Knight Repeats as CoSIDA Academic All-America
(AUSTIN, Texas) – Senior defensive back Sean Knight (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) of the Carnegie Mellon University football team was honored with a first team selection to the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Division III Football Team. This marks Knight's second consecutive year receiving the accolade.
Knight, a First Team All-PAC honoree, ended the season tied for the PAC lead with five interceptions. The senior had 34 total tackles, 29 solo, and ranked sixth on the team in tackles. Knight recorded his third career multi-interception game in a win over Waynesburg in late September. He ended his career with 14 INTs, ranking tied for second in program history.
Knight helped the Tartans defense lead the PAC in scoring defense and ranked second in the nation allowing 8.7 points per game. The Cardinal and Gray additionally led the league and was 15th nationally in total defense giving up 246.7 yards per contest. Carnegie Mellon also forced a league best 31 turnovers. He also played a huge part in the Tartans rush defense that ranked second in the PAC and 10th nationally allowing 69.2 yards per game and held eight opponents under 100 yards on the ground and six under 50 yards rushing.
A civil engineering major, Knight maintains a 3.68 GPA and was a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Knight, a CoSIDA Academic All-American a season ago, is a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity where he participated in philanthropic events to raise money for nonprofit organizations. He has volunteered as tutor for high school kids at the Environmental Charter School and at the Western Spring Sectional competition of the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. During the summer of 2020, he was a project manager intern for Structure Tone in New York City and was a civil engineering inter this past summer at Kimley-Horn.
The Tartans 61 all-time honorees ranks first in Division III and fifth among all of college football, Division I, II, III and NAIA.