Dec. 15, 2007
University of Dayton seniors Brandon Cramer and Brian Kelly have been named to the 2007 Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team, it was announced Friday. In addition, Cramer was one of eight finalists were selected to for the Seventh Annual FCS ADA's $5,000 postgraduate scholarship.
UD was one of ten schools to have two student-athletes on the 51-player team. Institutions were limited to nominating no more than two members of their football teams.
The award was another in a long list for Cramer, who had already been named the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year, an Academic All-American for the third straight year, a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and a finalist for the Draddy Award, which is sometimes referred to as the "academic Heisman."
Kelly was ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District in 2007. He is a two-time Academic All-District and Academic All-Pioneer Football League selection, and a four-time member of the PFL Academic Honor Roll.
Cramer (a safety) and Kelly (a linebacker) were Dayton's defensive captains this season. They led a Flyer defense that finished second in FCS in rushing defense (allowing just 75.4 yards per game), fourth in total defense (271.5 yards), fourth in scoring defense (15.6 points) and seventh in tackles for loss.
Both are Pre-Med majors.
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution. A special Review Committee of Football Championship Subdivision athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists.
Two student-athletes from the pool of eight finalists will receive postgraduate scholarships during the Association's annual membership meeting held in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention, being held in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, June 9-12.
Dayton finished 11-1, including 6-1 in the Pioneer Football League. The Flyers were co-champions of the PFL, and after defeating Albany 42-21 in the Gridiron Classic bowl game, were awarded the Sports Network Cup, which goes to the Mid-Major National Championship team.
