The Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association has recognized 43 members of the organization's fourth annual Academic All-Star Team.

The winners were chosen from 141 nominees and were announced at the Division I-AA Football Championship December 21.

"The 43 young men who are joining the previous 120 student-athletes to receive this award represent the best in terms of academic and athletics excellence in Division I-AA football," said John Johnson, chair of the selection committee and athletics director at Weber State University.

Nominees are required to have a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 (4.0 scale) in undergraduate study and be a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. In addition, they must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. Finally, nominees must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.

From the Academic All-Star team, five finalists also were selected for the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association's inaugural $5,000 postgraduate scholarship. One of the five finalists will receive the postgraduate scholarship during the organization's annual membership meeting held in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention in June.

The five finalists are Eric Damko, an offensive lineman from the University of Northern Arizona; Butler University quarterback DeWayne Ewing; Alcorn State University linebacker Louis Green; Vince Huntsberger, a strong safety from the University of Montana; and Marty McNamara, a University of Dayton cornerback.

Now in its ninth year, the Division I-AA Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Division I-AA football. The Association is administered by NACDA.

Following are the members of the 2001 Academic All-Star Team:

Tommy Terrell Adams, wide receiver, Mississippi Valley State; John Ahern, offensive lineman, Delaware; Uwadiae Airhiarbere, defensive lineman, Brown; Jonathan Ambrose, free safety, St. Peter's; Nicholas Bamber, cornerback, Valparaiso; David Brookman, tight end, Brown; Billy Brown, wide receiver, Yale; Darren Brown, kicker, Wofford; Scott Carter, fullback, East Tennessee State; Eric Damko, offensive lineman, Northern Arizona; Khary Darlington, safety, Delaware State; Brian Davis, defensive back, Morehead State; Matt DeLellis, wide receiver, Dartmouth; Aaron Edwards, defensive back, Monmouth; DeWayne Ewing, quarterback, Butler; Ben Foster, running back, Wofford; Louis Green, linebacker, Alcorn State; Richard Holzer, offensive lineman, Hofstra; Vince Huntsberger, strong safety, Montana; Rodney Johnson, cornerback, Furman; Mark Kasmer, safety, Dayton; Justin Langan, kicker, Western Illinois; Peter Lee, quarterback, Yale; Ryan Lee, wide receiver, William and Mary; Gene Liebel, fullback, Towson; Ryan MacLean, defensive back, Albany; Marty McNamara, cornerback, Dayton; Eric Nash, offensive lineman, Wofford; Joe Pavlick, safety, Duquesne; Dusty Peace, fullback, Northern Arizona; Hadley Prince, safety, McNeese State; Marvin Royal, running back, Sacred Heart; Trent Sansbury, tight end, Furman; Chris Sapp, linebacker, Indiana State; Justin Stark, offensive lineman, Harvard; Travis Stephens, linebacker, Citadel; Chris Stimmel, safety, Northern Iowa; Grant Swallows, quarterback, Tennessee Tech; Adam Vogt, linebacker, Northern Iowa; Armand Walters, wide receiver, Morgan State; Adam Waugh, linebacker, Illinois State; Jonathan Wilfong, defensive end, Richmond; Juston Wood, quarterback, Portland State.