WASHINGTON - The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced it's 2021 Academic All-District® Football Teams and Gallaudet University junior fullback Joseph Mendis (Brook Park, Ohio) landed on the District 2 team for Division III for a second consecutive year. Mendis will now be added to the national ballot for the chance to earn Academic All-America honors, which will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Gallaudet has had 12 CoSIDA Academic All-District® honorees since 2012. Former GU standout Adham Talaat is the only Bison that has earned Academic All-America honors (2012, '13) in football.
Gallaudet was one of three programs from the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) to have an honoree. The other conference selections include Anna Maria College wide receiver Hayden Braga (District 1) and Castleton University kicker Noah Crossman (District 2). Johns Hopkins University had more than half of the 27 spots on the District 2 team with 14 honorees.
Mendis, an information technology major, has a GPA of 3.89 and is a two-time ECFC All-Academic honoree and an all-conference first team selection this season. Mendis joins Talaat and Cress Fisher as Gallaudet's only multiple All-District honorees for football.
To be eligible for CoSIDA Academic honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. District Two is comprised of Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.
GALLAUDET'S CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT® FOOTBALL HONOREES
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About CoSIDA's Academic All-America® Program
CoSIDA began this program in the 1950's, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports and across all divisions with these elite CoSIDA Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. Currently, CoSIDA honors Academic All-Americans in 12 sports.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed per sport and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
The Division II and III CoSIDA Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2021-22 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CoSIDA Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA national office.
For more information about CoSIDA's Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com or the Academic All-America® home page on CoSIDA.com.
