Buckley named to Capital One Academic All-America® national team

CALGARY – Fresh off leading his team to a Vanier Cup appearance, University of Calgary Dinos pivot Andrew Buckley earned another piece of hardware for his trophy case.

Buckley, a third-year kinesiology student, is the quarterback on the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® football team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The team is made of up student-athletes from CIS, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and two-year junior colleges in the United States.

The honour follows Buckley’s selection as the recipient of the CIS Russ Jackson Award, which he received prior to the Vanier Cup in Quebec City.

On the field, the graduate of Calgary’s Rundle College took over as the team’s starting quarterback late in the season opener after standout Eric Dzwilewski broke his foot and the Dinos barely skipped a beat with Buckley at the controls, cruising to their first-ever 8-0 record. The 6-foot, 193-pound pivot went on to pass for 2,184 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight contests and also added four rushing majors en route to a selection as a conference all-star.

In the national championship game, Buckley was the Dinos’ leading rusher with 82 yards on eight carries while completing 19 of 29 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown as the Dinos fell 25-14 to the Laval Rouge et Or. A week earlier in the Mitchell Bowl against No. 1 Western, Buckley threw for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Dinos shocked the top-ranked Mustangs 44-3 to advance to the Vanier Cup.

In the classroom, Buckley is a two-time Academic All-Canadian with a career grade point average of 3.93 in kinesiology and has plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter medical school following his undergraduate work. He has received numerous academic awards since he arrived on the U of C campus, including a University of Calgary President’s Admission Scholarship and Undergraduate Merit Award. He is actively involved in many research projects, most recently making a presentation as part of the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program in October 2013 – right in the middle of football season.

Buckley is also heavily involved in the community. In 2011, he joined a group that travelled to Guatemala to build 500 efficient wood-burning stoves for impoverished families with the Hearts and Hands Foundation. The following year, he led the organization of a Dinos football camp for underprivileged and foster children of Sudanese decent in the Calgary area. He also remains actively involved volunteering for various senior citizens’ organizations, and is a home care volunteer with Alberta Health Services, working with two Alzheimer’s patients for 90 minutes per week.

“Stepping in for Eric Dzwilewski, Andrew has led the Dinos offence without missing a beat,” said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. “He is a tremendous leader and has had an amazing year given the circumstances. Andrew exemplifies the true meaning of the Russ Jackson Award with his football skills, his academic success, and most impressively, his involvement in the community.”

FIRST TEAM

 

Pos.    Name                                     School                                       Yr.   Hometown               GPA    Major

QB      Andrew Buckley                   Calgary                                      Jr.    Calgary, Alberta       3.93    Kinesiology

WR      Jon Hilliger                           Ottawa                                       Sr.   Van Nuys, Calif.       3.63    Accounting

WR      Matt Powers                          Lindsey Wilson                        Sr.   Harrogate, Tenn.     3.75    Psychophysiology

TE       Andrew Friederich (1)         Saint Ambrose                         Sr.   Davenport, Iowa      3.67    Chemistry

RB       Jon Halvorson (2)                Morningside                             Jr.    Sioux Falls, S.D.      3.79    Business Administration

RB      Lamont Wims (1)                Robert Morris (Ill.)                  Jr.   Frederick, Md.         3.79    Accounting

OL       Laurent Duvernay-Tardif   Mcgill                                         Sr.   St. Hilaire, Quebec  3.92    Medicine

OL       Tyler Ford                              Peru State                                 Jr.    Lincoln, Neb.            3.65    Criminal Justice-Administration

OL       Brett Guenther                      St. Francis (Ind.)                       Sr.   Westfield, Ind.          3.82    Elementary Education

OL       Heath Hewitt                         Mcpherson                                Sr.   Sterling, Kan.            3.92    Biology/Education

OL       Joe Vetrovsky                       Doane                                        Sr.   McCook, Neb.          3.74    K-12 Special Education

K         Aaron Lorraine (1)               Nebraska Wesleyan               Sr.   Omaha, Neb.            3.82    Business Administration

DB      Matt Broeckelman (2)         Kansas Wesleyan                   Sr.   Mankato, Kan.          3.90    Pre-Physical Therapy

DB      Sederick Dunbar                 Siena Heights                          Sr.   Ferndale, Mich.        3.76    Criminal Justice

DB      Philip Emminger (2)           Robert Morris (Ill.)                    Jr.    Canton, Mich.           3.91    Accounting

DB      Seth Wardyn (1)                   Nebraska Wesleyan               Jr.    Grand Island, Neb.  3.81    Biology

LB       Brock Bullock                       Apprentice School                   Sr.   Fredericksburg, Va. 3.90    Electrician

LB       Zach Dolph                           Saint Xavier                              Sr.   Crest Hill, Ill.             3.63    Finance/Mathematics

LB       Brady Harwell                      Kansas Wesleyan                   Sr.   Vega, Texas             3.50    Athletic Training/Pre-Physical Therapy

DL       Michele Canali                     Menlo                                         Sr.   Parma, Italy              3.87    Business Management

DL       Matt Carden (2)                    St. Francis (In)                          Sr.   Wakarusa, Ind.         3.89    Secondary Education/Math

DL       Greg Hayward (2)                Saint Xavier                              Jr.    Oak Lawn, Ill.            3.80    Criminal Justice/Sociology

DL       Nicholas Norton                   Webber International              Sr.   Holt, Mich.                 4.00    Finance & Traditional MBA

P         Jordan Sitzmann                 Morningside                             Sr.   Le Mars, Iowa           3.79    Business Administration

 

Academic All-American of the Year:  Lamont Wims, Robert Morris (Ill.)

(1)     Capital One Academic All-America® College Division 1st team in 2012

(2)     Capital One Academic All-America® College Division 2nd team in 2012

 PHOTO CREDIT:  YAN DOUBLET