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Bradie James Named to National Scholar-Athlete Class

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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Bradie James Named to National Scholar-Athlete Class

BATON ROUGE — LSU linebacker Bradie James has been named to the 2002 National Scholar-Athlete Class, which includes only 14 football players from all NCAA divisions, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.

The award is one of the top academic honors available to a college football player. James, a senior from West Monroe, La., will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Past LSU recipients of the award include punter Chad Kessler in 1997, quarterback Sol Graves in 1990 and center Nacho Albergamo in 1987.

“I don’t really like to talk about awards and honors, but this is one that I have been telling everybody about,” James said. “I’m extremely proud and honored to receive this award and this is something that is certainly one of the highlights of my collegiate career.”

James, who carries a 3.0 grade point average, will graduate in May with a degree in criminology. Listed as one of the nation’s top linebackers, James earned a spot on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2001.

James, a preseason All-America selection, is one of 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate linebacker.

Through seven games this year, James has recorded 86 tackles, including five for losses, in leading the Tigers to a 6-1 overall mark and a 3-0 record in the SEC. LSU’s defense ranks first in the nation by allowing only 217.4 yards per contest and the Tigers are second nationally by yielding just 11 points a contest.

Off the field, James is active within the Baton Rouge community as he speaks regularly at schools as well as visiting sick children in the hospital. Last week, James visited children at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center on Wednesday and then spoke to a middle school football team on Thursday night.

Other Division I-A members of the 2002 National Scholar-Athlete class include Kyle Eaton of Oklahoma State, Hunter Hillenmeyer of Vanderbilt, Chris Kelsay of Nebraska, Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech and Jonathan Stinchcomb of Georgia.

“Since 1959, these highly sought after awards have recognized only a chosen few who have excelled above all in the areas of scholarship, citizenship and athletic performance,” National Football Foundation Chairman Jon F. Hanson said. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to honor these outstanding young men for all of their achievements with an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.”

To be eligible for a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame postgraduate fellowship, the nominee must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have shown superior academic application and performance, have outstanding football ability as a first team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

“With 152 exceptional candidates vying for these awards, the Awards Committee was faced with a difficult challenge in selecting this year’s class,” said Robert E. Mulcahy III, who is chairman of the Awards Committee and director of athletics at Rutgers University. “These 14 scholar-athletes represent the best and the brightest each level of college football has to offer.”

The 14 scholar-athletes will be recognized at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s 45th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Also being honored at the dinner will be the 2002 College Football Hall of Fame class.

2002 College Football National Scholar-Athlete Class

Division I-A
Name School Position Major
Kyle Eaton Oklahoma State OT Management Info. Systems
Hunter Hillenmeyer Vanderbilt LB Human and Org. Development
Bradie James LSU LB Criminology
Chris Kelsay Nebraska DE Finance
Kliff Kingsbury Texas Tech QB Business Management
Jonathan Stinchcomb Georgia OT Microbiology