ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Drake University football team had six student-athletes selected to the 2015 Academic All-PFL teams, the league office announced Wednesday.
 
Highlighting the Academic All-PFL squads was senior linebacker Taylor Coleman (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) and fifth-year senior quarterback Andy Rice (Stevens Point, Wis.). Coleman and Rice each joined an exclusive group of three-time first team Academic All-PFL honorees – a list that now counts just 36 members in 23 seasons.
 
Coleman is a finance major with a 3.77 grade-point average at Drake. He was also named to the CoSIDA All-District Team for the second-time last month. He tallied 38 tackles and also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks after missing five games due to injury.
 
Rice holds a 3.76 GPA as a marking and management major. He threw for 1,664 yards with 15 touchdowns and completed 161-of-279 passes in eight games.
 
Junior wide receiver Keegan Gallery (Stillwell, Kan.) earned first team honors for the first time in his career. He is an international business major with a 3.67 GPA and registered 44 catches for 536 yards and a touchdown.
 
Three Bulldogs dotted the Academic All-PFL second team with offensive linemen Jack Beck (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) and Aaron Johnson (Iowa City, Iowa) each being named to the team. Beck owns a 3.57 GPA as a marketing major while Johnson is a law, politics and society major with a 3.66 GPA.
 
Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Michael Vankat (Omaha, Neb.) rounded out Drake's honorees on the defensive second team. Vankat recorded 21 tackles with four being for a loss and also tallied a forced fumble and a recovered fumble, while earning a 3.61 in accounting and finance.
 
The Academic All-PFL teams are a complement to the Capital One Academic All-America® program presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Eleven PFL student-athletes were named to their respective Capital One Academic All-District Teams® this fall. The 2015 Capital One Academic All-America Teams® will be announced Thursday.
 
Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 as a way to recognize the league's outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00 and reached their second season both athletically and academically at his current institution.

The Academic All-PFL announcement concludes a bountiful week of PFL honors for the Bulldogs. On Tuesday, 11 Bulldogs were named to the All-PFL teams for their accomplishments on the field.

 

2015 Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team
(as selected by PFL sports information directors)
Student-Athlete	School	Pos.	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major (Minor)
OFFENSE
Brandon Collins	Butler	WR	Jr.	New Palestine, Ind.	3.82	Finance
Josh Daryoush (1)	Davidson	OL	Sr.	Bethesda, Md.	3.83	Biology
Keegan Gallery	Drake	WR	Jr.	Stillwell, Kan.	3.67	International Business
Alex Jeske	Dayton	QB	So.	Glen Ellyn, Ill.	3.91	Finance
Brian Lang (2)	Valparaiso	OL	Jr.	Chicago, Ill.	3.94	Accounting
Andy Rice (3x, 1)	Drake	QB	Sr.	Stevens Point, Wis.	3.76	Marketing and Management
Matt Shiltz (1)	Butler	QB	Sr.	St. Charles, Ill.	3.93	Accounting
Cory Stuart (1)	Dayton	WR	Sr.	Solon, Ohio	3.83	Pre-Physical Therapy
Zack Wolfe (1)	Butler	TE	Sr.	Crest Hill, Ill.	3.96	Actuarial Science
Tucker Yinger	Dayton	RB	So.	Columbus, Ohio	3.77	Mechanical Engineering
Jimmy Vogel	Dayton	OL	Sr.	Cincinnati, Ohio	3.61	Mechanical Engineering
DEFENSE
Christopher Beaschler (1)	Dayton	LB	Sr.	Ada, Ohio	3.68	Mechanical Engineering
Davion Belk (2)	Stetson	DL	Jr.	Chicago, Ill.	3.39	Marketing
Devyn Bryant (2)	San Diego	CB	Jr.	San Diego, Calif.	3.47	Mechanical Engineering
Taylor Coleman (3x, 1)	Drake	LB	Sr.	Hawthorn Woods, Ill.	3.77	Finance
Jack Crain	Dayton	LB	So.	Lisle, Ill.	3.91	Accounting
Sean Horan (2)	Butler	LB	Sr.	Kings Mill, Ohio	3.96	Economics
Luke Keller (2)	Morehead State	LB	Sr.	Lucasville, Ohio	3.88	University Studies
David Lazear (2)	Stetson	LB	Jr.	Newark, Del.	3.39	Marketing
Danny Leach (3x, 1)	Dayton	S	Sr.	Downers Grove, Ill.	3.74	Leadership
Max Michaels	San Diego	LB	So.	Poway, Calif.	3.89	Accountancy
Donald Payne (1)	Stetson	S	Jr.	Fayetteville, Ga.	3.38	Finance (Management)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Brian Akialis (2)	Butler	P	5th-Yr.	Buffalo Grove, Ill.	3.56	Middle/Secondary Education
Mitchell Brown	Campbell	K	So.	Mount Airy, N.C.	3.90	Biology/Pre-Physician Assistant
Pat DiSalvio (1)	Morehead State	P	Jr.	Cincinnati, Ohio	3.83	Biomedical Sciences
Notes in parentheses: 3x – player is a three-time first-team Academic All-PFL selection; 1-was a first-team selection in 2014; 2-was a second-team selection in 2014.

 

 

2015 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Second Team
Student-Athlete	School	Class	Pos.	Hometown	GPA	Major (Minor)
OFFENSE (13 due to a tie in voting)
Ed Achziger	Marist	Sr.	QB	Dublin, Calif.	3.52	Business Administration
Jack Beck	Drake	Sr.	OL	Whitefish Bay, Wis.	3.57	Marketing
Ben Bolling	Campbell	R-Sr.	WR	Knightdale, N.C.	3.47	Exercise Science
Max Brodbeck	Butler	Sr.	OL	Lima, Ohio	3.45	Computer Science
Danny Cotter	Butler	R-Jr.	WR	Grand Haven, Mich.	3.61	Chemistry
Dalton Dillon	Campbell	Sr.	FB	Colfax, N.C.	3.41	Business Administration
Aaron Johnson	Drake	Sr.	OL	Iowa City, Iowa	3.66	Law, Politics and Society
Jeffrey Keil	Davidson	So.	RB	Tampa, Fla.	3.76	Undeclared
Alex Kenner	Dayton	So.	RB	Cincinnati, Ohio	3.91	Marketing
Zac Morgan	Dayton	Sr.	OT	Mokena, Ill.	3.52	Finance
Tanner Napier	Morehead State	Sr.	WR	Lexington, Ky.	3.30	Sport Management
Ian Palin	Dayton	Sr.	TE	Milwaukee, Wis.	3.53	Entrepreneurship
Seamus Ryan	Marist	Jr.	OL	Sparta, N.J.	3.35	Business Administration
DEFENSE
Brett Bass	Dayton	Sr.	DB	Avon Lake, Ohio	3.79	Mechanical Engineering
Colt Briggs	Morehead State	So.	DL	Wilmington, Ohio	3.70	Biomedical Sciences
Chad Burdo	Butler	R-So.	DL	Oswego, Ill.	3.87	Finance
Ronald Cooper	Morehead State	Sr.	DL	Atlanta, Ga.	3.35	Engineering Technology
Michael Gray	Dayton	Sr.	DE	Cincinnati, Ohio	3.37	Chemical Engineering
Alex Green	Valparaiso	Sr.	LB	Zionsville, Ind.	3.43	Mechanical Engineering
John Guilford	Valparaiso	Sr.	DE	Spencer, Ohio	3.36	Mechanical Engineering
Alec Moreno	San Diego	R-So.	LB	Poway, Calif.	3.54	Accountancy
Isaak Newhouse	Butler	So.	DB	Grand Haven, Mich.	3.37	Business
Michael Vankat	Drake	Sr.	DL	Omaha, Neb.	3.61	Accounting and Finance
Andrew Yost	Campbell	R-Sr.	LB	Huntersville, N.C.	3.48	Exercise & Sports Science
SPECIAL TEAMS
Griffin Garland	Jacksonville	So.	LS	Jupiter, Fla.	3.47	Business Aviation
Mike Maccarone	Marist	Jr.	K/P	Gibbstown, N.J.	3.47	Business Administration
Jarrett Morgan	Valparaiso	So.	KR	Cooper City, Fla.	3.33	Sports Management