Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Mullen, Nana-Sinkam Named to Academic All-District Football Team
11/6/2008 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2008
Football Academic All-District Teams
LEWISBURG, Pa. – For the ninth consecutive year the Bucknell football team has had a selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II team as senior fullback Kevin Mullen (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and junior linebacker Sam Nana-Sinkam (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) were both honored Thursday. It is the sixth time in the last seven years at least two Bison have earned spots on the team. Both players will now advance to the national ballot where they will be eligible for Academic All-America honors.
Mullen, who was also selected by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy earlier this fall, is double-majoring in international relations and religion and owns a cumulative grade-point average of 3.41. He posted a 4.0 GPA last spring and has been selected to the Bucknell Dean's List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll multiple times.
A member of Bucknell's ROTC program and a three-time winner of the team's ROTC leadership award, Mullen has been elected as a game captain a team-high five times this year, including for this Saturday's contest against Lafayette. He has started all eight games this season and has rushed for 154 yards and one touchdown from his fullback position.
A veteran of 39 career games, Mullen is four yards shy of rushing for 700 in his career and his seven career rushing touchdowns rank him tied for third among current Bison.
Nana-Sinkam missed all of 2007 with a shoulder injury and was having an All-Patriot League season this fall before suffering a season-ending leg injury Oct. 18 at Georgetown. At the time of his injury Nana-Sinkam led the Patriot League in tackles with 62 and was on pace to become just the third Bison defensive player to record 100 tackles in a season under sixth-year head coach Tim Landis.
Still among the nation's leaders in tackles per game (10.3), Nana-Sinkam was a four-time game captain this year and also earned both Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week plaudits in September.
Nana-Sinkam, who owns a 3.41 cumulative GPA while majoring in management, helped Bucknell to its second victory of the season when he blocked a potential game-tying field goal in the finals seconds of a 17-14 victory at Robert Morris.
Academic All-District balloting for four sports (men's soccer, women's soccer, volleyball, football) is now complete and Bucknell has had nine total honorees. In all of 2007-08 14 Bucknell student-athletes were cited.
In order to be considered for Academic All-America honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team. Bucknell ranks fifth among all Division I institutions with 116 national Academic All-Americans.
The Bison football team is 4-4 overall and 1-2 in Patriot League play this year and hosts Lafayette Saturday at 1 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on FOX56 WOLF TV and there will be a Bucky Bison Bobblehead giveaway. At halftime the 2007-08 Bucknell women's basketball team will receive its Patriot League championship rings.
Bucknell Football's Recent Academic All-District II Selections
2000 – David Evans
2001 – Kyle Harris
2002 – Dave Gibson, Will Smith, Billy Windle
2003 – Justin Gibson, Shawn Tidwell, David Ulmer
2004 – Mike Cangelosi, Justin Gibson
2005 – Michael Boccella, Ryan Bower, David Frisbey
2006 – Michael Boccella, David Frisbey
2007 – Ryan Walsh
2008 – Kevin Mullen, Sam Nana-Sinkam
