Four Football Players Named Academic All-District
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team had four members named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Capital One Academic All-District Team Thursday, November 6. To be nominated for the award, a student-athlete must be a starter or significant reserve and maintain a GPA of 3.3 or better.
Carnegie Mellon is part of District 4 which is comprised of all Division III schools in the state of Pennsylvania. All four honorees will now move on to the national ballot for Capital One Academic All-America recognition.
Senior wide out Tim Swanson (Millburn, N.J.) is the lone Tartan to repeat on the all-district team. This marks Swanson's third straight appearance. Joining the three-time honoree on the offensive side is fellow receiver junior Chris Herrera (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) along with junior offensive lineman Will French (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle). Sophomore defensive lineman Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) was the Tartans one defensive player to make the team.
Swanson is third on the team with 273 yards receiving and is tied for second with two touchdowns and 24 receptions. He currently ranks sixth on the school's all-time receiving list with 1,393 yards. Last season he finished with 548 yards ranking 10th on the school's single-season list. He has had at least two receptions in 11 straight contests dating back to last season. The senior is a chemical engineering major with a minor in business administration and carries a 3.52 GPA. Off the field, Swanson was a Metallurgical Intern for Nucor Steel Decatur L.L.C., an Operations Support Summer Associate for Mission Solutions Engineering and participates in community service events including Carnegie Mellon's 1000Plus program and conducted landscaping work for a local policeman's widow.
Herrera, a civil and environmental engineering major with a minor in business for engineers, has a 3.95 GPA. The junior currently leads the team with 329 receiving yards and 28 receptions while tied for second with Swanson with two touchdowns. He turned in a career performance in the Tartans setback at Saint Vincent early this season catching seven passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Herrera is a member of Lambda Sigma Honor Society and Engineers without Borders, a mentor for the Circulo Juvenil program, where he mentors for Hispanic children in grammar and writing. He interned for HITT Contracting, Inc. and for Halley Engineering Contractors, Inc. this past summer.
French is working on a double major in chemical engineering and public policy and carries a 3.59 GPA. He has appeared in 16 games in his career with nine starts. This past summer, French worked for L'Oreal in Franklin, New Jersey as a packaging intern. He is a member of the Carnegie Mellon AIChE Chapter and EPP Department Student Advisory Council as well as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Carnegie Mellon Neumann Club.
Khoury recorded a career-high eight tackles against nationally ranked Washington & Jefferson while recording his third blocked kick of his career. He is second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss of 30 yards. The sophomore has a 3.73 GPA and is an electrical and computer engineering major. Prior to coming to Carnegie Mellon, he played four years of junior hockey in the developmental leagues. During his time on the ice, he was voted team captain and recognized by The Scouting News as a "workhorse and a leader." Khoury is a member of the Carnegie Mellon Solar Racing, Carbon Fiber Solar Boat, where he is the President and Power Team Co-Chair. The sophomore is also a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.