AUSTIN, Texas --- Five Tusculum University student-athletes have been named to the NCAA Division II Football Academic All-District® 2 first team as selected by the College Sports Communicators.
The 2023 Academic All-District® Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Earning Academic All-District® accolades are Josh Curray, Matthew Palazzo, Adrian Robinson, Andrae Robinson and Ethan Stinnett. The Robinson twins become three-time Academic All-District selections while Curray earns his second straight CSC District honor.
District 2 is comprised of colleges and universities representing the South Atlantic Conference, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Gulf South Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, must be at least a sophomore and played in 90 percent of their team's games or start in 67 percent of their team's contests.
Curray, a long snapper from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, graduated earlier this month with cum laude distinction and earned his Bachelor of Science degree. He finished with a 3.76 GPA and majored in environmental science. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
He is a two-time All-SAC Mountain Division selection and did not have a long snap blocked this season while also making a pair of tackles in his 11 games on special teams. He has made 32 appearances and has been credited with six career stops and has been near flawless on his snaps.
Palazzo, a redshirt sophomore quarterback from Greeneville, has a 3.82 GPA while majoring in business administration and sport management. He is a member of the Dean's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. He played in 10 games and started under center in the final nine contests where he posted a 6-3 record. He passed for 2,045 yards (3rd in SAC / 47th in NCAA II) going 164-for-301 and accounted for 26 touchdowns (19 pass, 7 rush). His 19 TD passes are second in the league (37th in NCAA II) and the ninth-most in a TU single-season. His seven rushing touchdowns were also ninth-most in the conference.
Adrian Robinson, a senior defensive back from Covington, Georgia, has a 3.91 GPA while majoring in psychology, and is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Dean's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, President's List and is a two-time recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award. In his 10 outings in the secondary, he was credited with 19 tackles and forced a fumble. For his 32-game career, he tallied 59 tackles, two for loss, forced two fumbles and posted three interceptions.
Andrae Robinson, a senior defensive back from Covington, Georgia, has a 3.90 GPA as a sport management major. He is a member of the President's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List and SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Like his twin brother, he is also a two-time recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award. The 2022 All-SAC Mountain Division pick played in all 11 games this past fall where he made 21 tackles with two for loss, one sack and an interception. For his 31-game career, Robinson made 53 tackles with five pass break-ups and four interceptions.
Stinnett, a sophomore receiver from Sevierville, Tennessee, currently has a 3.78 GPA and is majoring in exercise science. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Dean's List, Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. He appeared in 11 games and made 15 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. He opened the season with three catches for 40 yards including an 18-yard touchdown at Kennesaw State. He added three grabs for 37 yards at UVA Wise and made two receptions each against Catawba, Erskine, Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Pioneers posted a 6-5 overall record and won the SAC Mountain Division title, their second in the last four years.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in January.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-2024 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.
