Forty student-athletes, including 12 who earned first-team honors, highlight the 2014 all-Missouri Valley Football Conference all-academic team, announced by the league office today.

 Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions (freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

  Six student-athletes are repeat first-team selections from last year, including Corey Boemer of Southern Illinois; Jake Farley of UNI; Caleb Schaffitzel of Missouri State; Jason Schneider of South Dakota State; Tyler Williamson of Southern Illinois; and Zach Zenner of South Dakota State.

  Schaffitzel and Zenner are the only two, however, to earn first-team all-MVFC Academic three-straight seasons.  Only 20 players in the league's 30-year history have earned first-team all-academic league honors three times.

2014 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team
(voting by league SIDs)

FIRST TEAM
OL Corey Boemer, Southern Illinois	6-4	300	Sr.	3.89	Biological Sciences | St. Louis (Mo.) Lindbergh High
DE Kyle Emanuel, N. Dakota State	6-3	251	Sr.	3.66	Construction Management | Schuyler (Neb.) Central High
LB Jake Farley, Northern Iowa		6-2	228	Sr.	3.69	Finance | Cedar Falls (Iowa) High / Kansas
OC Jesse Hinz, North Dakota State	6-4	301	Sr.	3.71	Criminal Justice/Spanish | Beatrice (Neb.) High
RB David Johnson, Northern Iowa      	6-1	229	Sr.	3.39	Physical Education | Clinton (Iowa) High
S Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State	6-0	217	Sr.	3.93	Wildlife Conservation & Mgmt | Fair Grove (Mo.) High
WR Jason Schneider, S. Dakota St.	6-5	225	Sr.	3.97	Pharmacy | Andover (Minn.) High
LB Esley Thorton, North Dakota St.	6-3	225	Sr.	3.92	Exercise Science | Bismarck (N.D.) High
WR Zach Vraa, North Dakota State	6-2	203	Sr.	3.51	Sport Management | Rosemount (Minn.) High
QB Carson Wentz, N. Dakota State	6-6	231	Jr.	4.00	Health/Physical Education | Bismarck (N.D.) Century High
LB Tyler Williamson, Southern Illinois	6-2	234	Sr.	3.79	Management (4.0 Kinesiology) | Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic High
RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota St.	6-0	220	Sr.	3.86	Biology/Pre-Med | Eagan (Minn.) High

SECOND TEAM
DL Isaac Ales, Northern Iowa		6-3	268	Jr.	3.41	Physical Education | Muscatine (Iowa) High
LB Andrew Beisel, Missouri State	6-2	238	Sr.	3.59	Logistics & Supply Chain Mgmt. | Fenton (Mo.) Rockwood Summit High
LB Max Busher, Northern Iowa		6-1	237	Sr.	3.59	Organizational Leadership | Rosemount (Minn.) High
LB Dylan Cole, Missouri State		6-0	227	So.	3.62	Sales Management | Rogersville (Mo.) Logan-Rogersville
FS Christian Dudzik, N. Dakota St.	5-10	191	Sr.	3.48	Sport Mgmt./Philosophy | Omaha (Neb.) Skutt Catholic High
DE Chip Holtschlag, Western Illinois	6-2	225	Sr.	3.60	Biology | Quincy (Ill.) Notre Dame High
DT Collin Keoshian, Illinois State	6-3	260	Sr.	3.50	University Studies | Santa Clarita (Calif.) Christian School
DL Cole Langer, South Dakota State	6-2	295	So.	3.78	Mechanical Engineering | Dell Rapids (S.D.) High
DB Nick Mears, South Dakota State	5-11	195	So.	4.00	Economics | Wilbank (S.D.) High
OL Nick Purcell, S. Dakota State	6-3	295	Sr.	4.00	Biology/Pre-Medicine | Rapid City (S.D.) Central High
OL Jack Rummells, Northern Iowa		6-5	300	Sr.	3.51	Movement & Exercise Science | West Branch (Iowa) High
DB Mark Sewall, Indiana State		6-0	210	Jr.	3.51	Marketing | Western Springs (Ill.) Lyons Township

HONORABLE MENTION

Illinois State: DB Mike Banks; LS Chris Highland; OL Mark Spelman

Indiana State: LB Jameer Thurman; LB Kendall Walker

UNI:  OL/TE Jacob Rathmacher

North Dakota State: PK Adam Keller; RB Chase Morlock

South Dakota: P/PK Miles Bergner; WR Josh Vander Maten

South Dakota State: LB Jesse Bobbit; DL Shayne Gottlob; P Ethan Sawyer

Southern Illinois: LB Chase Allen; LS Thor Hadfield

Youngstown State: TE Nate Adams