BATON ROUGE – The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six LSU student-athletes for their academic achievements and community service for the month of August.
Each month, five student-athletes are recognized for their academic improvement, dedication and proven ability. In addition, one student-athlete is chosen through the CHAMPS Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success program for their volunteerism and commitment to the community.
August’s student-athletes of the month are Krystal Forthan [Women’s Basketball], Shawn Burst [Football], Anthony Johnson [Football], David Jenkins [Football] and Stephen Rivers [Football]. Eric Reid [Football] was selected as the Shaquille O’Neal CHAMPS/Student-Athlete Affairs Athlete of the Month.
Forthan and Johnson are sports administration majors, while Burst, Reid and Rivers are majoring in business. Jenkins is a member of the University College Center for Freshman Year (UCFY). The UCFY is an academic unit to help freshmen define their academic and career goals.
Reid, a sophomore from Geismar and a member of the 2011 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll, served as a motivational speaker to a group of high school students on July 19 as part of the FOCUS Program event on-campus. He played in all 13 games with starts in the final three games of the 2010 regular season. He recorded 32 tackles, two interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss highlighted by five stops during a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas A&M.
A freshman forward from Portland, Ore., Forthan is one of the nation’s elite high school basketball prospects rated fifth by ESPN Hoop Gurz. She also was a finalist for the Naismith High School Player of the Year award in addition to being selected a unanimous McDonald’s and WBCA All-American.
Jenkins, a freshman defensive back from Jena, was considered one of the top cornerbacks nationally by Rivals.com and Scout.com in 2010. He finished his senior season with 49 tackles, 11 pass breakups and four interceptions en route to a spot on the Houston Chronicle Texas Top 100 at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas.
A freshman defensive tackle from New Orleans, Johnson graduated high school early and enrolled at LSU in January 2011. He was rated a five-star prospect by every recruiting service, including the No. 2 overall player in the country by ESPN.com. The O.P. Walker product was awarded the 2010 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and broke the state’s career sack record with 67.5 sacks during his career.
Rivers, a quarterback from Athens, Ala., is a scholar-athlete who maintained a 3.5 high school GPA. He earned a consensus three-star, pro-style quarterback ranking by all major recruiting sources and was named to the PrepStar All-Southeast Region list. He accounted for 21 touchdowns [12 passing, 9 rushing] during his senior season.
A freshman linebacker from Covington, Burst is a walk-on who attended the Summer Academic Success Program for incoming freshmen. At the program, he displayed a good work ethic and strong willingness to learn.
For putting forth extra effort in the classroom and community in addition to their rigorous academic and competition schedules, these six student-athletes will have their pictures displayed on the wall in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes.