Four NDSU Football Players Voted Academic All-District

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State football players Andrew Grothmann, Ryan Drevlow, Kyle Emanuel and Esley Thorton were named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 team Thursday, Nov. 7, by a vote of the College Sports Information Directors of America.

To be nominated, student-athletes must have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average, have sophomore athletic and academic standing, have completed one academic year at their institution, and be a starter or key reserve for their team.

Grothmann has a 3.58 GPA in agricultural economics, Drevlow has a 3.69 GPA in electrical engineering, Emanuel has a 3.59 in construction management, and Thorton has a 3.89 in exercise science.  All four advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America honors to be announced Thursday, Dec. 5.

Grothmann, a senior from Hillsboro, N.D., is the No. 1 fullback on the top rushing offense in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  NDSU ran for a season-high 331 yards against the nation's No. 4 rushing defense at Southern Illinois with running backs going for 165 and 143 yards.  Grothmann has 12 career receptions including his first career touchdown this year.

Drevlow, a senior from Gwinner, N.D., is the starting nose guard on the nation's No. 1-ranked rushing defense and total defense.  He has 14 tackles and is second on the team and eighth in the Missouri Valley with 4.5 sacks. Drevlow was an 2012 Academic All-District pick, FCS Academic All-Star, and MVFC All-Academic second team.

Emanuel, a junior from Schuyler, Neb., is the starting right defensive end and is fourth in the MVFC with a team-high 6.5 sacks.  He had a career-high 2.0 sacks in the season-opening win at Kansas State and ranks 16th nationally with 0.8 sacks per game.  Emanuel is a member of the NDSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Thorton, a junior from Bismarck, N.D., has played in all eight games including two starts at outside linebacker where he made a combined nine tackles in those two games.  Thorton, in his second year at linebacker after playing quarterback his first two years in the program, is fourth on the team with six tackles on kickoff and punt coverage.

No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 MVFC) is scheduled to host Illinois State (5-4, 4-2 MVFC) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.