National honors to Bush, Normand with selection to FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team
FRISCO, Texas -- Tennessee Tech junior Stephen Bush and grad student James Normand have set themselves apart, earning selection to the 16th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team which was announced Friday by the FCS ADA.
View complete FCS ADA team (PDF)
By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports
Information
FRISCO, Texas -- Tennessee Tech junior runningback Stephen Bush and
graduate offensive lineman James Normand
received lofty praise Friday, earning selection to the 16th annual
Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association
(FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team which was announced by the FCS
ADA.
The two Golden Eagle standouts were included on the 43-player
team that was chosen by a panel from among 90 nominees. The
announcement was made at the site of the FCS Championship game.
Bush, a junior from Cookeville, boasts a 3.85 GPA while Normand,
who hails from Oak Ridge, graduated in December with a 3.46 GPA and
is currently enrolled in graduate school.
"What a tremendous distinction for these two outstanding young
men, and they certainly deserve it," said Tech coach Watson Brown.
"Each of them has been such a tremendously important part of our
program throughout their careers, and they have always been able to
maintain a real effective balance between their work on the
football field and their work in the classroom. In a sense, they
are the epitome of a student-athlete, and I couldn't be any more
proud of them as they represent Tennessee Tech on this prestigious
team."
Bush played in 11 games in 2013, and topped the Golden Eagle offense with seven rushing touchdowns. He was the team's third-leading rusher with 306 yards on 62 carries, an average of 4.9 per try, a figure that ranked second on the squad. He became the team's go-to back in the red zone, and responded with seven scores. He finished the year with 39 all-purpose yards, grabbing six passes for 53 yards.
Normand wrapped up his four-year playing career by starting in
36 consecutive games scattered between three different positions.
Primarily an offensive guard, he also spent snaps at tackle and
center while providing leadership to the offensive line.
"The FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team has gotten more and more
prestigious through the years, and it is truly a great honor to be
included," said TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. "It's an
honor simply to be nominated, and to be singled out from a strong,
strong field of eligible players from around the FCS, it speaks
volumes to what people think of Stephen and James. They represent
the very best about college athletics. They represent Tennessee
Tech University well, and they represent coach Watson Brown's
entire football program."
"The FCS ADA is honored to present this prestigious award to our
football student-athletes each year," stated FCS ADA President
Brian Hutchinson, director of athletics, Morehead State University.
"Each year, these young men epitomize the definition of
student-athlete, both in the classroom and on the field. Our
Association is pleased to recognize their accomplishments
annually."
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision
institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. 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
Bush and Normand were among only six players from the Ohio Valley Conference named to the team. Others included defensive lineman Iosua Siliva and offensive lineman Ben Stansfield from Austin Peay, offensive lineman Max Holcombe from Jacksonville State, and long snapper Christian Duncan from Murray State.
Tech was one of eight schools to place two on the list of
honored players, while the remainder of the team came from 27
different schools. The OVC was one of three conferences to place
six student-athletes on the All-Star Team, joining the Missouri
Valley Football Conference and the Southern Conference.
A special Review Committee of Football Championship Subdivision
athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team
and scholarship finalists. Completing this task were Brian
Hutchinson, Morehead State (chair); Ken Beazer, Southern Utah;
Charlie Cobb, Appalachian State; Ron Strollo, Youngstown State; and
Jeff Tingey, Idaho State.
About the FCS ADA: Now in its 21st year,
the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors
Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship
Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please
visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National
Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is
in its 49th year. For more information on NACDA and the 13
professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please
visit www.nacda.com.
