Tusculum’s Jarrell NeSmith Named Academic All-American

TOWSON, Md. --- Tusculum College tight end Jarrell NeSmith has been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Football Second Team announced College officials Wednesday.

NeSmith becomes the second Tusculum football player to earn Academic All-America® recognition, joining former Pioneer kicker Glen Black, who earn Second Team honors in 2006. He joins 10 other Tusculum student-athletes who have earned Academic All-America® distinction, including women's soccer player Nicole Ferris.

NeSmith, a 6-2, 215-pound junior from Russellville, Ala., has a 3.83 cumulative grade point average as a Pre-Medicine major.

The Russellville High School graduate earned All-South Atlantic Conference First Team honors his year, finishing second on the team and in the league with 67 receptions. His catch tally is the third-best in school history. He totaled 635 receiving yards, while making seven touchdown receptions, which are tied for the fourth most in TC history.

Russell, a two-time Academic All-District First Team selection, was also named the SAC Scholar Athlete for Football for a second consecutive year. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

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.