ELON, N.C. – For the second consecutive year, Elon University football player Nick Groll has earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Football Team and will now be eligible for Academic All-American accolades.
This marks the first time an Elon player has earned back-to-back Academic All-District accolades since running back A.J. Harris did so in three straight seasons from 2009-11.
Groll, a defensive lineman from Armonk, N.Y., carries a 3.68 GPA as an economics major. He is also pursuing minors in communications and music. Through eight games, the junior has tallied 17 total tackles, including 3.0 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks. Groll has one quarterback hurry on the year. He began the year with a season-high six-tackle performance against Gardner-Webb. Groll is a four-time Dean’s List recipient and has been named to the President’s List once. He was a member of the 2014 and 2015 CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team.
To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, a player must compete in at least 50 percent of the team’s contest, must have reached at least sophomore athletic eligibility, have completed at least one full calendar year at the institution and carry at least a 3.30 GPA.
2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Football Team (Division I)
Punter Parker Henry Tennessee Jr. 4.00, Finance Quarterback Lee McNeill Charlotte Gr. 3.98, 4.00, Business Admin./MBA Receiver Jordan Smith Tennessee Tech Sr. 3.60, EXPW/Pre-Physical Therapy Receiver Zay Jones East Carolina Sr. 3.56, Communications Tight End Daniel Montiel Memphis Sr. 3.53, Liberal Studies Running Back Derrick Craine Chattanooga Sr. 3.61, Exercise Science Running Back Elijah Hood North Carolina Jr. 3.34, Information & Library Sciences Offensive Line Tyler Compton Old Dominion Sr. 3.92, 3.77, Mathematics/MBA Offensive Line Brian Stryffeler Campbell Jr. 3.90, Exercise & Sports Science Offensive Line Dylan Wiesman Tennessee Sr. 3.47, Kinesiology Offensive Line Will Holden Vanderbilt Sr. 3.63, Human & Organizational Development Offensive Line Lucas Holder Liberty Gr. 3.69, 3.89, Government/Middle Eastern Affairs Kicker Jake Elliott Memphis Sr. 3.86, Marketing Management Defensive Back Ryan Janvion Wake Forest Sr. 3.53, Business & Enterprise Management Defensive Back Alonzo Saxton II Duke Jr. 3.48, Theater Studies Defensive Back Todd Kelly Jr. Tennessee Jr. 3.33, Biochemistry & Cellular/Molecular Biology Defensive Back Josh Okonye Wake Forest Jr. 3.33, Health & Exercise Science Linebacker Micah Kiser Virginia Sr. 3.38, Foreign Affairs Linebacker Josh Poplar Tennessee Tech So. 3.94, Marketing Linebacker A.J. Newman Western Carolina Jr. 3.68, Finance Defensive Line Nick Groll Elon Jr. 3.68, Economics Defensive Line Andrew Mayton Western Carolina Jr. 3.59, Nursing Defensive Line A.J. Wolf Duke Sr. 3.71, 3.50, Management Studies Defensive Line Bunmi Rotimi Old Dominion Jr. 3.40, Marketing