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Princeton University Athletics
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Andrew Griffin Named First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America
December 09, 2019 | Football
Andrew Griffin has caught another huge honor to top of his Princeton football career.
Griffin, the senior wide receiver from Avon, Ind., has been named a CoSIDA first-team Academic All-America. Griffin, who earlier had been named to the District II first-team, is Princeton's fifth national first-team Academic All-America and first since placekicker Alex Sierk in 1998.
"He's an extraordinary young man," said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. "He's excelled as a student from his first day here, and I'm so happy that he was able to experience so much on-field success this season after having to wait behind two NFL receivers his first three years. He's the kind of athlete you get into coaching to be around."
Griffin is a computer science major with certificates in technology and society and in political theory. After being mostly a special teams player his first three years as current NFL players Jesper Horsted and Stephen Carlson started at wide receiver, he went from three career receptions prior to this season to starting all 10 games and making 34 receptions for 490 yards.
He was fifth in the Ivy League in TD receptions with six, including four against Bucknell to tie the Ivy League single-game record. Griffin won Princeton football's Richard Colman Award for outstanding scholarship.
"I don't think there exists a better student-athlete experience in the country than what we have here and I am honored to represent Princeton University in a small way with this award," Griffin said. "I already thanked Mollie [Marcoux Samaan] for all the work she and her department do for the athletes and the 'team around the team.' I also want to thank Coach Surace and the staff for taking seriously the demands on players as students. Coach Surace obviously went to school here and it helps tremendously to have an alumnus as coach who really understands what our four years look like here at Princeton."
After graduation this spring, Griffin will be working as a software engineer in the healthcare field.
Princeton's All-Time First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-Americas
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2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America Football Team
FIRST TEAM
Pos.     Name                                    School                                                         Yr.        GPA             Major
QB    Justin Herbert (1) ($)      University of Oregon                    Sr.     4.00        General Science
RB     Travis Brannan             U.S. Naval Academy                     Sr.     4.00        Ocean Engineering
RB     Ezra Gray                  Alabama State                           Sr.     4.00        Computer Information Systems
WR   Brandon Arconado        Washington State University            Gr.    3.65        MIS (UG) / MBA (G)
WR   Andrew Griffin             Princeton University                      Sr.     3.82        Computer Science
TE     Charlie Kolar               Iowa State University                    Jr.     3.98        Mechanical Engineering
OL     Jacob Bacon (1)           Drake University                          Sr.     4.00        MBA
OL     Eric Cal                      U.S. Naval Academy                     Sr.     3.93        Chemistry
OL     Adam Holtorf (1)          Kansas State University                  Gr.    3.92/3.80 Business & Agribusiness (G)
OL     Jacob Marnin (1)          Southern Illinois University               Gr.    4.00/4.00 Criminology & Criminal Justice
OL     Justin Szuba                Monmouth University                     So.    4.00        History Education
K      Rodrigo Blankenship      University of Georgia                   Gr.    3.71/3.65 Digital/Broadcast Journalism (UG) / Journalism (G)
ST     Blake Best (2)              University of Kentucky                   Sr.     4.00        Economics & Finance
DL     Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund   Southeastern Louisiana University      Sr.     3.81        Exercise Science
DL     Kyle Finch                   Montana State University               Jr.     4.00        Mechanical Engineering
DL     Victor Jergens              Drake University                          Sr.     3.98        Finance
DL     Jack Raines                 Mercer University                         Gr.    3.99        Finance / Spanish
LB     Jack Gibbens              Abilene Christian University             Sr.     4.00        Accounting
LB     Rick Mottram               Bucknell University                        Jr.     4.00        Mechanical Engineering
LB     Lucas Weber               University of Nevada                    Gr.    4.00        Public Health (UG) / Secondary Education (G)
DB     Spencer DeMedal         Duquesne University                      Jr.     3.98        Biology
DB     Kyle Hegedus              Youngstown State University            Gr.    3.89/4.00 Exercise Science (UG) / Physical Therapy (G)
DB     K.J. Smith                   University of North Alabama           Sr.     4.00        Interdisciplinary Studies
DB     Jelani Taylor               Cornell University                         Sr.     3.95        Hotel Administration
P      Blake Gillikin (1)           Pennsylvania State University           Sr.     4.00        Kinesiology
SECOND TEAM
Pos.     Name                                    School                                                         Yr.        GPA             Major
QB    Tom Flacco                  Towson University                        Gr.    4.00/3.80 Applied Information Technology (G)
RB     Jake Chisholm              University of Dayton                     So.    3.97        Pre-Med
RB     Brad Sznajder (2)         Butler University                          Sr.     3.88        Finance
WR   Josh Fink (1)                Abilene Christian University             Sr.     3.81        Finance
WR   Bryce Nunnelly             Chattanooga                              Jr.     3.81        Mechanical Engineering
TE     Ean Pfeifer                 University of Louisville                   Gr.    4.00/4.00 MBA (G)
OL     Blaise Andries              University of Minnesota                  Sr.     3.86        Mathematics
OL     Graham Ashkettle         Eastern Kentucky University             Jr.     4.00        Chemistry
OL     Isaiah Kent-Schneider     Drake University                          Gr.    3.98/4.00 Sec. Edu./Env. Science (UG) / STEM Education (G)
OL     Calvin Throckmorton       University of Oregon                    Sr.     3.82        Human Physiology
OL     Dakota Wilson (2)         Idaho State University                   Sr.     3.97        Health Science
K      Samuel Hayworth          Eastern Kentucky University             Gr.    3.96        Biomedical Science (UG) / Public Health (G)
ST     Connor McGinnis           University of Oklahoma                 Gr.    4.00        Finance (UG) / Finance (G)
DL     Jonathan Clayton          Coastal Carolina University             Sr.     3.95        Business Management & Marketing
DL     Brogan McPartland       Harvard University                       Sr.     3.65        Applied Mathematics
DL     Sam Renner                 University of Minnesota                  Gr.    3.54/3.60 Accountancy (G)
DL     Andre Walker             Houston Baptist University               Sr.     3.69        Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
LB     Jackson Hankey            North Dakota State University          Jr.     4.00        Agricultural Economics
LB     Luke Nelson                 University of Northern Colorado       Sr.     3.97        Criminology & Criminal Justice
LB     Dante Olson                University of Montana                   Sr.     3.91        Business Administration / Management
DB     Jordan Fuller (1) (#)       Ohio State University                    Sr.     3.60        Business Marketing
DB     Tiger Garcia (2)           UC Davis                                   Sr.     3.92        Managerial Economics
DB     Kekaula Kaniho            Boise State University                    Jr.     3.93        Health Sciences
DB     Tim Simon                   University of Dayton                     Sr.     3.83        Mechanical Engineering
P      Trent Schneider            University of South Florida              Jr.     4.00        Communication
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CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Justin Herbert, University of Oregon
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Griffin, the senior wide receiver from Avon, Ind., has been named a CoSIDA first-team Academic All-America. Griffin, who earlier had been named to the District II first-team, is Princeton's fifth national first-team Academic All-America and first since placekicker Alex Sierk in 1998.
"He's an extraordinary young man," said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. "He's excelled as a student from his first day here, and I'm so happy that he was able to experience so much on-field success this season after having to wait behind two NFL receivers his first three years. He's the kind of athlete you get into coaching to be around."
Griffin is a computer science major with certificates in technology and society and in political theory. After being mostly a special teams player his first three years as current NFL players Jesper Horsted and Stephen Carlson started at wide receiver, he went from three career receptions prior to this season to starting all 10 games and making 34 receptions for 490 yards.
He was fifth in the Ivy League in TD receptions with six, including four against Bucknell to tie the Ivy League single-game record. Griffin won Princeton football's Richard Colman Award for outstanding scholarship.
"I don't think there exists a better student-athlete experience in the country than what we have here and I am honored to represent Princeton University in a small way with this award," Griffin said. "I already thanked Mollie [Marcoux Samaan] for all the work she and her department do for the athletes and the 'team around the team.' I also want to thank Coach Surace and the staff for taking seriously the demands on players as students. Coach Surace obviously went to school here and it helps tremendously to have an alumnus as coach who really understands what our four years look like here at Princeton."
After graduation this spring, Griffin will be working as a software engineer in the healthcare field.
Princeton's All-Time First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-Americas
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| Kevin Fox | OL | 1976 |
| Kevin Guthrie | WR | 1982 |
| Kevin Guthrie | WR | 1983 |
| Richard Sandler | DT | 1968 |
| Alex Sierk | PK | 1998 |
| Andrew Griffin | WR | 2019 |
2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America Football Team
FIRST TEAM
Pos.     Name                                    School                                                         Yr.        GPA             Major
QB    Justin Herbert (1) ($)      University of Oregon                    Sr.     4.00        General Science
RB     Travis Brannan             U.S. Naval Academy                     Sr.     4.00        Ocean Engineering
RB     Ezra Gray                  Alabama State                           Sr.     4.00        Computer Information Systems
WR   Brandon Arconado        Washington State University            Gr.    3.65        MIS (UG) / MBA (G)
WR   Andrew Griffin             Princeton University                      Sr.     3.82        Computer Science
TE     Charlie Kolar               Iowa State University                    Jr.     3.98        Mechanical Engineering
OL     Jacob Bacon (1)           Drake University                          Sr.     4.00        MBA
OL     Eric Cal                      U.S. Naval Academy                     Sr.     3.93        Chemistry
OL     Adam Holtorf (1)          Kansas State University                  Gr.    3.92/3.80 Business & Agribusiness (G)
OL     Jacob Marnin (1)          Southern Illinois University               Gr.    4.00/4.00 Criminology & Criminal Justice
OL     Justin Szuba                Monmouth University                     So.    4.00        History Education
K      Rodrigo Blankenship      University of Georgia                   Gr.    3.71/3.65 Digital/Broadcast Journalism (UG) / Journalism (G)
ST     Blake Best (2)              University of Kentucky                   Sr.     4.00        Economics & Finance
DL     Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund   Southeastern Louisiana University      Sr.     3.81        Exercise Science
DL     Kyle Finch                   Montana State University               Jr.     4.00        Mechanical Engineering
DL     Victor Jergens              Drake University                          Sr.     3.98        Finance
DL     Jack Raines                 Mercer University                         Gr.    3.99        Finance / Spanish
LB     Jack Gibbens              Abilene Christian University             Sr.     4.00        Accounting
LB     Rick Mottram               Bucknell University                        Jr.     4.00        Mechanical Engineering
LB     Lucas Weber               University of Nevada                    Gr.    4.00        Public Health (UG) / Secondary Education (G)
DB     Spencer DeMedal         Duquesne University                      Jr.     3.98        Biology
DB     Kyle Hegedus              Youngstown State University            Gr.    3.89/4.00 Exercise Science (UG) / Physical Therapy (G)
DB     K.J. Smith                   University of North Alabama           Sr.     4.00        Interdisciplinary Studies
DB     Jelani Taylor               Cornell University                         Sr.     3.95        Hotel Administration
P      Blake Gillikin (1)           Pennsylvania State University           Sr.     4.00        Kinesiology
SECOND TEAM
Pos.     Name                                    School                                                         Yr.        GPA             Major
QB    Tom Flacco                  Towson University                        Gr.    4.00/3.80 Applied Information Technology (G)
RB     Jake Chisholm              University of Dayton                     So.    3.97        Pre-Med
RB     Brad Sznajder (2)         Butler University                          Sr.     3.88        Finance
WR   Josh Fink (1)                Abilene Christian University             Sr.     3.81        Finance
WR   Bryce Nunnelly             Chattanooga                              Jr.     3.81        Mechanical Engineering
TE     Ean Pfeifer                 University of Louisville                   Gr.    4.00/4.00 MBA (G)
OL     Blaise Andries              University of Minnesota                  Sr.     3.86        Mathematics
OL     Graham Ashkettle         Eastern Kentucky University             Jr.     4.00        Chemistry
OL     Isaiah Kent-Schneider     Drake University                          Gr.    3.98/4.00 Sec. Edu./Env. Science (UG) / STEM Education (G)
OL     Calvin Throckmorton       University of Oregon                    Sr.     3.82        Human Physiology
OL     Dakota Wilson (2)         Idaho State University                   Sr.     3.97        Health Science
K      Samuel Hayworth          Eastern Kentucky University             Gr.    3.96        Biomedical Science (UG) / Public Health (G)
ST     Connor McGinnis           University of Oklahoma                 Gr.    4.00        Finance (UG) / Finance (G)
DL     Jonathan Clayton          Coastal Carolina University             Sr.     3.95        Business Management & Marketing
DL     Brogan McPartland       Harvard University                       Sr.     3.65        Applied Mathematics
DL     Sam Renner                 University of Minnesota                  Gr.    3.54/3.60 Accountancy (G)
DL     Andre Walker             Houston Baptist University               Sr.     3.69        Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
LB     Jackson Hankey            North Dakota State University          Jr.     4.00        Agricultural Economics
LB     Luke Nelson                 University of Northern Colorado       Sr.     3.97        Criminology & Criminal Justice
LB     Dante Olson                University of Montana                   Sr.     3.91        Business Administration / Management
DB     Jordan Fuller (1) (#)       Ohio State University                    Sr.     3.60        Business Marketing
DB     Tiger Garcia (2)           UC Davis                                   Sr.     3.92        Managerial Economics
DB     Kekaula Kaniho            Boise State University                    Jr.     3.93        Health Sciences
DB     Tim Simon                   University of Dayton                     Sr.     3.83        Mechanical Engineering
P      Trent Schneider            University of South Florida              Jr.     4.00        Communication
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CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Justin Herbert, University of Oregon
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