Johnson Earns Prestigious Academic Honor
10/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Team Verizon Academic All-America, was named a NationalFootball Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athleteon Thursday. An $18,000 post-graduate scholarshipaccompanies the award.
"To be selected with these other great players is a tremendoushonor," Johnson said. "This is a very prestigious award, and thescholarship will help me pursue my goal of attending graduateschool."
Montana State President Dr. Geoff Gamble said that MSU is
proud of Johnson’s accomplishments. "Ryan Johnson is a credit
to this University, our football program, and certainly his family.
He has maintained balance between academics and athletics,
and has performed at an extraordinarily high level in both areas.
He is an outstanding young man who will always be an example of what students at Montana
State University are and can become."
Johnson will graduate in Pre-Physical Therapy in December with a cumulative grade point
average of 3.99, and plans to attend physical therapy school, possibly at the University of
Colorado. In addition to earning Academic All-America honors after his sophomore and junior
seasons, Johnson was named Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Football by
Verizon and the College Sports Information Directors of America last year.
The College Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame annually honors the top
scholar-athletes in the nation. Among the 14 honored this year, Johnson is the only player from
a I-AA scholarship program, and joins players from Princeton and Dayton as the only I-AA
players. Johnson is currently second in the Big Sky Conference and ninth in Division I-AA in
rushing, and owns Montana State’s single-season and career rushing records.
"It’s been a pretty humbling experience for myself and this coaching staff to have the
opportunity to work with a player who is not only an all-time great Bobcat and in the Big Sky
Conference, but in all of college football," said MSU coach Mike Kramer. "His productivity
on and off the playing field shows the value of quality parenting, attention to detail, and being
goal-driven from a very young age."
Johnson has not only reached the pinnacle of academic and athletic achievement, said MSU
Athletic Director Peter Fields, but embodies all that Bobcat Athletics strives for. "This is a
wonderful reward for Ryan, for the dedication he’s shown in the classroom and on the playing
field," Fields said. "Ryan’s attitude and achievements really typify our body of student-athletes.
We’re very proud of Ryan."
Johnson’s long list of academic and athletic achievements is impressive. He was a finalist forthe Walter Payton Trophy, given to the top player in I-AA, and was named the Roland RenneAward Winner as MSU’s outstanding male graduating senior last spring. He has volunteered atseveral physical therapy clinics and for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Montana, andis president of the MSU Chapter of Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ.
A three-year starter, Johnson leads the Bobcats into action on Saturday at 7 pm Saturday atNorthern Arizona.
"To be selected with these other great players is a tremendoushonor," Johnson said. "This is a very prestigious award, and thescholarship will help me pursue my goal of attending graduateschool."
Montana State President Dr. Geoff Gamble said that MSU is
proud of Johnson’s accomplishments. "Ryan Johnson is a credit
to this University, our football program, and certainly his family.
He has maintained balance between academics and athletics,
and has performed at an extraordinarily high level in both areas.
He is an outstanding young man who will always be an example of what students at Montana
State University are and can become."
Johnson will graduate in Pre-Physical Therapy in December with a cumulative grade point
average of 3.99, and plans to attend physical therapy school, possibly at the University of
Colorado. In addition to earning Academic All-America honors after his sophomore and junior
seasons, Johnson was named Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Football by
Verizon and the College Sports Information Directors of America last year.
The College Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame annually honors the top
scholar-athletes in the nation. Among the 14 honored this year, Johnson is the only player from
a I-AA scholarship program, and joins players from Princeton and Dayton as the only I-AA
players. Johnson is currently second in the Big Sky Conference and ninth in Division I-AA in
rushing, and owns Montana State’s single-season and career rushing records.
"It’s been a pretty humbling experience for myself and this coaching staff to have the
opportunity to work with a player who is not only an all-time great Bobcat and in the Big Sky
Conference, but in all of college football," said MSU coach Mike Kramer. "His productivity
on and off the playing field shows the value of quality parenting, attention to detail, and being
goal-driven from a very young age."
Johnson has not only reached the pinnacle of academic and athletic achievement, said MSU
Athletic Director Peter Fields, but embodies all that Bobcat Athletics strives for. "This is a
wonderful reward for Ryan, for the dedication he’s shown in the classroom and on the playing
field," Fields said. "Ryan’s attitude and achievements really typify our body of student-athletes.
We’re very proud of Ryan."
Johnson’s long list of academic and athletic achievements is impressive. He was a finalist forthe Walter Payton Trophy, given to the top player in I-AA, and was named the Roland RenneAward Winner as MSU’s outstanding male graduating senior last spring. He has volunteered atseveral physical therapy clinics and for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Montana, andis president of the MSU Chapter of Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ.
A three-year starter, Johnson leads the Bobcats into action on Saturday at 7 pm Saturday atNorthern Arizona.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
