 50th anniversary, 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.