Kansas Football Lands 23 on Academic All-Big 12 Teams

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by senior offensive lineman Pat Lewandowski – who earned his second-consecutive selection to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team – Kansas football placed a league second-best 23 student athletes on Academic All-Big 12 Teams, as announced by the conference office Thursday.
 
Kansas’ 23 honorees were the second-most in the Big 12 this season and shattered the program’s previous high of 19 picks in the Big 12 era, which was achieved in both 2012 and 2013.
 
Of KU’s 23 total student athletes who garnered honors on the first and second teams, only two Jayhawks were repeat selections from previous seasons. Lewandowski, who is now a three-time member of the conference’s academic teams, was named a member of the second team in 2012. Senior cornerback JaCorey Shepherd has also been honored three times in his career with a trio of second team selections to his name.
 
In addition to Lewandowski, six other Jayhawks took home first team honors this year including Scott Baron (Jr., tight end), T.J. Millweard (So., QB), Trevor Pardula (Sr., P/K), Preston Randall (So., RB), Trent Smiley (Sr., TE) and Colin Spencer (RFr., CB).
 
Kansas’ conference-leading 17 second team picks along with Shepherd include: Beau Bell (Jr., LB), Brandon Bourbon (Sr., RB), Montell Cozart (So., QB), Ed Fink (Sr., RB), Joe Gibson (RFr., OL), Jaccare Givens (Sr., S), Michael Glatczak (Jr., CB), Chevy Graham (Jr., CB), Reilly Jeffers (Jr., LS), Jimmay Mundine (Sr., TE), Alex Matlock (Jr., S), Bryan Peters (Jr., OL), T.J. Semke (Jr., DL), Cassius Sendish (Sr., S) and Michael Zunica (So., LB).
 
Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services, the football academic all-league squad consisted of 91 first-team members combined with 65 on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher, either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. True freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
 
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks head to Oklahoma for the first of back-to-back road games to close out the 2014 slate, Saturday, Nov. 22. Kickoff against the Sooners is set for 11 a.m., and the game can be seen on FOX Sports 1.
 
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