Four Named to All-ACC Academic Football Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guard Rob Trudo highlights Syracuse's four selections to the 2015 All-ACC Academic Football Team, announced Wednesday, Feb. 10 by Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford. A four-year starter for the Orange, Trudo is one of five players on this year's 56-man team who were named to the squad for the third time in their careers.

In addition to Trudo, Jason Emerich, nose tackle Kayton Samuels and safety Kielan Whitner represented the Orange on this year's team, which was selected from a pool of 140 student-athletes nominated by their schools.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.0 cumulative average during his undergraduate academic career. Graduate students needed to maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average for both the previous semester and for their graduate school careers.

Trudo, who earned dual undergraduate degrees in economics and political science, is pursuing a master's degree in instructional design, development and evaluation. A 2015 team captain, Trudo started two games at center and nine at right guard this past season. He recorded a season-high six knockdown blocks at Florida State and helped the Orange rush for 242 yards against Clemson, the most rushing yards allowed by the national runner-up in 2015. Trudo joins Joe Thuney (NC State), DeVon Edwards (Duke), Adam Bisnowaty (Pittsburgh) and Ryan Janvion (Wake Forest) as three-time All-ACC Academic honorees.

Emerich is a sport management major. He played in all 12 games last season with 10 starts. Emerich earned the highest grade of any Orange lineman versus LSU and Louisville. In addition, he teamed with Trudo and the rest of the Syracuse front five to pave the way for the team's 200-yard rushing effort against Clemson.

Samuels, who is enrolled in the David B. Falk College of Sport of Human Dynamics, notched 15 tackles in his first year as a starter.

Whitner led all Orange true freshmen in 2015 with 33 tackles, including a career-high nine stops at Louisville. The Lawrenceville, Ga. product is enrolled in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Syracuse's four selections were tied for the fourth-most of any conference school. Only Duke (13), Virginia (6) and Pittsburgh (5) had more.

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Syracuse University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Jason Emerich

Kayton Samuels

Rob Trudo

Kielan Whitner

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