Jake Barkley is FB Academic All-American

December 5, 2000
Tommie RB Jake Barkley voted first-team Academic All-American

University of St. Thomas running back Jake Barkley (SO-Plymouth, Minn/Robb. Armstrong) is among 24 players voted to the first team of 2000 Verizon College Division Academic All-America Football Team announced Tuesday. The honor team (formerly known as the GTE/Co-SIDA honor team) was selected by a national panel of sports information directors.

Barkley, who has a gpa of 3.88 in Entrepreneurship, was the lone sophomore honored among 49 players on the first or second teams. He's among an elite group of student athletes honored from more than 30,000 players on 450 eligible schools in NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA .

Barkley was the MIAC rushing champion with 1,414 yards in nine games. He had eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games in leading the Tommies to a third-place tie at 6-3 in the final conference stadnings. He scored 10 TDs, and his season total of 1,476 rushing yards included four touchdown runs of 68 or more yards. In 19 career games, Barkley has 12 TDs, 1,841 rushing yards and 376 receiving yards.

It's the ninth time since 1973 and fifth time in eight seasons that the Tommies have had an Academic All-American in football. It also marks the 10th time in the last 12 seasons that St. Thomas football has had either an All-American player or an Academic All-American.

Four other MIAC players were honored -- Gustavus junior linebacker Brian Bergstrom also made first team; and second-team honorees were St. John's senior QB Tom Linnemann; Gustavus senior offensive lineman Andy Kopperud; and Carleton senior DE Jeff Thurk.


2000 VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® FOOTBALL TEAM (University Division)
First Team Offense

Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major
QB Drew Brees* Purdue Sr. Austin, Texas 3.42/Industrial Management
RB Thomas Hammock Northern Illinois So. Fort Wayne, Ind. 3.36/Marketing
RB Ryan Johnson Montana St. So. Fort Collins, Colo. 4.00/Exercise Physiology
WR Jake Coppola Canisius Sr. Forestville, N.Y. 3.83/Mathematics
WR Adam Overbey Towson Sr. Waldorf, Md. 3.71/Biology
TE Josh Whitman Illinois Sr. Lafayette, Ind. 3.98/Finance
OL J.T. Herfurth Albany Sr. East Northport, N.Y. 3.87/Sociology
OL Wes Hines McNeese St. Gr. Baytown, Texas 3.96/Finance
OL Ryan Schmid Oregon Jr. Lake Oswego, Ore. 3.92/Business Admin.
OL Matt Thuesen Montana Sr. Billings, Mont. 3.87/Political Science
OL Kyle Young Clemson Jr. Clemson, S.C. 3.97/Secondary Education
PK Scott Westerfield Mississippi St. Sr. Brandon, Miss. 3.93/Civil Engineering

First Team Defense
DL Chris Cain Portland St. Sr. Tualatin, Ore. 3.81/Pub. Health Ed./Bus.
DL Brian Potter Miami (Ohio) Sr. San Diego, Calif. 3.50/Finance
DL Kyle Vanden Bosch Nebraska Sr. Larchwood, Iowa 3.83/Finance
DL Brian Bodor Wofford Sr. Bridgeport, Ohio 3.53/Accounting
LB Chad Carson Clemson Sr. Newman, Ga. 3.94/Biological Sciences
LB Marion Martin Furman Gr. Columbia, S.C. 3.90/Chemistry
LB Adam Waugh Illinois St. Jr. Libertyville, Ill. 4.00/Political Science
DB Christopher Hope Florida St. Jr. Rock Hill, S.C. 3.68/Communication
DB Vince Huntsberger Montana Jr. Libby, Mont. 3.91/Biology/Pre-Medicine
DB Jared Lee Brigham Young Sr. Rexburg, Idaho 3.94/Pre-Medicine/History
DB Jon McGraw Kansas St. Jr. Manhattan, Kan. 3.72/Finance
P Dan Dyke Georgia Tech Jr. Winter Springs, Fla. 3.95/Electrical Engineering

Second Team Offense
QB Jeff Kelly Southern Mississippi Gr. Deer Park, Ala. 3.78/Banking & Finance/
Business Admin.
RB Adam Ferreri Fairfield Sr. North Babylon, N.Y. 3.88/Marketing
RB Nick Soloman Tennessee Tech Jr. Somerset, N.J. 3.24/Special Education
WR Eddie Tillitz Miami (Ohio) So. Martinsville, Ind. 3.54/Zoology
WR Brett Veach Delaware Jr. Mt. Carmel, Pa. 3.42/Physical Education
TE Lance Ballew Eastern Washington Sr. Leavenworth, Pa. 3.62/Marketing
OL Jordan Caruso Penn St. Sr. Medford, N.J. 3.57/Business Logistics
OL Eric Damko Northern Arizona Jr. Murietta, Calif. 3.83/Business Admin.
OL Kyle Eaton Oklahoma St. Jr. Rogers, Texas 4.00/Management Info.
OL Gene Mruczkowski Purdue So. Cleveland, Ohio 3.85/Mvmnt. & Sport Sci.
OL Jon Stinchcomb Georgia Jr. Lilburn, Ga. 3.73/Microbiology
PK Todd France Toledo Jr. Maumee, Ohio 3.96/Mechanical Engin.

Second Team Defense
DL Aaron Kampman Iowa Jr. Kelsay, Iowa 3.40/Elementary Education
DL R.D. Kern Harvard Sr. Dallas, Texas 3.40/Economics
DL Ebbie Parsons Florida A&M Sr. Detroit, Mich. 3.60/Industrial Engineering
DL Fred Wakefield Illinois Sr. Tuscola, Ill. 3.37/Kinesiology
LB Kevin Campbell LaSalle Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. 3.77/Finance/MIS
LB Rick Giampietri Idaho Sr. Spokane, Wash. 3.79/Mathematics
LB Josh Thornhill Michigan St. Jr. Lansing, Mich. 3.40/Kinesiology
DB C.J. Carroll Southwest Texas Gr. Corpus Christi, Texas 3.48/Exercise & Sports Sci.
DB Kimball Christianson Utah Sr. Provo, Utah 3.81/German
DB Dave Evans Bucknell Sr. Kulpmont, Pa. 3.75/Civil Engineering
DB Travis Ortega Rice Sr. Rockdale, Texas 3.44/Political Science
P Kris Stockton Texas Sr. Katy, Texas 3.81/Biology

* Verizon Academic All-America" Team Member of the Year - University Division


2000 VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® FOOTBALL TEAM (College Division)

First Team Offense
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major
QB Timothy Vinyard Coe Jr. Ottumwa, Iowa 3.83/Biology
RB Jake Barkley St. Thomas (Minn.) So. Plymouth, Minn. 3.88/Entrepreneurship
RB Chuck Moore Mount Union Jr. Mogadore, Ohio 3.72/Business Administration
WR Jason Berkhimer Waynesburg Sr. Bedford, Pa. 3.98/Biology (Pre-Phys. Therapy)
WR Nathan Tuck Emory & Henry Sr. Big Stone Gap, Va. 3.82/Physics/Mathematics
TE Frank McCabe Wilkes Sr. Kingston, Pa. 3.59/Political Science/English
OL Brad Crawford Indianapolis Sr. LaGrange, Ind. 3.91/Biology (Pre-Phys. Therapy)
OL Andrew Fleischman Concordia (Minn.) Sr. Lester Prairie, Minn. 3.88/Education
OL Mackenzie Hay Augustana (Ill.) Sr. Polo, Ill. 3.45/Pre-Medicine (Biology)
OL Mark Trettin Wartburg Sr. Waterloo, Iowa 3.86/Accounting/Business Admin.
OL Dave Wonderlick** Susquehanna Sr. Shenandoah, Pa. 4.00/Public Relations
PK Paul Peletz Arkansas Tech Sr. Bentonville, Ark. 3.71/Economics/Finance

First Team Defense
DL Keith Akard Carson-Newman Sr. Bristol, Tenn. 4.00/Business Administration
DL Robert (B.J.) Bayer Arkansas Tech Sr. Gentry, Ark. 3.78/Engineering
DL Tim Gustafason Case Western Reserve Sr. Canyon Country, Calif. 4.00English/History
DL Peter Katz Wisconsin-Whitewater Jr. Manitowoc, Wisc. 4.00/Pre-Medicine
LB Brian Bergstrom Gustavus Adolphus Jr. Burnsville, Minn. 3.88/Health Fitness/Management
LB Chris Gab Pittsburg (Kan.) St. Sr. Independence, Kansas 3.98/Plastics Engineering
LB Brian Kowalski Rochester Jr. Liverpool, N.Y. 3.80/Political Science/History
DB Brian Holland Bentley Sr. Deer Park, N.Y. 3.85/Finance
DB Angus Huang MIT Sr. Saratoga, Calif. 4.75 (5.0 scale) Computer Science
DB Curt Monday College of New Jersey Sr. Leonardo, N.J. 3.78/Finance
DB Eric Totten Western Washington Jr. Maple Valley, Wash. 3.71/Bus. Science/History
P Adam Ryan Fort Hays St. Sr. Melbourne, Australia 3.51/Marketing

Second Team Offense
QB Tom Linnemann St. John's (Minn.) Sr. Melrose, Minn. 3.64/Political Science
RB Lucas Arnold Salve Regina Sr. Westerly, R.I. 3.55/Accounting
RB Allen Walter McKendree Jr. Metropolis, Ill. 4.00/Biology
WR Jeff Geisz Michigan Tech Sr. Oxford, Mich. 3.44/Technology
WR Rory Peacock McMurry Sr. Woodson, Texas 3.68/Education
TE Chad Hermsdorf Minnesota St.-Mankato Sr. Madison, Wis. 3.65/Biology/Pre-Medicine
OL John Burk Angelo St. Sr. DeLeon, Texas 3.85/Kinesiology
OL Mark Foran Kenyon Sr. Newark, Ohio 3.92/Biology
OL Brian Gossett Maryville Sr. Etowah, Tenn. 3.68/History for Licensure
OL Andy Kopperud Gustavus Adolphus Sr. Westbrook, Minn. 3.88/Biology
OL Seth Roberson Wartburg Jr. New Hampton, Iowa 3.72/Physics
OL Mark Weidner Edinboro Sr. Allison Park, Pa. 3.55/Criminal Justice
K Gary Kral Pittsburg (Kan.) St. Sr. Wichita, Kansas 3.66/Accounting

Second Team Defense
DL Terry Jolliff Findlay Sr, Kenton, Ohio 3.93/Pre-Physical Therapy
DL Luke McIntosh Washington (Mo.) Sr. Omaha, Neb. 3.73/Political Sci./Marketing
DL Nick Nicastro Wilmington Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio 3.67/Sports Administration
DL Jeff Thurk Carleton Sr. Eden Prairie, Minn. 3.73/Economics
LB Alex Daecher Kutztown Jr. Lititz, Pa. 3.90/Elementary & Special Ed.
LB Mitch Marzo Lycoming Sr. Wellsboro, Pa. 3.97/Biology
LB Andrew Waxman Widener Jr. Monmouth Junction, N.J. 3.78/Electrical Engineering
DB Casey Allen Lenoir-Rhyne Sr. Randleman, N.C. 3.92/Business Administration
DB Corbett Boone Hardin-Simmons Sr. Stephensville, Texas 3.85/Biology
DB Matt Johnston Grinnell Sr. El Dorado, Kansas 3.60/Biology
DB Clint Steiner Central Missouri St. Sr. Stilwell, Kansas 3.55/Marketing
P Dan Neumann St. Francis (Ill.) Sr. Cherry Valley, Ill. 3.53/Finance

** Verizon Academic All-America" Team Member of the Year - College Division