Football's Gonzalez Named To GTE Academic All-American Team

Nov. 11, 2000

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Junior offensive tackle Joaquin Gonzalez has been named to the GTE District III Academic All-American team for the second consecutive season.

Gonzalez, who was also a BIG EAST Academic All-Star selection in 1998 and 1999, is a business major in Marketing.

A standout scholar at the Christopher Columbus School in Miami, Gonzalez turned down several academic scholarship offers from Ivy League schools for the opportunity to walk-on to the Miami football team.

As a football walk-on, with an academic scholarship to attend the University of Miami, Gonzalez emerged as the Hurricanes’ starting right offensive tackle as a redshirt freshman in 1998. He was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year that season, the first time the honor has been bestowed to an offensive lineman. Gonzalez was put on an athletic scholarship prior to the 1999 football season.