PERU, NE - Senior defensive back Logan Paben from Peru State College highlights the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A middle grades education major carrying a 4.00 cumulative G.P.A., Paben has been voted as the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-America® of the Year among the team.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division football team honors student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.
Paben snared his second CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division nod in a row. The Columbus, Nebraska native had been selected as the NAIA's 2014 A.O. Duer Scholarship Award winner recognizing academics, character and citizenship by junior student-athletes in any sport. Paben participated in the TeamMates Mentor program for two years where he served as a role model and made a positive difference in the lives of children.
In addition, Paben was one of 135 semifinalists for the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Paben was also nominated for the 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which recognizes college football players from across the country who exemplifies a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism.
Paben has been a second team All-Heart of America Athletic Conference selection and twice earned honorable mention recognition. As a senior, Paben has posted 59 tackles, 35 solo tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes broken up, and eight punt returns for a 13.6-yard average. In his Peru State career, Paben has amassed 186 tackles, 112 solo tackles and 12 interceptions. As a junior, Paben was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete and will be honored a second time later in December.
Peru State athletic director and head football coach Steve Schneider noted, “Logan is the epitome of a true student-athlete. He takes his work, whether on the football field or in the classroom or as a servant leader, very seriously.”
Taylor University paced the squad with four recipients as three institutions placed multiple selections on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division team. St. Ambrose University boasted of three, while Dakota State University, Olivet Nazarene University and Morningside College each had two. Four team members spearheaded their teams into the 2015 NAIA Football Championship Series.
Paben is the lone representative for the Heart of America Athletic Conference. In addition, Paben becomes the first Peru State student-athlete to win the top honor. Twenty previous Bobcat student-athletes have been recognized over the years with Paben being the first to gain top honors in consecutive years.
When told of his honor, Paben stated, “I am surprised, but very honored to have been recognized by CoSIDA as the Academic All-America® of the Year. My parents, family, friends, all of my coaches and faculty from Peru State all have helped me to become the person I am today. This is a great way to cap off my football playing career.”
The 24-member CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division team combined for an average G.P.A. of 3.78. Three Academic All-Americans sport a 4.0 G.P.A.
Three members of the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-America® team became two-time honorees - Paben, Garrett Borcher from Doane College and Hans Lundberg of Taylor.
Borcher, a senior linebacker from Pawnee City, Nebraska, has a 3.83 G.P.A. studying elementary education. Borcher topped Doane with 73 tackles while making 37 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2½ sacks and an interception. Borcher has been a three-time All-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection, two-time first-team all-conference honoree, three-time GPAC Scholar-Athlete, two-time Academic All-District and an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Borcher became the GPAC's nominee for the A.O. Duer Award for 2015-16.
Lundberg, a senior tight end from Houston, Minnesota, has produced a 3.90 G.P.A. majoring in exercise science. Lundberg has supplied Taylor with 27 receptions, 301 yards and seven touchdown catches this year. Lundberg snagged his second All-Mid-States Football Association Mideast League honor, making the first team in 2015 after taking second-team acclaim last year. In his Taylor career, Lundberg has 53 catches for 574 yards and 11 scores. He was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in addition to making the CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division.
Other members of the offense are quarterback Patrick Smith of St. Ambrose; running backs Brandon Deschamps from University of British Columbia and Tanner Staats of Ottawa University; wide receivers Ryan Larsen of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Shawn Lashbrook of Taylor; offensive linemen Austin Anfinson and Chad Bertagni from Morningside, Jason Grady of Dakota State, Hallick Lehmann of Concordia (Neb.) University and the University of St. Francis' (Ind.) Zachary Minardo.
Comprising the defense are defensive linemen Ben Black of Robert Morris (Ill.) University, Thomas Dexter of Olivet Nazarene, Mason Pauly from Friends University and Jake Venable of Taylor; linebackers Nathan Jernigan of Cumberland University and Ben Kullos of Dakota State; defensive backs Tyler Mills of Taylor, Ryan Moredock of St. Ambrose and Drew Philson from Olivet Nazarene. Specialists were kicker Greg Nickles from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and punter Matt Cotiguala from St. Ambrose.
2015 CoSIDA College Division Academic All-America®
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major
QB Patrick Smith Saint Ambrose Sr. Springfield, Ill. 3.94 Accounting
RB Brandon Deschamps British Columbia Sr. Prince George, B.C. 3.37 Philosophy
RB Tanner Staats Ottawa Sr. Paola, Kan. 3.41 Exercise Science
WR Ryan Larsen Nebraska Wesleyan Sr. Elkhorn, Neb. 4.00 Biology
WR Shawn Lashbrook Taylor Sr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 3.40 Exercise Science
TE Hans Lundberg (1) Taylor Jr. Houston, Minn. 3.90 Exercise Science
OL Austin Anfinson Morningside Jr. Hinton, Iowa 3.83 Biology / Chemistry
OL Chad Bertagni Morningside Jr. Omaha, Neb. 3.98 Biology / Chemistry
OL Jason Grady Dakota State Sr. Butte, Calif. 3.78 Exercise Science
OL Hallick Lehmann Concordia (Neb.) Jr. Albion, Neb. 3.89 Psychology
OL Zachary Minardo St. Francis (Ind.) Jr. Camby, Ind. 3.70 Secondary Education
K Greg Nickles Copiah-Lincoln C.C. So. Pelahatchie, Miss. 4.00 Biomedical Engineering
DL Ben Black Robert Morris (Ill.) Sr. Loves Park, Ill. 3.77 Computer Networking
DL Thomas Dexter Olivet Nazarene Sr. Canal Westchester, Ohio 3.72 Zoology
DL Mason Pauly Friends Sr. Conway Springs, Kan. 3.69 Physical Education
DL Jake Venable Taylor Sr. Hamilton, Ohio 3.72 Management
LB Garrett Borcher (1) Doane Sr. Pawnee City, Neb. 3.93 Elementary Education
LB Nathan Jernigan Cumberland Sr. Eagleville, Tenn. 3.73 Accounting
LB Ben Kullos Dakota State Sr. Peoria, Ariz. 3.52 Math Education
DB Tyler Mills Taylor Sr. Greenwood, Ind. 3.96 Biology/Science Education
DB Ryan Moredock Saint Ambrose Sr. Peoria, Ill. 3.79 Management & Marketing
DB Logan Paben (1) Peru State Sr. Columbus, Neb. 4.00 Middle Grades Education
DB Drew Philson Olivet Nazarene Jr. Horton, Mich. 3.97 Actuarial Science
P Matt Cotiguala Saint Ambrose Sr. Orland Park, Ill. 3.77 Accounting
Academic All-America® of the Year: Logan Paben, Peru State