Sparks are flying in Richmond, Virginia, as Ragsdale High School product Walt Sparks, is burning the midnight oil in the classroom with his academic studies, after tearing it up on the field last fall, as the Richmond Spiders long-snapper….Sparks has also moved up to second-string linebacker on the Spiders’ defensive charts and the Jamestown native will have plenty to fall back on after his football career is over, with the marks he has received for his academic work and with that comes the honor of being named to the Academic All-Conference team, for the 2010 college football season……
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND – Four University of Richmond football student-athletes were honored on the 2010 CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team that was announced by the league office.
The four Spiders honored were sophomore QB John Laub, junior FB Ben Bryer, sophomore DB Doug Howell and freshman LS Walt Sparks. Laub was one of eight Spiders named to the 2009 CAA Academic All-Conference squad.
CAA Football cited 88 student-athletes – 55 on offense and 33 on defense – as members of its 2010 Academic All-Conference team. Massachusetts senior WR Anthony Nelson was selected as the league’s Student-Athlete of the Year.
CLICK HERE to read all from the Richmond site….
Ogi Overman and Mike Ellis on Walt Sparks, from the Jamestown News:
Sparks named to CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team
Feb. 23, 2011
Ragsdale alumnus Walt Sparks was one of four University of Richmond
football student-athletes honored on the 2010 CAA Football Academic
All-Conference Team.
Other Spider honorees were sophomore QB John Laub, junior FB Ben Bryer
and sophomore DB Doug Howell.
CAA Football cited 88 student-athletes – 55 on offense and 33 on
defense – as members of its 2010 Academic All-Conference team.
Massachusetts senior WR Anthony Nelson was selected as the league’s
Student-Athlete of the Year.
To be eligible for the CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team, a
player must be a starter or important reserve and have a cumulative GPA
of 3.00-or-better (on a 4.00 scale) for his entire academic career.
Transfers and first-year freshmen are eligible. Voting for the
Student-Athlete of the Year honor is conducted by 10 CAA Football
Communications personnel from the 2010 season.
Sparks, a 6-2, 225 long snapper, is a freshman at the University of
Richmond. He was a middle linebacker, long snapper and baseball catcher
at Ragsdale.
Congrats to Walt and his family! I’ve known the Sparks for many years now and what a great family. Walt and his brother Duncan are two of the finest young men I have ever met, and both set excellent examples of what student athletes should be. Good luck for continued success on the field and in the classroom, and great job representing the Triad.
This is my first posting ever on this website, and I can’t think of a better time for it.
Cheers to Walt and what he has accomplished. I agree with Zeke knowing the family and both boys. They work hard to achieve at a high level in sports but also keep focused on schoolwork and being outstanding young gentlemen. Kirk and Jennifer have done it the right way and I know they are proud.