Nov. 5, 2009

Center Valley, Pa. - Three Patriot League Football student-athletes received ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honors on Thursday, as selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Holy Cross' Chris Smith and Mike McCabe were selected in District I, while Lafayette's Doug Gerowski was honored in District II.

Each student-athlete was a First-Team selection. Smith was named to the Academic All-District team for the third straight season.

Student-athletes from Colgate, Holy Cross and Fordham are placed in District I and those from Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell and Georgetown are grouped into District II.

McCabe and Smith have both started every game on an offensive line which has allowed the Crusaders to rank fourth in the nation in total offense (454.8 yards per game) and fifth in scoring offense (36.1 points per game). In the classroom, McCabe owns a 3.62 grade point average in classics, while Smith has posted a 3.44 grade point average in economics and accounting.

Gerowski, a junior, holds a 3.61 grade point average as an economics and business major. A defensive lineman with 19 tackles and a sack, he has helped a Leopard unit that is in the top 20 nationally in rushing and scoring defense.

In order to be considered for Academic All-District honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team.

By earning Academic All-District honors, all three players will now be on the ballot for Academic All-America honors. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team will be announced on Nov. 24.

Each of the honorees plays on a team in the thick of the Patriot League race, with Holy Cross and Lafayette tied for first place at 3-0. On Saturday, the No. 13/14 Crusaders are at Lehigh and the No. 25/24 Leopards host No. 18/20 Colgate.