CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the first time in program history, The Citadel football team placed two cadet-athletes on the CoSIDA Academic All-American team that was announced Thursday.

Seniors Joe Crochet and Nick Jeffreys were both selected as second-team Academic All-Americans, marking the first time the Bulldogs have multiple Academic All-Americans. The Citadel's two selections are the most in the Southern Conference and tied for third nationally behind only Boise State and Dayton's three selections each. The Citadel is one of eight teams in Division I with more than one Academic All-American this season.

Crochet, who last season became The Citadel's first first-team Academic All-American since 1989, is the first Bulldog to earn Academic All-America honors in consecutive years since 1976-78 when Academic All-America Hall of Famer Kenny Caldwell was recognized three straight years. Crochet earned his bachelor's degree in three years and will graduate with his MBA later this month. The Stone Mountain, Georgia, native has a 3.88 grade-point average in graduate school and has been named to the Southern Conference Fall All-Academic Team and Academic Honor Roll three times while also earning the Commissioner's Medal four times. He was selected as a first-team All-Southern Conference performer after recording 38 tackles, including 12.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two quarterback hurries in the regular season. His fumble recovery total is tied for second in the SoCon and 21st in FCS, his forced fumbles total is tied for sixth in the conference and his tackles for loss total ranks eighth in the SoCon. His 11.0 tackles for loss in conference play ranked second in the SoCon.

Jeffreys is majoring in civil engineering and boasts a 3.80 GPA. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native is a three-time Southern Conference Honor Roll member and three-time Commissioner's Medal recipient. He has started all 11 games this season at right tackle and has made 13 career starts for the Bulldogs. This year, the offensive line has blocked for 10 individual 100-yard rushing performances and a school-record-tying five games with at least 400 yards rushing as a team. The Bulldogs average an FCS-leading 358.5 rushing yards per game, the second-highest average in all of Division I. The Citadel rushed for 500 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in school history earlier this season and has five of the top-19 single-game rushing totals in FCS this season, including 559 yards at North Greenville. The Bulldogs rank first in Division I with only two sacks allowed this season and lead the Southern Conference in eight different offensive categories, including time of possession and yards per completion that both rank second in FCS.

The Citadel earned the No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs and hosts 19th-ranked Wofford on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the second round of the playoffs. Tickets for the Bulldogs' first home playoff game since 1992 are available here or by calling The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843-953-DOGS (3647) during regular business hours. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3.

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