Butler Named Academic All-American

FOOTBALL

Senior Drew Butler has been named a Capital One Academic All-American as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Butler, a 6-2, 214-pound native of Duluth, becomes only the fourth Dawg in school history to be named a First Team Academic All-American twice. He is the first one to accomplish this feat since offensive lineman Jon Stinchcomb in 2001-02.

One of the top punters in college football history, Butler is a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection who has a 45.5 career punting average. A graduate student who earned his B.A. degree in Journalism with a 3.62 grade point average (GPA), he is pursuing a graduate degree in Sport Management.

Butler was the winner of the 2009 Ray Guy Award as the top punter in the nation and a finalist for the honor in 2010. A two-time All-American, he is averaging 44.3 yards per punt this season while leading the Dawgs to a 10-3 record and a berth in the SEC Championship Game.

In addition to his Academic All-America selection, Butler has also been named a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, William Campbell Trophy, ARA Sportsmanship Award and the Wuerffel Trophy this season and was a member of the 2011 National Football Foundation (NFF)National Scholar-Athlete Class, which was honored this week in New York.

Butler becomes only the fourth Georgia player in history to earn a pair of First Team honors. Terry Hoage (1982-83), Matt Stinchcomb (1997-98) and Jon Stinchcomb all received the First Team honor twice. Hoage (1981) and Jon Stinchcomb (2000) were also named to the Second Team one year in their careers.

In 2010, Butler joined an exclusive Dawg club of All-Americans who have been honored for their performance on the field and in the classroom. They are: Frank Tarkenton (1960), Lynn Hughes (1966), Bill Stanfill (1968), Terry Hoage (1982-83), Matt Stinchcomb (1997-98) and Jon Stinchcomb (2002).

The 26 members of the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® Football Division I first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.82. To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.