Bucknell University Athletics
Three Bison Football Players Land on Academic All-Patriot League Team
11/27/2013 1:01:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Three Bucknell veterans were named to the Academic All-Patriot League Football Team on Wednesday. Junior K Derek Maurer (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway), senior DL Tracey Smith (Allen, Texas/Allen) and senior P/WR/PR Kyle Sullivan (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) were part of the 14-person squad. It is the second major recognition this week for Smith, who on Tuesday was named First Team All-Patriot League.
This is the fourth year the Patriot League has had an Academic All-League team. Ten different Bison have been cited with this year's three honorees marking the second-most for Bucknell. Fordham, Holy Cross and Lafayette also had three players recognized.
Maurer was Bucknell's primary kicker in 2013 after serving in a reserve role his first two seasons. He finished the campaign 9-for-13 on field goals and a near-perfect 21-for-22 on extra points. Maurer was second on the team with 48 points and his nine field goals tie him for 11th on Bucknell's single-season list. He kicked off 22 times for a team-best 61.0 average with six touchbacks.
A four-time Dean's List member who has been on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll twice, Maurer carries a stellar 3.90 grade-point average while majoring in managing for sustainability.
A three-year starter and Preseason All-Patriot League pick, Smith was part of a strong Bison defensive line once again this season. Bucknell ranks fourth in the nation against the run, thanks in large part to Smith's career high-tying 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He also added one pass breakup, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Smith finished his career with 43 games played, 32 starts, 125 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
A Campbell Trophy semifinalist, Smith is a three-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He is a geology major who spent last summer conducting a GIS investigation of subsurface characteristics of icy debris fans with ground penetrating radar in the Wrangell Mountains in Alaska.
Perhaps the most versatile player in FCS this season, Sullivan was a starting wide receiver, punter, punt returner, holder and he also returned kicks. As a punter, he booted 63 balls for a 37.1 average with 20 landing inside the 20-yard line. As a punt returner, Sullivan ranks 12th nationally in punt return average. He returned 15 punts this year, including a 59-yarder for a touchdown at Cornell, marking the first punt return for a touchdown by a Bison in a decade. As a wide receiver, Sullivan had 11 receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown. The transfer from Rutgers also returned six kicks this year, averaging nearly 20 yards per return.
An All-Big East selection and a member of the Big East All-Academic Team while at Rutgers, Sullivan is a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and a Bucknell Student Government class representative. He is majoring in economics and political science.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
Bucknell finished with a 6-5 mark in 2013, its second above-.500 finish in the last three years. The Bison won five of their final six games and finished the regular season ranked 15th nationally in total defense and fourth in rushing defense.
Football Academic All-Patriot League Team
Tracey Smith, Bucknell, Sr.
Derek Maurer, Bucknell, Jr.
Kyle Sullivan, Bucknell, Sr.
Brett Biestek, Fordham, Sr.
Stephen Hodge, Fordham, Jr.
Dan Light, Fordham, Jr.
Alec May, Georgetown, Jr.
John Macomber, Holy Cross, Sr.
Sam Jones, Holy Cross, Jr.
Mike Fess, Holy Cross, Sr.
Mark Ross, Lafayette, Sr.
Brad Bormann, Lafayette, Sr.
Justin Adams, Lafayette, Jr.
Noah Robb, Lehigh, So.
