CLEVELAND – Illinois State senior defensive lineman Matt McCown added another prestigious academic honor to his resume Friday, when he was selected as one of 49 players named to the 20th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team.
"One of the most important responsibilities that the FCS ADA has is the selection of the Annual Academic All Star Team," stated FCS ADA President Thorr Bjorn, director of athletics at the University of Rhode Island. "The 49 young men selected this year are truly impressive. They have been leaders on their individual campuses and have excelled in the classroom, in their communities and on the football field. They represent the best and the brightest within FCS football and now we have the honor of naming them to the 2017 Academic All Star Team."
Football players from all FCS institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.
A 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 and MVFC All-Academic First-Team selection, McCown played in all 11 games with nine starts at defensive tackle for the Redbirds. The Casey, Illinois, native recorded 24 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss on the season and was also credited with two quarterback hurries and a blocked kick. He returned a fumble 26 yards for a touchdown at Youngstown State, his only during his collegiate career, and had a season-high six tackles in the season finale against North Dakota State. A 2016-17 MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award recipient, McCown maintains a 3.83 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in business teacher education.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference led all leagues with 9 student-athletes named to the All-Star Team, and the Ivy League followed with eight award winners from their member institutions.
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