Bucknell's Pechin Earns STATS Doris Robinson Award as FCS's Top Scholar-Athlete
12/16/2019 11:00:00 AM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell's Alex Pechin was named the 2019 STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award winner, the organization announced Monday.
Pechin will be recognized at the FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation on Friday, Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas on the eve of the national championship game. He is the first Patriot League student-athlete to earn this prestigious award, which is named after the wife of legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson and is presented to an FCS student-athlete who excels not only in the classroom but in the community and beyond.
In addition, Pechin is the first Patriot League student-athlete to win one of STATS's major awards since 2014, when Fordham's Chase Edmonds received the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS's top freshman.
Pechin put an exclamation mark on his legendary career in 2019, shattering his own school record in punting average by 2.2 yards. His 47.3 punting average broke the Patriot League record by 1.3 yards and ranked seventh in FCS history at the end of the 2019 regular season; in addition, it raised his career average to 44.5, good for fifth in the FCS annals at the end of the 2019 regular season.The best 𝘢𝘯𝘥 the brightest.
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) December 16, 2019
Our own Alex Pechin is Frisco bound as the @FCS_STATS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award winner!
Story: https://t.co/cSJIzZrEro | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/SQOXT9dpo5
The highly decorated Pechin, a multi-time All-American who was named to the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List and received an invite to the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl, will graduate with Bucknell's top four single-season punting averages of 47.3 (2019), 45.1 (2017), 44.5 (2018) and 42.1 (2015); his 44.5 career punting average is the school standard by 3.8 yards.
In November, Pechin became the first football player to capture three-straight Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. He also became the fourth Patriot League student-athlete to make four All-Patriot League First Teams, joining Holy Cross defensive back Dave Murphy (1986-89), Colgate quarterback Ryan Vena (1996-99) and Lehigh running back Dom Bragalone (2015-18).
Pechin was previously recognized on the 2015, 2017 and 2018 All-Patriot League First Teams; he was granted a fifth year of eligibility after suffering a season-ending injury in the 2016 campaign's second game. To date, he has been honored on seven All-America teams, including the 2018 STATS and Phil Steele First Teams; in addition, he became the first Bison specialist to garner All-America accolades from the AP and AFCA when he made their Second Teams that season. He is only the 11th Bison to twice serve as captain.
A Biomedical Engineering and Management for Engineers double major, Pechin has excelled in the classroom. Following the 2018-19 school year, he became the third football player to be selected as the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining fellow Bison David Berardinelli (1992-93) and Lehigh's Nick Martucci (1998-99). He was also a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy and was selected to two FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Teams.A standing ovation. 👏👏👏👏
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) December 16, 2019
Check out the moment when @DaveCecchini told Alex Pechin he won the @FCS_STATS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award at our annual banquet. #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/m6ya3mogoa
Pechin is one of four Bison to be recognized as the Patriot League Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year more than once, joining Berardinelli (1991 & 1992), Rob Glus (1993 & 1994) and Travis Nissley (2009 & 2010). Fordham's Barry Cantrell (1996 & 1997) is the only other repeat Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Patriot League history.
Pechin interned for Orbit Biomedical, a start-up company dedicated to revolutionizing gene and cell therapy treatment for patients suffering from sight-threatening diseases, in the summers of 2019 and 2018. During the fall of 2018, he conducted gene therapy research for Orbit Biomedical in addition to his classwork. As part of his intensive five-year dual degree program at Bucknell, he has completed multiple projects; his senior design project involved creating ultrasound simulation for surgical training. A football team peer tutor, he is an active member of Bucknell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Leadership Institute. He also worked as a grader for Physics 211 and 212, participated in InterVarsity Bible study and volunteered at Riverwoods, a senior living community, and Geisinger, a local hospital, during his time in Lewisburg.
"He just couldn't come across more as that prototypical All-American student-athlete."@DaveCecchini and @EKennedy76 share why @FCS_STATS Doris Robinson Award winner Alex Pechin exemplifies @BucknellU's scholar-athlete ideal. #ACT | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/Mxwcb6iC0J
— Bucknell Football (@Bucknell_FB) January 7, 2020
