"It's a high academic honor and shows how our program stresses academics to our players," said Head Coach Dino Kaklis. "Justin is very deserving of the award for his hard work in the classroom and on the field. I'm proud of him and he represents our program well."

To be eligible for the prestigious honor the student-athlete must be a starter or a significant substitute in the last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university; achieve a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.