CLEVELAND South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock and quarterback Mark Gronowski were among the 52 student-athletes honored on the 2023 Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
Bock, a native of Solon, Iowa, was named to the squad after compiling a 3.84 grade-point average while majoring in mechanical engineering. On the field, he ranked third on the team with 65 tackles while playing in 10 of 15 games for the national champion Jackrabbits.
A junior from Naperville, Illinois, Gronowski received the honor after posting a 3.71 GPA while also majoring in mechanical engineering. Gronowski was the highest-rated quarterback in the FCS with a passer rating of 179.67 while throwing for 3,058 yards with 29 touchdowns against only five interceptions. He also was honored as the winner of the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS, as well as the FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year.
In addition, Gronowski was named as one of 13 finalists for an FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship. Two student-athletes will receive $5,000 awards.
Football players from all FCS institutions are eligible to be recognized on the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate or graduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.
South Dakota State has had at least one student-athlete honored on the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team 17 of the last 18 years with a total of 29 selections.
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