Dec. 8, 2011
TOWSON, Md. - Baylor junior Robert Griffin III was named second-team quarterback on the Capital One Academic All-America football team, as announced by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday.
Griffin III, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien Award, gives Baylor an Academic All-American for the fourth straight season and sixth time in the last seven years. RG3 is the third quarterback in program history to earn the honor, joining Don Trull (1962-63) and J.J. Joe (1991-93).
RG3 continued the Bears' run of second-team honorees. Joe Pawelek was named second-team in 2008 and 2009, while Derek Epperson was a second-team selection in 2010. Daniel Sepulveda was a first-team honoree in 2005 and 2006, and Ty Atteberry's first-team selection in 1996 brings Baylor's total of Academic All-Americans in the Big 12 era to seven.
RG3 has already been named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year by both the AP and the league's coaches, and he was named National Offensive Player of the Year by FoxSportsNext.com.
A junior from Copperas Cove, Texas, Griffin III was also named Capital One Cup Impact Performer of the Week on Thursday, five days after leading No. 12 Baylor to a 48-24 win over Texas. It marks this fifth time in 14 weeks this season he's earned Capital One's national player of the week honor.
RG3 earned first-team academic all-district honors earlier this season. He joined Derek Epperson (2009-10), Joe Pawelek (2007-09) and Daniel Sepulveda (2004-06) as the only Bears to be honored multiple times since 2004 - all four have gone on to earn Academic All-America honors.
Griffin III is enrolled in graduate school after receiving his degree in political science in December 2010, just three years after enrolling at Baylor. He's on track to receive his master's degree in May.
RG3 will be featured as a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award during Thursday night's ESPN College Football Awards at 8 p.m. CST. He'll find out if he's the first Heisman Trophy winner in program history when the most prestigious award in college football is presented Saturday night in New York.
For more information on RG3, visit www.bu-RG3.com, www.facebook.com/RG3forHeisman and www.baylorbears.com/jointhethird and follow @RG3forHeisman on Twitter.
Baylor CoSIDA Academic All-America Honorees
Ronnie Bull, 1961
Don Trull, 1962
Don Trull, 1963
Tommy Turnipseede, 1974 (2nd)
Chris Quinn, 1976 (1st)
Matt Clark, 1986 (2nd)
Matt Clark, 1987 (2nd)
Mike Welch, 1989 (1st)
Mike Welch, 1990 (1st)
J.J. Joe, 1991 (2nd)
J.J. Joe, 1992 (2nd)
J.J. Joe, 1993 (2nd)
Ty Atteberry, 1996 (1st)
Daniel Sepulveda, 2005 (1st)
Daniel Sepulveda, 2006 (1st)
Joe Pawelek, 2008 (2nd)
Joe Pawelek, 2009 (2nd)
Derek Epperson, 2010 (2nd)
Robert Griffin III, 2011 (2nd)
