Sharpe, Dean Make Academic All-ACC

Feb. 8, 2005

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Thirteen players who earned first or second team All-Conference honors this past season also secured spots on the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic football team as announced by Commissioner John Swofford. To be eligible, a player must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the fall semester or have maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.

The list of players on the team included Clemson kicker Jad Dean and starting center Tommy Sharpe.

The league’s 2004 ACC Player of the Year – Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall – and Maryland’s Nick Novak, the ACC’s all-time leading scorer with 393 points, are among the league’s academic honorees as are two players who earned consensus first-team All-America recognition this past season – Virginia tight end Heath Miller and Miami defensive back Antrel Rolle. Other first or second team All-ACC selections named are Georgia Tech’s Travis Bell and James Butler, Maryland’s C.J. Brooks, Domonique Foxworth and Adam Podlesh, North Carolina’s Jason Brown, Virginia’s Zac Yarbrough, Virginia Tech’s Jeff King and Brandon Pace.

North Carolina’s Darian Durant, the league’s seventh all-time leading passer with 8,755 yards and Maryland’s Steve Suter, the ACC’s all-time punt return leader with 1,271 yards, head up a list of 20 players that are repeaters from last year’s All-Academic team. Each of the 11 league schools are represented on the honors team with Duke leading the way with eight selections, Miami was second with seven. The 2004 All-ACC Academic Football Team is as follows: