Dec. 19, 2008

Football: Samsa, Krupko Named to FCS Academic All-Star Team

    Cleveland, Ohio – Youngstown State senior football players Brad Samsa (Warren, Ohio) and Tom Krupko (Homeworth, Ohio) were selected to the 11th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team, the organization announced today.

    Overall a group of 43 individuals were selected out of 79 total nominees.
    Krupko, who graduated Summa Cum Laude this past weekend from YSU, was a second-team Missouri Valley Football Conference Academic selection. He posted a grade-point average above 3.9 in his YSU scholastic career as a Biology/Pre-Med major. He is a four-time recipient of the MVFC Commissioners Academic Excellence Award and last year was selected as a his fraternity's National Athlete of the Year.
    Samsa, who this week earned All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association and third-team accolades from The Associated Press, was an honorable-mention all-conference academic selection. He is a three-time all-conference selection earning first-team honors as a junior and a senior. At YSU he owns a 3.25 GPA as an Industrial and Systems Engineering major. He started all 12 games in 2008, the first nine at center and the final three at right guard.

    Football student-athletes from all FCS institutions are eligible for the Academic All-Star team, but no more than two per school can be nominated.
    Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials.
    He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.

    YSU was one of just eight schools to place two individuals on this year's FCS Academic All-Star team. Othe schools with multiple selections were: South Dakota State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Monmouth, Valparaiso, Northwestern State and Western Illinois.