AUSTIN, Texas – IUP football graduate student offensive lineman
Darrell Davis and graduate student linebacker
Connor Kelly were named second team selections on the 2022 Academic All-America® football teams selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), released Tuesday afternoon.
The CSC Academic All-America® teams, formerly CoSIDA, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Student-athletes must own a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher and be a starter or significant reserve to be eligible for the prestigious honor.
Davis and Kelly represent two of seven Academic All-America selections from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The duo become IUP's first Academic All-America selections since Mike Pietropola in 2017.
Davis attended graduate school during the fall of 2022 and carried a 3.8 undergraduate GPA with a major in sport management. He completed an extra course load of graduate classes this fall, earning two master's in both sports management and human resources and labor relations.
A two-time All-PSAC West First Team selection in 2021 and 2022, Davis was named a nominee for the 2022 Gene Upshaw DII Lineman of the Year award. He earned First Team All-Super Region One recognition in early December as an anchor for an IUP offensive line that allowed just five sacks all season and averaged 31.5 points/game.
Kelly posted a 3.83 cumulative undergraduate GPA as a marketing major while attending graduate school in the fall of 2022. He finished second on the team in tackles during the 2022 campaign with 81, including 10.0 tackles for loss. The Amherst, N.Y. native added a blocked kick and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the Super region One Semifinals against Ashland on November 26.
IUP finished the 2022 season with a 10-2 record, winning the PSAC Championship game while earning the top seed in Super Region One. The Crimson Hawks finished the season ranked 11th in the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll for 2022.
Overall, IUP posted a team GPA of 3.11 for the fall 2022 semester, while 55 student-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or higher during the semester.
The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Division II Academic All-America® program. See the full CSC release
here.
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