Eastern Michigan Athletics
Samson Evans Earns CSC Academic All-America Honors
1/23/2024 12:01:00 PM | Football
Senior garners second-team accolades and is one of only four running backs on the list
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced the 2023 Academic All-American Football Teams today, Jan. 23, with Eastern Michigan University graduate student Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge/Iowa) earning a place on the second team following the tabulation of national voting. Evans, the program's all-time touchdown leader, is one of only four running backs nationally to be tabbed for CSC Academic All-America honors this year.
Evans pieced together a solid career for the Eagles, closing out his time in Ypsilanti with 2,319 career yards and 41 touchdowns scored in 40 career games. The running back, who tallied 635 yards on the ground in 2023, scored 12 running touchdowns this season, marking the third consecutive season has recorded double-digit scores to become the first EMU player to accomplish the feat. Additionally, his 41 scores are the second-most rushing touchdowns among all active FBS players while also ranking fourth among all active FBS players for total touchdowns scored.
Evans, who earned his first national academic award with the selection, is the fourth EMU football player to earn a place on the CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America ledgers while grabbing the fifth honor overall. Prior to Evans' honor, Mike Van Hoeven was a two-time honoree, earning first-team accolades in 2021 after garnering a place on the second-team in 2020. Cy Maughmer was a second-team honoree in 2013 with Cory Annett becoming the first EMU football player to earn recognition with his second-team selection in 2001.
The honor for Evans is not his first from CSC for the 2023 season as he was one of five Eagles to be named CSC Academic All-District, Dec. 19. Evans, who earned a place on the district list for the second year in a row, was joined by Dimitri Douglas (Saline, Mich./Saline/Michigan State), Ryan Kingston (South Bend, Ind./Riley), and Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio/Mason).
To be considered for CSC academic honors, student-athletes had to have appeared in at least 90-percent of the team's games or served as a starter in at least 66-percent of those games while also carrying a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better. CSC made changes to the national program last year with the minimum grade-point average rising from 3.00 to 3.50 and the elimination of all-district voting, meaning the maximum number of qualified players - eight - automatically earn all-district accolades and are advanced to the national ballot for the prestigious CSC Academic All-America honor.
Eastern Michigan University's Football Academic All-Americans
(4 Individuals - 5 Total Honors)
2001: Cory Annett (2nd Team)
2013: Cy Maughmer (2nd Team)
2020: Mike Van Hoeven (2nd Team)
2021: Mike Van Hoeven (1st Team)
2023: Samson Evans (2nd Team)
To view the entire list of EMU's CSC Academic All-Americans, click the link HERE.
Evans pieced together a solid career for the Eagles, closing out his time in Ypsilanti with 2,319 career yards and 41 touchdowns scored in 40 career games. The running back, who tallied 635 yards on the ground in 2023, scored 12 running touchdowns this season, marking the third consecutive season has recorded double-digit scores to become the first EMU player to accomplish the feat. Additionally, his 41 scores are the second-most rushing touchdowns among all active FBS players while also ranking fourth among all active FBS players for total touchdowns scored.
Evans, who earned his first national academic award with the selection, is the fourth EMU football player to earn a place on the CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America ledgers while grabbing the fifth honor overall. Prior to Evans' honor, Mike Van Hoeven was a two-time honoree, earning first-team accolades in 2021 after garnering a place on the second-team in 2020. Cy Maughmer was a second-team honoree in 2013 with Cory Annett becoming the first EMU football player to earn recognition with his second-team selection in 2001.
The honor for Evans is not his first from CSC for the 2023 season as he was one of five Eagles to be named CSC Academic All-District, Dec. 19. Evans, who earned a place on the district list for the second year in a row, was joined by Dimitri Douglas (Saline, Mich./Saline/Michigan State), Ryan Kingston (South Bend, Ind./Riley), and Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio/Mason).
To be considered for CSC academic honors, student-athletes had to have appeared in at least 90-percent of the team's games or served as a starter in at least 66-percent of those games while also carrying a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better. CSC made changes to the national program last year with the minimum grade-point average rising from 3.00 to 3.50 and the elimination of all-district voting, meaning the maximum number of qualified players - eight - automatically earn all-district accolades and are advanced to the national ballot for the prestigious CSC Academic All-America honor.
Eastern Michigan University's Football Academic All-Americans
(4 Individuals - 5 Total Honors)
2001: Cory Annett (2nd Team)
2013: Cy Maughmer (2nd Team)
2020: Mike Van Hoeven (2nd Team)
2021: Mike Van Hoeven (1st Team)
2023: Samson Evans (2nd Team)
To view the entire list of EMU's CSC Academic All-Americans, click the link HERE.
Players Mentioned
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