Dec. 1, 2006
Notre Dame senior tight end John Carlson has been named an ESPN The Magazine
First-Team Academic All-American. Carlson becomes the 179th Academic
All-American in Notre Dame¹s history and 30th member of the Fighting Irish
football team to receive the honor and the first since Tim Ruddy in 1993.
A history major in the College of Arts and Letters, Carlson boasts a
cumulative grade point average of 3.59 and earned a 3.8 GPA during the 2006
spring semester. The native of Litchfield, Minn. is a member of the
Academic Honors program at Notre Dame and is also one of the football team¹s
representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Carlson has also excelled on the playing field this year as he has recorded
46 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of three
finalists for the John Mackey Award, presented each year to the nation¹s top
tight end, and is one of the top receiving tight end threats in the country.
Carlson ranks second among tight ends in receptions per game and is third in
NCAA Division I-A in receiving yards per game by a tight end. He has
totaled the second-most receiving yards in a single season by a Notre Dame
tight end and ranks third all-time in school history in receptions by a
tight end in one season. Carlson has missed the last two games because of
an injury but is scheduled to return for Notre Dame¹s bowl game.
The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams are selected by the College
Sports Information Directors of America. To be eligible, a student-athlete
must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point
average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and
academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by
his/her sports information director. Since the programs inception in 1952,
CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000
student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA
championship sports.
