Texas Tech Places 18 on Academic Big 12 Squads

Harrell, Griffin two of six players in the league with 4.0 grade point averages.

Written by Chris Cook

Athletics

Eighteen Red Raiders have been named to the 2008 Academic All-Big 12 Football Team with 12 earning first-team honors. Texas Tech’s J.J. Griffin and Graham Harrell were two of six players overall with a 4.0 grade point average. Texas Tech was third behind the University of Texas with 22 and The University of Nebraska with 19 representatives.

Players earning first-team status include linebacker Bront Bird (business administration), defensive back Taylor Charbonnet (business administration), punter/kicker Cory Fowler (general business-graduate), running back J.J. Griffin (exercise and sport science-graduate), quarterback Graham Harrell (education-graduate), punter Jonathan LaCour (advertising), defensive lineman David Neill (human development and family studies), offensive lineman Mickey Okafor (arts and sciences undeclared), offensive lineman Chris Olsen (marketing and management), defensive lineman Chris Perry (arts and sciences undeclared), quarterback Taylor Potts (exercise and sport science) and wide receiver Todd Walker (human development and family studies). Harrell was named to the first-team in 2007.

Safety Daniel Charbonnet (general studies), wide receiver Rashad Hawk (arts and sciences undeclared), offensive lineman Jake Johnson (human development and family studies), safety Franklin Mitchem (general business), Inside Receiver Eric Morris (communication studies) and defensive end Jake Ratliff (animal science) were selected to the second team. Charbonnet received the honor for the second-straight year.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher cumulative for the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his team’s scheduled contests. First-team members must hold a 3.2 GPA or higher to qualify, while second-team honorees have to fall between 3.0 and 3.19. Freshmen and transfer students are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

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