ST.LOUIS, Mo. – Campbell's football program (6-5, 5-3 PFL) had five players earn Academic All-Pioneer Football League honors, the conference announced this afternoon. The team is the 19th Academic All-PFL team since the league began. The Camels placed four on the first team and one on the second team this season.
Sophomore running back Kurt Odom, redshirt freshman linebacker Colten Burris and redshirt sophomore linebacker Michael Rudisill were all named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Football team earlier this season and headline the selections for Campbell. Redshirt senior fullback Jordan Cramer joins the group on the first team. All four were selected to the First Team for the first times in their careers. Odom, a Robbinsville, N.C. native, is a kinesiology major with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA). He was been named to the PFL's Academic Honor Roll last season. Burris sports an impressive 3.9 GPA as an information technology/security major. He was chosen for the PFL's Academic Honor Roll last season as a true freshman. Rudisill has a 3.5 cumulative GPA in four collegiate semesters as a psychology major. The Charlotte, N.C. previously was named to the 2010 PFL Academic Honor Roll as a redshirt freshman after transferring from Appalachian State. Cramer, a Wake Forest, N.C. native, has a 3.5 GPA as a graduate student pursuing his master's degree in the divinity school. The team's fullback was a First Team All-PFL selection earlier this off-season after leading the conference in touchdowns with 15 and running for 421 yards during his final season. Cramer has been named to the PFL's Academic Honor Roll in each of his first three seasons with the program.
CU junior Sam Eberwein took home Second Team Academic All-PFL honors for the first time in his career as a kicker on the special teams. Eberwein has a perfect 4.0 GPA as he pursues his doctorate degree in pharmacy and a master's in business administration. The Camels' primary kickoff specialists is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Pharmacy Student Executive Board, is the Campbell Student-Athlete's Advisory Council Community Service Co-Chair and a member of both the Student Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and the American Pharmacist Association Student Chapter. Eberwein has twice been chosen for the PFL's Academic Honor Roll in his career.
The four first team choices this season are the most since the team joined the PFL. The team's five selections overall are the second-most student-athletes recognized in one year for the program behind the six on last year's team. Odom, Burris, Rudisill and Eberwein join Charles Fiore – DL (2008, 2009, 2010), Andy Johnson - OL (2010), Mike Stryffeler - TE (2010), Josh Owens - TE (2010), Paul Pizzuti - DB (2010) in being chosen for the team since the program was restarted in 2008.
Drake had the most selections among PFL schools with nine. Dayton and San Diego followed with eight each. Butler had seven. Campbell and Davidson had five. Jacksonville, Marist and Morehead State had two with Valparaiso being represented with one.
The Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 as a way to recognize the league's outstanding student-athletes. To be nominated, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.0 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.
2011 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Teams
First Team – Offense
Nate Blair – OL – Valparaiso
Joe Cline – OL – Davidson
Jordan Cramer – FB – Campbell
Andrew Huck – QB – Butler
Josh McGregor – QB – Jacksonville
Tim Moller – RB – Marist
Kurt Odom – RB – Campbell
Matthew Peleti – OL – San Diego
Dan Prindle – OL – Dayton
Tyler Schultz – WR – Dayton
Nicholas Scudellari – RB – San Diego
First Team – Defense
Robert Beathard – DB – San Diego
John Behm – LB – Davidson
Colten Burris – LB – Campbell
Peter Kidwell – DB – Davidson
Michael Lahart – DB – Drake
Devon Langhorst – DL – Dayton
Tyler Moorehead – LB – Drake
Blake Oliaro – DL – San Diego
Morgan Popham – DL – Davidson
Michael Rudisill – LB – Campbell
Steve Wirkus – DB - Dayton
First Team – Special Teams
Rainer Duzan –K/P - Morehead State
David Lang – K - Butler
Michael Wilson - P – Butler
Second Team - Offense
Patrick Cashmore – RB - Drake
Desmond Cox – FB - Morehead State
Christian Fetters – OL - San Diego
Avery Fuhs – OL - Drake
Braden Johnson – WR - Dayton
Evan Lawrence – OL - Drake
Pete Mattingly – OL - Butler
Mason Mills – QB - San Diego
Bill Petraiuolo – OL - Dayton
Sam Scudellari – WR - San Diego
Matt Storey – OL - Butler
Second Team – Defense
Bryan Bailin – LB – Dayton
Brandon Coleman – DL – Drake
Zach Dunaj – LB – San Diego
Grant Hunter – DL – Butler
Taylor Marsh – LB – Jacksonville
Travis Merritt – LB – Drake
Patrick Moynahan – LB – Davidson
Tyler Ramsey – DB - Marist
Jordan Ridley – LB – Butler
John Sawhill – DL – Drake
Jayme Szafranski – DB - Butler
Second Team – Special Teams
Sam Eberwein – K – Campbell
Billy Janssen – K – Drake
Nate Miller – P - Dayton
