Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

2024-2025 CSC Academic All-America Football Teams

Jan. 28, 2025 - The North Central College football team has equaled a program record with three selections to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Teams, as linebacker BJ Adamchik and offensive lineman Jeske Maples have been named to the First Team and tight end Bobby Behmer appears on the Second Team.

The trio were among seven Cardinals selected to the CSC Academic All-District Teams in December. Nominees must carry a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 and have achieved at least sophomore academic and athletic standing. The Academic All-America Teams are selected through a vote by CSC's membership, which is comprised of more than 3,000 sports information and athletic communication professionals throughout the United States and Canada.

Adamchik, an exercise science major, led the team with 74 total tackles and was named to the All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) First Team, along with First Team All-Region and Second Team All-American honors by D3football.com. The linebacker also earned CSC Academic All-America honors in 2023, making him the fifth Cardinal football player and 13th North Central student-athlete to be so recognized twice.

Maples is now a three-time Academic All-America selection, the second in the history of the Cardinals' program and the third North Central student-athlete in any sport to do so. Maples started all 15 games at left tackle (and all 59 games of his collegiate career) and anchored the national champion offensive line, which ranked second in the nation for total offense (536.9 yards per game). The health science major was named a First-Team All-American by D3football.com and a Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press.

Behmer, the NCAA's Elite 90 Award winner for Division III football the last two seasons, is also a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection. The economics major caught 13 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Behmer was named a Second Team All-CCIW honoree and a Third Team All-Region selection by D3football.com while also earning a third straight CCIW Elite 26 Award. 

North Central matches Saint John's University (Minnesota) and Bethel University (Minnesota) for the highest number of individual selections. The CCIW has a total of five honorees on this year's Academic All-America Teams, which also include Jereme Ombogo of North Park University and Breyden Smith of Augustana College. 

CSC Academic All-America honors have been bestowed 16 times to nine North Central football student-athletes. A total of 65 Academic All-America awards have been presented to 49 Cardinals across all sports.

The Cardinals defeated the University of Mount Union, 41-25, in Stagg Bowl LI in Houston, Texas Jan. 5 to win the program's third NCAA Division III national championship in five seasons. North Central finished a perfect 15-0 for the second time in three years and has won 102 of its 110 games played since 2016.

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