Bauman and Johnson Named Academic All-Americans

TOWSON -- ESPN the Magazine announced its Academic All-America Football Teams on Tuesday, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The list included two seniors on the BYU football team, defensive back Scott Johnson and linebacker Matt Bauman, who were voted to the first and second teams, respectively. This is the second Academic All-America award for Bauman who was a first-team selection in 2008.

“Matt and Scott are very worthy of consideration for Academic All-America honors,” said BYU football academic coach Jim Hamblin. “Their work on the field and in the classroom is exactly the type you would want from true student-athletes.”

Johnson, a team captain and exercise science major, has started 10 games this season to go along with the nine he started in 2008. A three-time Academic All-MWC selection and two-time MWC Scholar Athlete, he plans to attend medical or dental school following graduation. Johnson leads the team with three interceptions, including two in the Cougars’ 59-21 win over UNLV. He is currently third on the team with 59 tackles, 39 of those solo takedowns.

“This is a great honor,” said Johnson. “I feel like there are other people on my team, much less around the country, who also deserve an award like this.”

Majoring in finance, Bauman has a 3.91 GPA, the second-highest on the team. A team captain, he has started 10 of BYU’s 11 games this season after starting all 13 in 2008. The native of Salt Lake City is a three-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection and a two-time MWC Scholar Athlete. Bauman plans to attend business school following graduation and has already been named a 2009 National Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

“I feel honored to be recognized,” said Bauman. “I’m thankful for this great university and the quality education it’s provided me.”

Dating back to 1966, 62 BYU student-athletes have earned Academic All-America honors, accumulating 86 citations. Twenty-nine of those honorees have come from the BYU football team, with the program’s most recent CoSIDA Academic All-Americans being Bauman, offensive lineman David Oswald and defensive back Kellen Fowler in 2008.

Utah’s Zane Beadles is the only other Mountain West Conference student-athlete represented.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

ESPN The Magazine – winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence – is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized biweekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit http://www.cosida.com.

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BYU's Football Academic All-Americans

Name Year

Casey Boyette 1966

Virgil Carter 1966

Paul Ehrmann 1966

Dan Taylor 1972

Dan Taylor 1973

Steve Stratton 1973

Steve Miller 1976

Scott Phillips 1980

Dan Plater 1981

Steve Young 1983

Marv Allen 1984

Ty Mattingly 1986

Chuck Cutler 1987

Chuck Cutler 1988

Tim Clark 1988

Fred Whittingham 1989

Andy Boyce 1990

Brad Clark 1992

Bruce Jenne 1992

Eric Drage 1992

Eric Drage 1993

Cory Cook 1994

Alan Boardman 1994

Alan Boardman 1996

Chad Lewis 1996

Ben Cahoon 1997

Jared Lee 2000

Ryan Denney 2001

Nathan Meikle 2005

Matt Bauman 2008

Kellen Fowler 2008

David Oswald 2008

Matt Bauman 2009

Scott Johnson 2009