CoSIDA Academic All-America Football Team
Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins placed a national record eight players on the 2021 CoSIDA NCAA Division III Academic All-America Football Team it was announced today. Five Blue Jays earned first team honors while three were named to the second team. The five first team selections alone were one more than any other Division III team in the nation produced.
The Blue Jays' eight selections are one more than the previous record for any football program at any level; Central Methodist and Nebraska Wesleyan both had seven CoSIDA Academic All-America selections in 2011. There are only 10 other instances were a program produced five Academic All-America football players in one year: Morningside (2019), Rose Hulman (2014), Wingate (2014), Minnesota State Mankato (2013), Nebraska Wesleyan (2012), Penn State (2008), Nebraska (1997), St. John's University (MN) (1994), Ohio State (1975), Delta State (1974).
Headlining Johns Hopkins' eight honorees are graduate student Macauley Kilbane (DB), senior Ross Andersson (DB) and graduate student Ryan Hubley (WR), who are all repeat selections. Kilbane and Andersson are two of the five Blue Jays named to the first team, while Hubley grabbed a spot on the second team. They became the sixth, seventh and eighth two-time Academic All-Americans in program history with seven of the eight coming since 2013.
Joining Kilbane and Andersson on the first team are senior offensive lineman Alan Gorny, junior offensive lineman JR Woods and sophomore defensive lineman Luke Schuermann, while senior tight end Emmett Turner and senior defensive lineman Chris Bedell joined Hubley as second team selections.
Kilbane joins select company as he is just the second Johns Hopkins player to twice earn first team honors as he joins John Arena (2012, 2013) on the distinguished list. Kilbane graduated in May with a degree in economics and a 3.47 cumulative GPA and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in finance at Johns Hopkins' Carey Business School. A three-time First Team All-Centennial Conference selection, he posted 53 tackles, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries this season and finished his career with 195 tackles, 23 pass breakups and nine interceptions.
Andersson makes the jump to the first team after garnering second team honors a year ago. A three-time Academic All-District selection, Andersson is majoring in chemical & biomolecular engineering and carries a 3.88 cumulative GPA. He posted 24 tackles in seven games this season before missing the final five games with an injury. Andersson has played in 32 games in his career and counts 87 tackles, six pass breakups and four interceptions to his credit from his safety position.
Woods and Gorny are both making their first appearance on the team with their selection to the first team and their nods gave Johns Hopkins two of the five first team offensive linemen. They helped lead the way for an offense that averaged 46.5 points and 488.8 yards per game in 2021; JHU's 46.5 points and 346.8 passing yards per game are both school records. Gorny is majoring in molecular and cellular biology and has a 3.87 cumulative GPA, while Woods has a perfect 4.0 and is majoring in economics. They become the 13th and 14th Johns Hopkins offensive linemen to earn Academic All-America honors.
Schuerrmann is majoring in mechanical engineering and has a 3.95 cumulative GPA. He was the only sophomore in the nation named to the team (51 total players) and becomes just the second sophomore in program history to earn Academic All-America honors and the first named to the first team. The 2021 Centennial Conference and D3football.com Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year, Schuermann finished sixth on the team in tackles (46) and led the team in sacks (11.0) and tackles for losses (20.5) this season.
Hubley adds his second team nod this season to a first team selection last year and becomes the first wide receiver in school history to twice earn Academic All-America honors. A three-time All-Centennial selection, Hubley finished the 2021 season with 77 receptions for 915 yards and five touchdowns, which boosted his career totals to 230 receptions for 2,644 yards and 16 touchdowns. He graduated in May with a degree in computer science and applied math and a 3.74 cumulative GPA and is currently pursuing a master's degree in financial mathematics.
Turner carries a 3.63 cumulative GPA inn mechanical engineering and is the first tight end in school history to be named to the Academic All-America Team. He finished the 2021 season with 14 receptions for 168 yards and now has career totals of 65 receptions for 731 yards and three touchdowns. Turner has earned Academic All-District honors three times during his career.
Bedell rounds out Hopkins' record haul of Academic All-Americans with his selection to the second team. A neuroscience major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA, he was an Honorable Mention All-Centennial selection this season after ringing up 35 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for losses and 3.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. Bedell is the 11th Johns Hopkins defensive lineman to earn Academic All-America honors.
To be eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA, be a sophomore or above and a starter or significant reserve. Academic All-District Teams are selected from eight districts with those individuals being placed on the Academic All-America ballot; Johns Hopkins had a program-record and national-best 14 Academic All-District selections this year.