Dukes Named CoSIDA Football Academic All-America of the Year; Four Others Earn All-America Team Honors

Football | Thu, Jul. 15, 2021 at 12:35 PM

CoSIDA Release

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. –  Lindsey Wilson’s (Ky.) Cameron Dukes was named the CoSIDA Football Academic All-America of the Year, the national organization announced Thursday.

Lindsey Wilson’s Eli Cross, Joe Gressette and Cameron Thurman and Southeastern’s (Fla.) Cory Rahman all join Dukes on the Academic All-America Team.

Dukes is a graduate student with a 3.74 grade-point average pursuing a master’s of business administration and a 3.87 cumulative GPA while earning a physical education and health degree. He led the Blue Raiders to their first national championship while going 11-0 on the season. Dukes ranked fourth among the NAIA in passing yardage, total offense (2,946) and passing efficiency (177.8) in 2020-21.

Cross is a senior business administration major with a 3.93 GPA. Gressette is a senior majoring in counseling and human development with a 3.92 GPA. Cross and Gressette anchored an offensive attack that recorded the second-highest scoring average in the NAIA this season at 46.3 points per game.

Thurman is a senior counseling and human development major with a 3.85 GPA. He recorded 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season. Thurman was a part of a Lindsey Wilson defense that gave up 14.4 points per game which ranked sixth in the NAIA.

Rahman is a senior with a 3.72 GPA majoring in sport management. He led the Fire in tackles with 34 and in interceptions with three. Rahman led a Southeastern defense that ranked first in the NAIA in passing yards allowed per game (112.5) and third in total yards allowed per game (242.2).