Indiana University Athletics
Meyers Earns Academic All-American Honors
12/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 1, 2005
WALTHAM, Mass. - Junior safety Will Meyers became the first Indiana football player to be named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team on Thursday, Dec. 1. Meyers is the fifth Hoosier (six times) to earn Academic All-America honors and the first since John Hammerstein was selected as an All-American in 1994-95.
Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner credits Meyers' ability to balance academics and athletics.
"I'm very proud of Will Meyers for being named a first team Academic All-American," Hoeppner said. "Will is the consummate student-athlete. We need more like Will Meyers. Will is a pleasure to coach. Hopefully, we'll have many more candidates for this team in the near future."
The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
Meyers, an accounting major, earned CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors for the second straight year to become eligible for the All-America team. He also is a 2004 Academic All-Big Ten winner and certain to make the league team for a second consecutive year in 2005.
On the field, Meyers was one of the most consistent players on the defensive side of the ball. He started all 11 games and led the team with 64 solo tackles, finished second with 84 total tackles and third with 7.5 tackles for loss. The Chesterfield, Mo., native also added a sack, interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Meyers was one of eight Big Ten members to earn a spot on the team, topping all Division I conferences. The eight honorees is an increase from six last season.
