Taylor Football Earns Eight Academic All-District Awards

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor football program once again picked up the maximum amount of College Sports Communicators NAIA Academic All-District honors recently, with eight student-athletes receiving the award. TU was one of six teams from the NAIA to put eight individuals on the list.

Clay Adams, Stephen Ellis, Braxton Green, Jacob Hockett, Brendan Lamb, Michael Medlock, Bryce Vasvari and Hojun Yun represented TU on the prestigious list.

Adams earned his first CSC Academic All-District honor, with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.73 in orphans and vulnerable children. The senior right tackle started all 11 games for Taylor, helping the Trojans rank 10th in the NAIA with 214.9 rushing yards per contest.

Ellis collected a third-straight CSC Academic All-District award, after also collecting Academic All-American honors in 2021. The senior wide receiver and running back boasts a 3.89 cumulative GPA in marketing systems, and ranked third on the TU roster in all-purpose yards per game.

Green was named a CSC Academic All-District recipient for a second-straight year with a 3.92 GPA in elementary education. As a senior defensive end, Green ranked second on the squad with 4.5 sacks and 8.0 tackles for lost yardage.

Hockett grabbed a second-straight CSC Academic All-District recognition with a 3.53 grade-point average in elementary education. The three-time All-MSFA linebacker ranked fifth in the MSFA Mideast and 38th in the NAIA with 91.0 tackles.

Lamb backed up his CSC Academic All-American selections from 2021 and 2022 with a third-straight Academic All-District award. The senior running back owns a 3.98 GPA in management and marketing and ranked third on TU with 89 carries.

Medlock took a third-straight CSC Academic All-District nod with a 3.83 cumulative grade-point average in art education. The senior center started each of the Trojans’ 11 games, helping TU average 4.4 yards per carry and rack up 23 rushing touchdowns.

Vasvari also earned a third-straight CSC Academic All-District award with a 3.64 GPA in biology science education. The senior right guard helped Taylor rush for at least 130 yards in all 11 games, while posting at least 150 rushing yards in 10 games.

Yun rounded out Taylor’s list of CSC Academic All-District recipients, collecting his third award in as many years with a 3.89 GPA in exercise science. As a senior safety and linebacker, Yun logged 27 tackles and three pass breakups.

The CSC Academic All-District distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the field. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have met playing time criteria as a key contributor during the current season.

Each university is limited to eight individuals for the award and student-athletes are nominated for the honor by their own Sports Information Department.

Adams, Ellis, Green, Hockett, Lamb, Medlock, Vasvari and Yun will advance to the ballot for CSC Academic All-American honors, which will be voted on by members of the CSC before being announced on January 23.