Delaware's Cross, Mooney Named to NCAA I-AA Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team DATE: December 23, 2004 CLEVELAND, OH -- University of Delaware senior defensive linemen Ben Cross (top right) and Chris Mooney (bottom right) have been selected to the seventh annual NCAA I-AA football Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star team. A total of 36 student-athletes were chosen from 86 nominees by a six-person committee made up of collegiate directors of athletics. To be eligible, students were required to have a 3.2 or better cumulative grade point index, be competing in at least their second season of intercollegiate athletics, and be a starter or key reserve for their team. Delaware was one of just four schools to place more than one student-athlete on the squad, joining Liberty, New Hampshire, and Wofford. Cross and Mooney were among six Atlantic 10 players honored, joining quarterback Lang Campbell of William & Mary, offensive lineman Tim Carignan and wide receiver Shaun Diner of New Hampshire, and linebacker Arthur Townsend of James Madison. All six of the Atlantic 10 selections also competed in the NCAA I-AA playoffs this past fall. Cross, a senior defensive end from Hamilton, VA (Loudoun Valley HS), is a two-time ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American, including a first team selection this past fall. He is a three-time CoSIDA All-District academic selection, a three-time member of the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team, and was the inaugural Atlantic 10 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football in 2003. A civil engineering major with a 3.95 grade point index, he posted 23 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, this past season. Mooney, a senior defensive lineman from Huntington, NY (Huntington HS), has been honored for both his play on the field and work in the classroom this fall. Over the last month, he has been named first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, first team All-East, and third team All-American by The Sports Network. He also was a second team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American and was named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team. He earned All-Atlantic 10 honors three times, was CoSIDA Academic All-District three times, and Atlantic 10 All-Academic three times during his career. An accounting major with a 3.51 grade point index, he registered 42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 quarterback sacks this past fall. He ranks 10th all-time at Delaware with 16 career sacks. From the group of honorees, six finalists were selected to receive two $5,000 post-graduate scholarships. Those winners will be announced at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in Lake Buena Vista, FL June 15-18. The finalists are Stephen Bono (Lafayette), Justin Gibson (Bucknell), Kevin Knutson (Valparaiso), Jonathan LeDonne (Robert Morris), Brandon Mason (Elon), and Craig Unger (Morehead State). AGATE: 2004 NCAA I-AA Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team: Offense - QB - Lang Campbell (William & Mary), Alvin Cowan (Yale), Scott Dolch (Central Connecticut State), Joel Sambursky (Southern Illinois), Jeff Zolman (Wofford); RB - Sam Gado (Liberty), Nick Hartigan (Brown); TE - Christopher Cash (Morgan State); WR - Shaun Diner (New Hampshire), Kevin Knutson (Valparaiso); OL - Dan Bieg (Southeast Missouri State), Stephen Bono (Lafayette), Sean Boyle (Liberty), Tim Carignan (New Hampshire), Justin Gibson (Bucknell), Gerell Golightly (Hampton), John Schabilion (Northern Iowa), Matthew Hoelsccher (Stephen F. Austin), Brandon Mason (Elon) Defense - DL - Ben Cross (Delaware), Adam DeGraffenreid (Charleston Southern), David McMahon (Butler), Chris Mooney (Delaware), Michael Quarshie (Columbia); LB - Brendan Dete (Davidson), Josh Dooley (Dartmouth), Joey King (Portland State), Jonathan LeDonne (Robert Morris), Josh Smith (Wofford), Arthur Townsend (James Madison), Craig Unger (Morehead State), Brett Vavra (Tennessee Tech); DB - Doug Jones (Dayton) Special Teams - P - Josh Appell (Pennsylvania); K - Stephen Carroll (Illinois State), Josh Hoke (Coastal Carolina). - DDD - Copyright, © 2004, University of Delaware. All rights reserved. Please direct Athletics questions to the Athletics Media Relations office. Blue Hen Teams Baseball W-Basketball M-Basketball W-Rowing W-Cross Country M-Cross Country Field Hockey Football Golf W-Indoor Track M-Indoor Track W-Lacrosse M-Lacrosse W-Outdoor Track M-Outdoor Track W-Soccer M-Soccer Softball W-Swimming M-Swimming W-Tennis M-Tennis Volleyball   Return to Football Home Page