The NCAA News - News and Features

January 20, 1997

Wuerffel wins second straight GTE academic honor

Heisman Trophy winner and NCAA Today's Top VIII selection Danny Wuerffel has been selected for the second straight year as university-division GTE Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for football.

Joining Wuerffel is college-division honoree Lon Erickson, a senior quarterback at Illinois Wesleyan who recently received the Gagliardi Award as Division III player of the year.

Wuerffel, who led Florida to victory over Florida State in the 1997 Nokia Sugar Bowl and a wire-service national championship, is a journalism/public relations major.

Erickson, who led his team to an appearance in the 1996 Division III Football Championship, is a business administration major.

They lead this year's GTE Academic All-America Teams in football, which were selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Team members are varsity starters or key reserves who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.200 (4.000 scale).

This year's teams:

UNIVERSITY DIVISION

First-team offense

Quarterback -- Danny Wuerffel, Florida, journalism/public relations.

Wide receivers -- Kevin Lockett, Kansas State, accounting; David Patterson, New Mexico State, mathematics.

Tight end -- Pat Fitzgerald, Texas, marketing.

Running backs -- Tiki Barber, Virginia, commerce; Josh Branen, Montana, prephysical therpy.

Linemen -- Mike Appel, Morehead State, mathematics and computer programming; Jason Johnson, Kansas State, marketing; Jay Korth, Wyoming, mechanical engineering; Josh Lemmon, Dayton, chemistry; Wayne Wyatt, Arizona, philosophy and business administration.

Kicker -- Cory Wedel, Wyoming, agricultural education.

First-team defense

Backs -- Trevor Bell, Idaho State, speech communications; Jeb Dougherty, San Diego, business administration; Levi Gillen, Tulsa, mechanical engineering; Blaine McElmurry, Montana, premedicine.

Linebackers -- Greg Bellisari, Ohio State, zoology; Daryl Bush, Florida State, business/finance; Grant Wistrom, Nebraska, prepharmacy.

Linemen -- Devlan Geddes, Montana State, social/criminal justice; Matt Keneley, Southern California, public administration; Ryan Olson, Colorado, civil engineering; Willie Thompson, Morgan State, electrical engineering.

Punter -- Ty Atteberry, Baylor, premedicine.

Second-team offense

Quarterback -- Peyton Manning, Tennessee, speech communication.

Wide receivers -- Dave Janoski, Washington, computer science; Dustin Tyner, Air Force, management.

Tight end -- Devin Kendall, Arizona State, communications.

Running backs -- Steve Iorio, Georgetown, finance; Marc Washington, Princeton, civil engineering.

Linemen -- Matt Beard, Michigan State, social relations; Eric DeGroh, West Virginia, biology; Chad Folk, Utah, elementary education; Tim Kohn, Iowa State, political science/international studies; Nate Schneider, Drake, biology/premedicine.

Kicker -- Michael Reeder, Texas Christian, finance.

Second-team defense

Backs -- Rick Ellyson, St. Mary's (California), business administration; Deon Jackson, Villanova, finance; Scott Matthews, Montana State, biological science; Patrick Stephen, Northern Illinois, prephysical therapy.

Linebackers -- Craig Dues, Toledo, civil engineering; Jon Hesse, Nebraska, psychology; Pat Tillman, Arizona State, business.

Linemen -- Bryan Jurewicz, Wisconsin, construction administration; Steve Mattson, Eastern Washington, biology/premedicine; Brian Kyle Wicker, Mississippi, exercise science; David Jason Winship, Rice, political science.

Punter -- Alan Boardman, Brigham Young, manufacturing engineering.

COLLEGE DIVISION

First-team offense

Quarterback -- Lon Erickson, Illinois Wesleyan, business administration.

Wide receivers -- Troy Harcey, Wisconsin-La Crosse, elementary education; Rob Stoltz, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, special education.

Tight end -- Mitchell Pruett, Augustana (South Dakota), biology/premedicine.

Running backs -- Dan McGovern, Rensselaer, management; Steve Witte, Clarion, finance.

Linemen -- Ryan Carpenter, Augustana (Illinois), mathematics/physics/computer science; Joseph DeAngelis, Trinity (Connecticut), chemistry; Ryan Egeland, Colorado College, chemistry; Matt Hertzler, Chapman, exercise physiology; Kyle Wojciechowski, Hillsdale, chemistry.

Kicker -- Roger Egbert, Union (New York), economics.

First-team defense

Backs -- Chad DiFranco, Ashland, art education; David Lafere, Albion, economics and management; Mike Paciulli, Moravian, business administration; Duane Stevens, MIT, mechanical engineering.

Linebackers -- Craig Anderson, Ohio Wesleyan, accounting; Brian Gilmore, Missouri-Rolla, ceramic engineering; Tom Mager, Case Reserve, chemistry/premedicine; Tom Tibesar, North Dakota, business economics.

Linemen -- Brad Gray, MIT, chemical engineering; Ryan Haygood, Colorado College, history/political science; Kenyon Meadows, Case Reserve, chemistry/premedicine; Justin Rice, Nebraska Wesleyan, biology.

Punter -- Brian Moorman, Pittsburg State, history/education.

Second-team offense

Quarterback -- Kyle A. Klein, Albion, economics and management.

Wide receivers -- Lance Sanders, Kalamazoo, physics; Chad Wemhoff, Nebraska Wesleyan, biology.

Tight ends -- Justin Hackley, Salve Regina, finance.

Running backs -- Mark Byarlay, Trinity (Texas), premedicine; J. R. Kidd, Ohio Wesleyan, elementary education.

Linemen -- Todd Alcock, Adrian, earth science; Ron Briggs, Sewanee (University of the South), English; Tim Johnson, Cal Lutheran, accounting; Ryan Shanesy, Nebraska Wesleyan, physics; Cory Williams, Hampden-Sydney, biology.

Kicker -- Shane Meyer, Central Missouri State, journalism.

Second-team defense

Backs -- Brent Baksa, Adrian, biology/environmental science; Mike Bramlage, Thomas More, biology; Jeff Dodson, Shepherd, biology; Scott Farnham, DePauw, biological sciences; Rob Townsend, Missouri Southern State, secondary education.

Linebackers -- Chip Parrish, Wheaton (Illinois), mechanical engineering; Chad Welch, Rose-Hulman, mechanical engineering.

Linemen -- Steve Moraca, King's (Pennsylvania), gerontology; Ted Ruzanic, St. John's (Minnesota), natural science; Josh Sanders, Ohio Wesleyan, history; Regan Wilcox, Nebraska-Kearney, criminal justice.

Punter -- Jon Bushey, Franklin & Marshall, geosciences.