Theisen named Academic All-America again

November 29, 2007

For the third time in his athletic career, Tommie wide receiver P.J. Theisen (SR-Elko/New Prague) was voted as a CoSIDA Academic All-American. Theisenwas named to the 2007 EPSN The Magazine College Division second team.

He's one of three MIAC players and 28 Division III players among the 48 selected to the elite College Division tema from Division II, III and NAIA.

Theisen was previously honored in 2005-06 in both football and track and field. He has a 3.93 grade-point average in Accounting, and was a 2006 National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete. He's one of four players in MIAC history to win the NFF's $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He's also one of 10 national finalists for the Division III Gagliardi Trophy.

He also was named to the national Good Works team in 2006 by the American Football Coaches Association. 

Theisen started his 41st and final game as a Tommie Nov. 10 and caught 16 passes for 278 yards and two TDs in a 54-28 loss to 8-2 St. Olaf. The 16 catches tied a UST single-game record, and the 278 yards are the second most by a receiver in MIAC history. (Carleton's Jim Bradford had 285 yards in receiving yards against Gustavus in 1990). 

Theisen finished his career in the top five among MIAC players in two categories -- he was third in receptions with 218 and fourth in receiving yards at 3,223 yards. He also had 25 touchdown catches to finish with 150 points, sixth best in school history. He finished third in UST career all-purpose yards at 4,025.  He had 100-plus yard receiving days in 13 of his last 19 games.

He finished the 2007 season with 86 catches for 1,192 yards and 14 TDs. In his last five games he had 10 TDs and 52 catches for 824 yards.

In all, 48 players were named to the University Division team (Division I and I-AA) and 48 more were honored on the College Division team (Divisions II, III and NAIA). There are approximately 450 schools that play football in D-II (110), D-III (257) and NAIA (91) -- so the 48 players are the elite student-athletes from more than 35,000 players in these divisions.

Tommie football players have been honored for the elite award 15 times in the last 15 seasons, including 11 times since 2000.

Two other MIAC seniors were honored -- first-team defensive back Kevin Boegel of St. John's, and second-team offensive lineman Grant Weller of Concordia-Moorhead.

The Academic All-America® Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 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. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.