Dec. 4, 2014
Capital One Academic All-America Release
AUSTIN, Texas - Missouri State University senior safety Caleb Schaffitzel has been named a 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Division I First-Team selection, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced Thursday (Dec. 4).
It marks the second time in as many years Schaffitzel has been named to the first-team and third year in a row he has been selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-America pick, adding a second-team honor in 2012 to his resume.
A 2014 Buck Buchanan Award finalist and National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award-winner, Schaffitzel is also a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. The Fair Grove, Mo., native has maintained a 3.93 grade-point average as a wildlife and conservation management major, earning the MVFC President's Council Award in 2013 and the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award three times during his MSU career.
Schaffitzel logged a team-high 96 tackles this season to rank sixth in the Valley during the regular season, including 42 solo stops. He also ranked sixth in the MVFC in passes defended (12), starting all 12 games this fall and 41 in a row to end his MSU career. A team co-captain and 2013 consensus All-America choice, Schaffitzel finished his career with 385 stops and 10 interceptions, both of which rank among MSU's all-time leaders. Schaffitzel, a first-team All-MVFC pick in each of the previous two seasons as well, finished his senior campaign with four double-digit tackle totals this season, including three in Valley play.
He is just the fourth Missouri State student-athlete to claim Academic All-America honors three years in a row, joining former gridder Kent Stringer (1973-75), baseball standout Brian Mahaffey (1986-88) and track performer Cheryl Haslag (1997-99). Senior running back Zach Zenner of South Dakota State University headlines the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I football team. Zenner was selected as Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I football. A biology and pre-med major with a 3.86 G.P.A., Zenner was a first-team Capital One Academic All-America® choice last year and a second-team selection in 2012.
Nineteen of the 50 members of the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® NCAA Division I football teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with four student-athletes sporting a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. The 24 members of the first-team have an average G.P.A. of 3.85.
