Three Hawkeyes Earn Academic All-District Honors

Nov. 7, 2013

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three members of the University of Iowa football program – – senior LB James Morris, sophomore QB Jake Rudock and senior OL Brett Van Sloten – – have been named to the Capital One Academic All-District Six first team. The announcement was made Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Each of the three Hawkeye players will now have their name placed on the national ballot for Capital One Academic All-America honors. The district honor is the second for Morris and the first for Rudock and Van Sloten.

Rudock is a native of Westin, Fla., who has started all nine games this season. He carries a 3.57 grade point average and is majoring in interdepartmental studies. Rudock has completed 155-of-259 pass attempts for 1,725 yards and 12 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. He has also rushed for 187 yards and five touchdowns.

Morris, a native of Solon, Iowa, holds a 3.84 grade point average and is majoring in political science. He earned All-District academic honors last season and academic All-Big Ten recognition in 2011 and 2012. He was recently named one of 16 National Scholar-Athletes by the National Football Foundation and is a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Morris has started 38 career games and has 369 tackles to rank seventh in career stops. He is second on the team with 76 tackles in nine games, while leading the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss (9.5-33) and sacks (5-22), while sharing the team lead with three pass interceptions.

Van Sloten, a native of Decorah, Iowa, is a management major and carries a 3.54 grade point average. He has earned academic All-Big Ten honors each of the last three years. Van Sloten has started all nine games this season and all 21 games over the past two seasons at right tackle.

In the last 15 seasons, under UI head coach Kirk Ferentz, 22 Iowa football student-athletes have combined to earn academic All-District and All-America recognition on 41 occasions.

Iowa plays at Purdue on Saturday (11 a.m. CT, BTN). The Hawkeyes play their final home game Saturday, Nov. 23, hosting Michigan.