The University of Montana’s Derek Crittenden was named to the 17th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
A 6-3, 240-pound junior from Whitefish, Crittenden is a chemistry major who maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA. He played in all 14 games for UM’s football team this past season.
In December, Crittenden was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Division I football second team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Crittenden was 12th on the team in total tackles with 32, tied for second in fumble recoveries (two), fourth in sacks (4.0), and sixth in tackles for loss (5.5). He has played in 38 career games.
The past two seasons Crittenden, a 2015 Rhodes Scholar candidate, was named to Co-SIDA’s Division I all-district academic first team. He has been named to the All-Big Sky Conference academic squad the previous two years as well.
There were 103 total nominees. The Missouri Valley Football Conference led all leagues with nine student-athletes named to the All-Star Team, and the Big Sky Conference followed with eight award winners from its member institutions.
“The FCS ADA is proud to recognize its Academic All-Star Team for the 17th-straight season,” stated FCS ADA President Ken Beazer, director of athletics, Southern Utah University. “This year, the team was selected from the highest number of nominees since 2002. It is extremely admirable what our football student-athletes are able to accomplish in the classroom and on the field.”
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for the award. 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 and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.
A special Review Committee of Football Championship Subdivision athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists.