Two Hope College football players have claimed spots on the 2015 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District™ Football Teams: punter Dean DeVries and receiver Matt Kroll.
The Academic All-District™ teams include the student-athletes eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. First-team Academic All-District™ honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Kroll is a senior from Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven HS). He is close to completing a double major of public accounting and management.
“I have enjoyed a great education at Hope College that has broadened my perspectives on life,” Kroll said. “Having that liberal arts education and seeing different aspects of life, different systems and how different people attack different things and opener is very valuable.”
Kroll is a three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll recipient.
Kroll leads the MIAA in receiving yards at 98.4 yards per game. He is second in the league with 54 receptions.
Kroll ranks fourth all-time at Hope with 129 receptions and seventh all-time with 1,801 receiving yards.
DeVries is a senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grandville HS). He is majoring in physical education and minoring in health education with the goal of becoming a teacher and coach after graduation.
“The biggest thing I have taken away from Hope is respect,” DeVries said. “I work in the kinesiology department, been around those people and seen how they treat each other. I hope to be part of that type of environment one day.”
DeVries is a two-time member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Academic Honor and a three-time All-MIAA punter.
DeVries is averaging 39.8 yards per punt this season. He already owns the single-season school record with 42.7 yard average as a junior.
DeVries is on pace to break the current career punting average record is 36 years old. He is averaging 40.6 yards per punt over 168 attempts in four seasons.
This is the fifth year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA recognizes four teams - NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-District™ Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. Previously, CoSIDA recognized a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I); with the four teams, CoSIDA has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored.
The Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 Division III Academic All-America® teams program.