Three Named Capital One Footbal Academic All-America; Mount Union's Driskill Named Academic All-America of the Year

Three Named Capital One Footbal Academic All-America; Mount Union's Driskill Named Academic All-America of the Year

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Three Named Capital One Footbal Academic All-America; Mount Union's Driskill Named Academic All-America of the Year

 

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Mount Union senior safety Nick Driskill (Wabash, Ind./Southwood) has been selected as the winner of the Capital One Division III Academic All-America of the Year award for football, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is the second Purple Raider to win the award, following Greg Micheli, who won the honor in 2008.

Driskill is an exercise science major with a 3.77 GPA and is making his second straight appearance on the Capital One Academic All-America team. He was a second-team selection as a junior in 2011. Driskill is also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is presented to the top all-around football player in NCAA Division.

Driskill leads the nation's top defense with 71 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.  Mount Union is allowing only 6.8 points per game. Driskill has appeared in 54 career games and the Purple Raiders have a 55-3 record during his career.

A two-time winner of the Lee Tressel Award as the top defensive back in the OAC, Driskill has made 307 tackles in his career. He also has 12 interceptions and five fumble recoveries. He has also scored three defensive touchdowns.

Heidelberg senior linebacker Craig Sykes (Centerburg) has been selected First Team Academic All-America for the second straight year. Sykes is a biology major and carries a 3.90 GPA. He is also a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy.

Sykes completed his senior season with 87 tackles, including a career-high 6.5 tackles for loss. He had seven pass deflections and two interceptions. He was selected to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference First Team.

Capital senior defensive lineman Nate Nasrallah (Norton) is a philosophy major with a 3.98 GPA. Nasrallah was named honorable mention All-OAC in 2011 and 2012.

He led the team and finished third in the conference with nine sacks, including seven in his last three games. He finished fourth on the team with 43 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss of 61 yards, and added a forced fumble.