10 Hurricanes Named To BIG EAST Football All-Academic Team
Feb. 11, 2002
Providence, R.I. (BIG EAST) – – Offensive tackle Joaquin Gonzalez leads a group of 10 Miami Hurricanes selected to the 2001 BIG EAST All-Academic Football team, the league announced. Gonzalez, who graduated from Miami’s Master of Business Administration in December, earned his fourth consecutive All-Academic honor from the conference and led Miami to a tie for the league’s most honorees.
Syracuse’s Kyle Johnson heads a record group of 73 student-athletes named to the team as the SU fullback is the winner of the BIG EAST/A?ropostale Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. He receives a $2,000 scholarship which may be applied to graduate or professional studies.
The BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Awards were established to recognize student-athletes who have achieved success in the classroom and on the field. The BIG EAST Male, Female and Men’s and Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes will be announced prior to and in conjunction with the BIG EAST Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships on March 1 and 5. A?ropostale is a popular clothing and accessories retailer that has over 275 stores in 37 states throughout the United States. Named after the Compagnie Generale A?ropostale, the pioneer French airmail company, the merchandise continues to embody the spirit and adventure of its name. The company also operates a web site at www.aeropostale.com.
Thirty-seven repeat selections were included on the BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team. UM’s Gonzalez joined six other players – Ryan Utzler of Boston College, Pittsburgh’s Mark Ponko, Johnson, Andr? Davis of Virginia Tech and West Virginia’s Seth Abraham and Jeremy Knapp – who were honored for the fourth time. Their honors increased to 19 the total of four-time winners in BIG EAST history. It is also the sixth straight season the league has set a new high for number of All-Academic Team members.
“These players are the top student-athletes BIG EAST football has to offer,” Commissioner Michael Tranghese said. “We are very proud to honor them with these selections.”
Ponko and Davis were the first from their respective schools to be four-time honorees. Eight players were named for the third time in their careers, while 22 were earned recognition for the second time.
Eight All-BIG EAST choices made the squad. Miami’s Ken Dorsey, Gonzalez and Jonathan Vilma and Virginia Tech’s Andr? Davis were first-team picks in the fall, while Bryan Knight of Pittsburgh, P.J. Alexander of Syracuse and West Virginia’s Kyle Kayden and Brenden Rauh were All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Boston College, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia tied for the most honorees with 10. The Mountaineers have the most all-time selections with 81 in 11 seasons of BIG EAST play.
The All-Academic Team recognizes letterwinners who have posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better. Student-athletes who have completed a minimum of two semesters of academic work are eligible. It is the 11th consecutive season the BIG EAST has honored its student-athletes with an academic team.
2001 BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC FOOTBALL TEAM
Name, School Class Pos. Major Hometown
Doug Bessette, Boston College Junior S Accounting Raynham, Mass.Francois Brochu, Boston College Freshman LS Finance St. Augustin, QuebecMike Callahan, Boston College Senior OG Business Administration Chestnut Hill, Mass.Ken Dudnick, Boston College Sophomore PK Secondary Education & Math Linwood, N.J.John Richardson, Boston College Senior OG Counseling Cincinnati, OhioAndy Romanowsky, Boston College Senior LB History Lowell, Mass.Sandro Sciortino, Boston College Sophomore PK Communications Markham, OntarioGreg Toal, Boston College Sophomore FB English Wyckoff, N.J.Shaun Toof, Boston College Junior WR Economics & Commun. Millis, Mass.Ryan Utzler, Boston College Senior FB Business Administration Easton, Conn.
Ken Dorsey, Miami Junior QB Business Management Orinda, Calif.Alex Garcia, Miami Redshirt Fr. OL Information Technology Miami, Fla.Joaquin Gonzalez, Miami Grad. Student OT Business Administration Miami, Fla.Brad Kunz, Miami Redshirt Fr. OL Undeclared Carlyle, Ill.Joel Rodriguez, Miami Redshirt Fr. C Newspaper Journalism Miami Lakes, Fla.James Sikora, Miami Sophomore OL Civil Engineering Marathon, Fla.Jonathan Vilma, Miami Sophomore LB Finance Coral Gables, Fla.Matt Walters, Miami Junior DT Mechanical Engineering Melbourne, Fla.Robert Williams, Miami Grad. Student TE Business Administration Dallas, TexasJim Wilson, Miami Junior OT Biomedical Engineering Davie, Florida
Brian Beinecke, Pittsburgh Junior LB Movement Science Youngstown, OhioVince Crochunis, Pittsburgh Freshman DL Political Science Schuylkill Haven, Pa.Brian Guzek, Pittsburgh Junior DL Mechanical Engineering Library, Pa.Bryan Knight, Pittsburgh Senior DL Education Buffalo, N.Y.Nick Lotz, Pittsburgh Senior PK Finance Findley, OhioMark Ponko, Pittsburgh Senior DB Finance & Marketing Delmont, Pa.Chad Reed, Pittsburgh Junior C Communications Latrobe, Pa.Dan Stephens, Pittsburgh Freshman DL Pre-Law Wheeling, W. Va.Gary Urschler, Pittsburgh Junior DB Accounting & Finance Pittsburgh, Pa.Kris Wilson, Pittsburgh Sophomore TE Economics Lancaster, Pa.
Jereme Baker, Rutgers Sophomore DB Undeclared Jacksonville, Fla.Jacob Garner, Rutgers Sophomore OL Undeclared Fort Drum, N.Y.Nate Jones, Rutgers Sophomore DB Pre-Business Scotch Plains, N.J.Brandon Haw, Rutgers Junior DB Geography Cheverly, Md.Raymond Pilch, Rutgers Sophomore FB Undeclared Piscataway, N.J.Martin Pyszczymuka, Rutgers Junior OL Geography Sparta, N.J.Ronald Simone, Rutgers Junior DE Administration of Justice Kearney, N.J.Seth Stanton, Rutgers Senior FB Labor Studies Walton, N.Y.
Patrick Alexander, Syracuse Senior OL Information Studies & Tech. Tallahassee, Fla.Lenny Cusumano, Syracuse Sophomore TE Physical Education Little Falls, N.J.Jeremie Frazier, Syracuse Senior TE Biology Haviland, Kan.Kyle Johnson, Syracuse Grad. Student RB Business Administration Woodbrigde, N.J.Benjamin Kozik, Syracuse Senior PK Broadcast Journalism Adams, Mass.Nicholas Romeo, Syracuse Sophomore OL Mechanical Engineering Tarpon Springs, Fla.Richard Scanlon, Syracuse Sophomore LB Health & Excercise Science Oradell, N.J.Matthew Tarullo, Syracuse Redshirt Fr. OL Political Science Albany, N.Y.Joshua Thomas, Syracuse Sophomore DE Psychology Orchard Park, N.Y.Rodney Wells, Syracuse Senior LB Counselor Education Orlando, Fla.
Rasheed Allen, Temple Senior OG Human Resource Admin. Erie, Pa.Dan Bosnic, Temple Freshman TE Undeclared Uniontown, Pa.Kevin Czaban, Temple Senior LS Kinesiology Philadelphia, Pa.Jared Davis, Temple Junior PK Broadcasting, Telecomm. & Saunderstown, R.I. Mass MediaJason McKie, Temple Senior FB Broadcasting, Telecomm. & Navarre, Fla. Mass MediaDevin Scott, Temple Senior QB Sport & Recreation Mgmt. Spartanburg, S.C.
Andr? Davis, Virginia Tech Senior WR Residential Property Mgt. Niskayuna, N.Y.Steve DeMasi, Virginia Tech Senior C Finance Virginia Beach, Va.Jarrett Ferguson, Virginia Tech Senior FB Physical Education Goodview, Va.Billy Hardee, Virginia Tech Junior ROV Science of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Winter Haven, Fla.Ken Keister, Virginia Tech Junior DS Physical Education Radford, Va.Chris Krebs, Virginia Tech Senior ROV Mgmt Science & Info Tech Burke, Va.Tim Selmon, Virginia Tech Junior OT Physical Education Trenton, N.J.Chris Shreve, Virginia Tech Sophomore WR Human Nutrition, Food Mouth of Wilson, Va. and ExerciseDan Wilkinson, Virginia Tech Senior DT Urban & Reg. Planning (Gr.) West Palm Beach, Fla.
Seth Abraham, West Virginia Senior WR Industrial Labor Relations Triadelphia, W. Va.Zack Dillow, West Virginia Junior C History Smithfield, Pa.Todd James, West Virginia Sophomore K/P Accounting Bentleyville, Pa.Kyle Kayden, West Virginia Senior LB Business Management Fredmont, OhioBrian King, West Virginia Sophomore DB Business Damascus, Md.Jeremy Knapp, West Virginia Senior TE Communications/Sociology Ridgeview, W. Va.Brad Knell, West Virginia Senior OG Special Education Poca, W. Va.A.J. Nastasi, West Virginia Junior WR Sport Management Woodbury, Pa.Lance Nimmo, West Virginia Junior OT Finance New Castle, Pa.Brenden Rauh, West Virginia Senior PK Psychology/Counseling Dublin, Ohio
