Johnson Earns Nation's Top Academic Honor
12/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
back, has been named the Verizon Academic All-America ofthe Year for football in Division I, the College SportsInformation Directors of America announced Monday.
A finalist for the Payton Trophy, given to Division I-AA’s topplayer, Johnson was also named First Team AcademicAll-America for the second consecutive year. He is the firstBobcat player to earn First Team honors twice, and the firstnamed as Academic All-America of the Year in any sport. The
award helps cap a season in which Johnson rushed for a
school-record 1,537 yards. A native of Fort Collins, Colo.,
Johnson is a pre-physical therapy major with a 4.0 grade point
average (out of 4.0).
"It’s a tremendous honor just to be mentioned with guys of that caliber," Johnson said, "the
elite players in the nation. It’s a tribute to this football program, the University, and the faculty
here. This is a great University."
Johnson’s achievements come as no surprise to Bobcat coach Mike Kramer. "This is an
astounding honor for Ryan. He is an exceptional individual who has committed himself to
excelling in the classroom and on the field. Of all the individual awards a player can earn, I
don’t think any is as special as this one. To be recognized as the top student-athlete in all of
Division I college football, and to earn this award over a Heisman Trophy finalist and numerous
All-Americas from BCS programs, is a tremendous tribute to Ryan, to his parents, and to his
professors. This is a great University, a very difficult and challenging one, and Ryan has not
only met the challenge as a student but he’s done so while performing on the football field at an
incredibly high level. Ryan Johnson is what college athletics is all about."
The College Sports Information Directors have selected Academic All-Americas since 1952,
and have been honoring the top team member as Academic All-America of the Year since
1987. In addition to being the first Bobcat player named Academic All-America of the Year,
Johnson is the first Big Sky Conference player so honored, and the first player from a Division
I-AA school selected since 1987. He is the first non-quarteraback in the last three years, and
is the first running back to earn the award since Tommy Vardell of Stanford in 1991. The list of
past winners includes Drew Brees of Purdue, Peyton Manning of Tennessee, and Oregon’s
Bill Musgrave.
Johnson takes his dual accomplishments in the academic and athletic arenas in stride. "I try not
to get overwhelmed by things," he says, "I try to balance the effort I put into football and my
academic work. I know the academic part of my life is important, because that’s where my
future lies."
Johnson is the seventh Montana State football player to earn first or second team Academic
All-America honors. He joins noteables such as Oregon’s Heisman Trophy finalist Joey
Harrington and Nebraska tight end Tracey Wistrom as first team choices. Johnson is now a
finalist for the Academic All-America of the Year award, which is chosen from the Team
Members of the Year honorees from each collegiate sport.
Ryan Johnson Career Statistics
Games Rushes Yards Avg/Att Avg/Game TD Long Rec Yds TD
2001 11 303 1,537 5.1 139.7 14 72 18 201 1
2000 8 146 665 4.6 83.1 2 60 14 56 0
1999 10 41 352 5.0 32.0 4 24 4 51 0
Total 29 490 2,554 5.1 88.1 20 72 36 328 1
Ryan Johnson in the MSU Record Books
Career Rushing Yards 4. 2,554, 443 yards from 1st
Career Rushes 8. 488, 86 rushes from 1st
Career Rushing Touchdowns 5. 20, 9 TDs from 1st
Career 100-Yard Games T4. 11, 4 100-yard games from 1st
Season Rushing Yards 1. 1,537 in 2001
Season Rushes 1. 303 carries in 2001
Season Rushing Touchdowns 2. 14 in 2001, 6 from 1st
Season 100-Yard Games 3. 7 in 2001, 1 100-yard game from 1st
Single-Game Rushing Yards 2. 271 yards vs. Idaho State, 2001
3. 243 yards vs. Weber State, 2001
4. 237 yards vs. Northridge, 2001
Single-Game Rushes 4. 41 vs. Weber State, 2001
4. 41 vs. Sac State, 2001
6. 36 vs. Idaho State, 2001
9. 33 vs. Cal State Northridge, 2001
Single-Game Rushing TDs T3. 3 vs. Idaho State, 2001
Past Academic All-America of the Year Recipients
2001--Ryan Johnson, Montana State; 2000--Drew Brees, Purdue (QB); 1999--Chad
Pennington, Marshall (QB); 1998--Matt Stinchcomb, Georgia (OT); 1997--Peyton Manning,
Tennessee (QB); 1996--Danny Wuerffel, Florida (QB); 1995--Wuerffel (QB); 1994--Rob
Zatechka, Nebraska (OG); 1993--Tim Ruddy, Notre Dame (C); 1992--Jim Hansen,
Colorado (OT); 1991--Tom Vardell, Stanford (RB); 1990--Bill Musgrave, Oregon (QB);
1989--Michael Thorson, Army; 1988--Paul Sorenson, Dartmouth (LB); 1987--KipCorrington, Texas A&M (FS)(the award began in 1987)
A finalist for the Payton Trophy, given to Division I-AA’s topplayer, Johnson was also named First Team AcademicAll-America for the second consecutive year. He is the firstBobcat player to earn First Team honors twice, and the firstnamed as Academic All-America of the Year in any sport. The
award helps cap a season in which Johnson rushed for a
school-record 1,537 yards. A native of Fort Collins, Colo.,
Johnson is a pre-physical therapy major with a 4.0 grade point
average (out of 4.0).
"It’s a tremendous honor just to be mentioned with guys of that caliber," Johnson said, "the
elite players in the nation. It’s a tribute to this football program, the University, and the faculty
here. This is a great University."
Johnson’s achievements come as no surprise to Bobcat coach Mike Kramer. "This is an
astounding honor for Ryan. He is an exceptional individual who has committed himself to
excelling in the classroom and on the field. Of all the individual awards a player can earn, I
don’t think any is as special as this one. To be recognized as the top student-athlete in all of
Division I college football, and to earn this award over a Heisman Trophy finalist and numerous
All-Americas from BCS programs, is a tremendous tribute to Ryan, to his parents, and to his
professors. This is a great University, a very difficult and challenging one, and Ryan has not
only met the challenge as a student but he’s done so while performing on the football field at an
incredibly high level. Ryan Johnson is what college athletics is all about."
The College Sports Information Directors have selected Academic All-Americas since 1952,
and have been honoring the top team member as Academic All-America of the Year since
1987. In addition to being the first Bobcat player named Academic All-America of the Year,
Johnson is the first Big Sky Conference player so honored, and the first player from a Division
I-AA school selected since 1987. He is the first non-quarteraback in the last three years, and
is the first running back to earn the award since Tommy Vardell of Stanford in 1991. The list of
past winners includes Drew Brees of Purdue, Peyton Manning of Tennessee, and Oregon’s
Bill Musgrave.
Johnson takes his dual accomplishments in the academic and athletic arenas in stride. "I try not
to get overwhelmed by things," he says, "I try to balance the effort I put into football and my
academic work. I know the academic part of my life is important, because that’s where my
future lies."
Johnson is the seventh Montana State football player to earn first or second team Academic
All-America honors. He joins noteables such as Oregon’s Heisman Trophy finalist Joey
Harrington and Nebraska tight end Tracey Wistrom as first team choices. Johnson is now a
finalist for the Academic All-America of the Year award, which is chosen from the Team
Members of the Year honorees from each collegiate sport.
Ryan Johnson Career Statistics
Games Rushes Yards Avg/Att Avg/Game TD Long Rec Yds TD
2001 11 303 1,537 5.1 139.7 14 72 18 201 1
2000 8 146 665 4.6 83.1 2 60 14 56 0
1999 10 41 352 5.0 32.0 4 24 4 51 0
Total 29 490 2,554 5.1 88.1 20 72 36 328 1
Ryan Johnson in the MSU Record Books
Career Rushing Yards 4. 2,554, 443 yards from 1st
Career Rushes 8. 488, 86 rushes from 1st
Career Rushing Touchdowns 5. 20, 9 TDs from 1st
Career 100-Yard Games T4. 11, 4 100-yard games from 1st
Season Rushing Yards 1. 1,537 in 2001
Season Rushes 1. 303 carries in 2001
Season Rushing Touchdowns 2. 14 in 2001, 6 from 1st
Season 100-Yard Games 3. 7 in 2001, 1 100-yard game from 1st
Single-Game Rushing Yards 2. 271 yards vs. Idaho State, 2001
3. 243 yards vs. Weber State, 2001
4. 237 yards vs. Northridge, 2001
Single-Game Rushes 4. 41 vs. Weber State, 2001
4. 41 vs. Sac State, 2001
6. 36 vs. Idaho State, 2001
9. 33 vs. Cal State Northridge, 2001
Single-Game Rushing TDs T3. 3 vs. Idaho State, 2001
Past Academic All-America of the Year Recipients
2001--Ryan Johnson, Montana State; 2000--Drew Brees, Purdue (QB); 1999--Chad
Pennington, Marshall (QB); 1998--Matt Stinchcomb, Georgia (OT); 1997--Peyton Manning,
Tennessee (QB); 1996--Danny Wuerffel, Florida (QB); 1995--Wuerffel (QB); 1994--Rob
Zatechka, Nebraska (OG); 1993--Tim Ruddy, Notre Dame (C); 1992--Jim Hansen,
Colorado (OT); 1991--Tom Vardell, Stanford (RB); 1990--Bill Musgrave, Oregon (QB);
1989--Michael Thorson, Army; 1988--Paul Sorenson, Dartmouth (LB); 1987--KipCorrington, Texas A&M (FS)(the award began in 1987)
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