Eric Stevenson selected as a CoSIDA Division III Academic All-American

Wheaton, Ill. - Eric Stevenson of the Wheaton College football team has been named to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division III Football Team. He is the lone selection from a CCIW school among the 52 Division III Academic All-America selections.

Stevenson earned recognition as a Second Team linebacker. An Economics major with a 3.80 cumulative grade point average. A two-year starter at linebacker, Stevenson has led the Thunder in total tackles each of the past two seasons. This year, he recorded 85 total tackles, including 47 solo stops. Stevenson registered nine tackles for lost yardage (-23 yards), including 1-1/2 sacks (-8 yards) and a forced fumble. His 85 total tackles this season ranked third among all CCIW players. Last week he was recognized as a Third Team All-North Region performer at linebacker by D3football.com.

In his three seasons with the Thunder, Stevenson has 195 total tackles including 110 solo tackles. He has registered 17.5 tackles for lost yardage (-50 yards), including 3.5 sacks (-14 yards). Stevenson has nine pass deflections and four interceptions, including two interception returns for touchdowns.

The CoSIDA Academic All-America program honors student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level in athletics and in the classroom. Members of the eight First Team Academic All-District squads in each Division advance to the national ballot, where they have the opportunity to be selected for the Academic All-America Team. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA; a 2,000-plus member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior colleges covering all NCAA championship sports.

Through the years, Wheaton student-athletes have earned a total of 87 Academic All-American selections through the prestigious program. Since 2000, there have been 62 Academic All-American selections from Wheaton.

There have been 18 Wheaton College football Academic All-America selections among 15 players since the program began: Bill Hyer (1973); Eugene Campbell (1975 & 1976); Craig Carter (1976); Steve Haugen (1976); Paul Sternenberg (1988), Bart Moseman (1992); Pedro Arruza (1993, 1994 & 1995); Jeff Brown (1995); Chip Parrish (1996); Dane Lundgren (2002); James Hoxworth (2003); Andrew Day (2005); J.J. Clark (2011); Scott Roche (2011) and Stevenson.

Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2017/12/13/football-eric-stevenson-selected-as-a-cosida-division-iii-academic-all-american2.aspx