For the Second Straight Season Six Football Players Named Academic All-District
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team had six members named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Capital One Academic All-District Team Thursday, November 8. This marked the second straight season the Tartans have had six named to the All-District team and seventh straight year they have had at least five or more named. To be nominated for the award, a student-athlete must be a starter or significant reserve and maintain a GPA of 3.3 or better.
Carnegie Mellon is part of District 4 which is comprised of all Division III schools in the state of Pennsylvania. All six honorees will now move on to the national ballot for Capital One Academic All-America recognition.
On the offensive side of the ball, there are two repeats, senior center Bryan Connelly (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and junior guard Jacob Krause (Waukesha, Wis./ Catholic Memorial). Connelly received the honor following his sophomore campaign while Kruase earned the honor a year ago. Joining the two offensive linemen are junior quarterback Rob Kalkstein (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) and sophomore wide out Timothy Swanson (Millburn, N.J.). Defensively, senior cornerback Sam Thompson (Alcoa, Tenn.) repeats as an honoree from last season and is accompanied by junior defensive lineman Ryan Jok (Novi, Mich.).
Connelly and Krause both play a major part for the Tartans up front. Carnegie Mellon has put forth a balanced attack this season averaging 204.8 yards passing and 193.4 yards rushing per game. On five occasions this season the Tartans have compiled 400 yards or more of total offense. Connelly is a civil and environment engineering major and carries a 3.64 GPA while Krause has a 3.62 GPA and is majoring in biological sciences. Both blockers were part of an offensive line that blocked for a school record 585 yards rushing and 679 yards of total offense against Hiram in 2010.
Kalkstein currently leads the University Athletic Association (UAA) in total offense (200.0 y/g), passing efficiency (176.7) and passing yards (198.6 y/g) while ranking fifth nationally in pass efficiency. Earlier this season, he passed for a career-best 314 yards in the Tartans' 51-28 win over DePauw becoming the first Tartan to pass for 300 yards since the 1993 season. The junior ranks 5th on the Tartans' all-time passing and touchdown toss list with 3,551 yards and 21 touchdowns for his career. He also ranks second in a single-season with 1,787 yards passing. A business administration major, Kalkstein carries a 3.48 GPA and has started in every game of his career.
Swanson ranks second on the team in receiving with 20 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns. The sophomore recorded a career-high outing against DePauw hauling in four catches for 153 yards and two scores. Three of his four touchdown grabs have been over 50 yards (83, 65, 52). Swanson is a chemical engineering major while having two minors in biomedical engineering and business administration and carries a 3.44 GPA.
Jok has a 3.79 GPA and is a business administration major. He is third on the team with five passes defended and 4.0 tackles for a loss. Earlier this season against Chicago, Jok recorded career highs with seven tackles, including four solo.
Thompson, who was a nominee for the 2012 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team, is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.95 GPA. The senior currently ranks third nationally in punt returns with an average of 17.75 yards per return. Against Wabash this season, Thompson broke a school record with a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. This season he has one interception giving him 10 for his career ranking 5th on the school's all-time list. Last season Thompson had seven interceptions, tying a Tartan single-season record and it placed him second in Division III.