CLEVELAND – Five Southern Conference football student-athletes were among the 54 honored nationally when the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) announced its 23rd Annual Academic All-Star Team on Thursday. The Citadel’s Raleigh Webb was among nine finalists for one of two FCS ADA $5,000 Postgraduate Scholarships.
Chattanooga paced the league with two selections to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team in defensive back Jerrell Lawson and offensive lineman Cole Strange. Bulldog wide receiver Webb, ETSU tight end Nate Adkins and Furman quarterback Hamp Sisson also earned spots on the team.
Lawson, Strange and Webb were also named CoSIDA Academic All-District selections on Thursday.
The 54 individuals on the FCS ADA Academic All-Start Team were selected from a pool of over 105 applicants.
"I would like to congratulate the young men who were selected for the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, this is a remarkable honor," said current FCS ADA President Ashley Robinson, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Jackson State University. "With the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes to daily routines, I applaud this team for staying the course, remaining focused, and excelling in the classroom and on the field of competition."
Football players from all FCS institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. Nominees must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent (50%) of the games played at their designated position.
There was one adjustment made for this year's nomination process to accommodate institutions who did not participate in the sport of football in fall of 2020 or spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. The Committee allowed those institutions to still submit current year academic data for their nominees while also submitting the 2019 season statistics.
About the FCS ADA: Now in its 27th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 56th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit
www.nacda.com.
FCS ADA’s full release
The Citadel’s release
ETSU’s release
Furman’s release
Chattanooga’s release
FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team
Raleigh Webb, The Citadel*
Nate Adkins, ETSU
Hamp Sisson, Furman
Jerrell Lawson, Chattanooga
Cole Strange, Chattanooga
* Among nine finalists for one of two FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarships