Nov. 27, 2006
Irving, Texas - UCF sophomore Sha'reff Rashad was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team, which was announced by league officials on Monday. Rashad was an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in 2005 and has a 3.61 GPA in criminal justice. He led the Golden Knights with four interceptions, a total that tied for third in C-USA. Rashad became the first UCF defender since the squad moved to Division I-A to intercept a pass in three-consecutive games.
Houston's Wade Koehl and Tulsa's Paul Smith were unanimous Conference USA Football All-Academic selections, as voted upon by the school's sports information directors and released by the league office Monday. Memphis and Tulsa each had two representatives on the inaugural squad and nine of the 12 C-USA institutions are represented on the prestigious list.
The all-academic team consists of 11 student-athletes that have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on the football team.
Koehl, a 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI first teamer, has helped lead the Cougars to the C-USA West Division title with a conference record of 7-1 and an overall performance of 9-3. The Cougars will host the Conference USA Football Championship game against Southern Miss on Fri., Dec. 1. A four-year starter, Koehl has been a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll Member three times and holds a 3.52 GPA in accounting.
Smith guided the Golden Hurricane to an overall record of 8-4 and 5-3 in C-USA action and was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI first team. Smith was also a Commissioner's Honor Roll member in 2005 and carries a 3.80 GPA in communications. He is joined on the team by teammate Mike Mengers. Mengers, a senior, has a 3.74 GPA in mechanical engineering and has played every snap in 2006. He has also been a Dean's List member for five semesters.
Memphis teammates Rusty Clayton and Brandon Patterson were both named to the team as well as to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District IV team. Clayton was a first team selection, while Patterson earned second team accolades. Clayton is currently working on a master's degree where he has a 3.61 GPA in criminal justice after earning bachelor's degrees in history and psychology. He is a three-time member on the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District team, including this season, and has been named to the Dean's List five semesters.
Patterson carries a 3.73 GPA in finance and was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2005 and 2006. He also received the Commissioner's Academic Medal in 2006 and has started 11 of the Tigers' 12 games this season. He is sixth on the team in tackles.
Kevin Roach of East Carolina and Travis Cooley of Southern Miss are currently working on their master's degrees. Roach`s focus is in accounting and holds a 3.44 GPA. He was recently named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District III first team and has been a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member four times. Roach ranks fourth on his team in receiving yards and receptions. Cooley has a 3.65 GPA in human resource management. He was an All-Conference USA second-team member in 2005 and is part of ECU's offensive line that is No. 3 in C-USA and No. 33 in the nation in rushing offense.
Seniors Michael Purcell of Tulane and Reagan Schneider of UTEP were also honored on the all-academic team. Purcell is a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and carries a 3.64 GPA in finance. He has been named to the Dean's List for five semesters and has 29 starts at defensive end in 35 career games. Schneider holds a 3.34 GPA in kinesiology and ranks second in the league in kicking scoring average. His 56-yard field goal against Memphis to conclude the season was the longest of the year for a C-USA player.
SMU's Thomas Morstead leads C-USA and ranks 16th in the nation in punting average and holds a 3.55 GPA in mechanical engineering. Morstead is also a C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member and is on the 2006 Ray Guy Award "Watch List."
Koehl, Smith, Mengers, Clayton and Roach are finalist for ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
2006 CONFERENCE USA FOOTBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Student-Athlete / Class / School / GPA/Major / Hometown
Kevin Roach/Sr./East Carolina/3.44/Accounting (Grad)/Williamston, N.C.
Wade Koehl/Sr./Houston/3.52/Accounting/Midland, Texas
Rusty Clayton/Sr./Memphis/3.61/Criminal Justice/Sumrall, Miss.
Brandon Patterson/So./Memphis/3.73/Finance/Germantown, Tenn.
Thomas Morstead/So./SMU/3.55/Mechanical Engineering/Pearland, Texas
Travis Cooley/Sr./Southern Miss/3.00/Sports Admin.(undergrad) & 3.65, Human Resource Mgt. (Grad)/Waynesboro, Miss.
Michael Purcell/Sr./Tulane/3.64/Finance/Dripping Springs, Texas
Mike Mengers/Sr./Tulsa/3.74/Mechanical Engineering/Mustang, Okla.
Paul Smith/Jr./Tulsa/3.80/Communication/Owasso, Okla.
Sha'reff Rashad/Soph./UCF/3.61/Criminal Justice/Jacksonville, Fla.
Reagan Schneider/Sr./UTEP/3.34/Kinesiology/Canyon Lake, Texas