Complete List of Winners
 
He may be running out of classes to take, but there is no shortage of academic honors to be had for Jack Sendelbach.
 
The senior linebacker has been recognized on the 23rd Annual Academic All-Star Team as selected by the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association. Fellow linebacker Ty Graham was among the 104 nominees, but only Sendelbach was selected for the final squad of 54 members.
 
Eastern has now earned 24 total honors won by 20 different players since the award began in 1998. Eastern head coach Aaron Best was honored in 1999.
 
Sendelbach, now 24, will enter his seventh season in the Eagle program in fall of 2021. He graduated following spring quarter in 2019 in marketing, and is now in a graduate program for sport and recreation administration. He has a 3.97 grade point average thus far in his master's program and had a 3.37 accumulative GPA as an undergraduate.
 
Sendelbach was also named this year to the Hampshire Honor Society as chosen by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He will be named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team for the fourth time when that squad is announced in late June or early July.
 
Sendelbach, already a two-time team captain, enters the 2021 season with 192 tackles in his 39-game career (18 as a starter), and has had 10 performances in double figures. He also has five career sacks, 17 total tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
 
In the 2020-21 season shortened to seven games because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he finished with 33 tackles to rank sixth on the team despite playing in just three games. He played his first game in 2020-21 as a starter in EWU's 32-22 win at 11th-ranked UC Davis (4/3/21) and had six tackles. In his next game versus Idaho (4/10/21), Sendelbach finished with a career-high 14 tackles. He closed the year with 13 tackles for EWU in the FCS Playoffs against North Dakota State (4/24/21) to hit double figures for the 10th time of his career.
 
Following the 2019 season, he was granted a sixth year by the NCAA in the offseason to complete four years of eligibility because of seasons lost because of injuries. And since the NCAA did not count the 2020-21 against a student-athlete's eligibility, he'll return for essentially a seventh year in 2021.
 
 

Past EWU Recipients on the NCAA Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Academic All-Star Team

 
2020-21 - Jack Sendelbach, Linebacker
2019 - Spencer Blackburn, Center
2019 - Dehonta Hayes, Safety
2017 - Spencer Blackburn, Center
2016 - Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver
2015 - Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver
2015 - ***Jake Withnell, Tight End
2014 - Ronnie Hamlin, Linebacker
2013 - Ronnie Hamlin, Linebacker
2013 - Ashton Miller, Center
2012 - Jeff Minnerly, Safety
2011 - Jeff Minnerly, Safety
2011 - Mike Jarrett, Kicker
2010 - J.C. Sherritt, Linebacker
2010 - Matt Martin, Tight End
2009 - Chris Thomas, Offensive Tackle
2009 - Jacob Kragt, Defensive End
2007 - Tom McAndrews, Tight End
2005 - Joey Cwik, Linebacker
2003 - Kyler Randall, Wide Receiver
2003 - Kurt Sigler, Offensive Tackle
2002 - Josh Blankenship, Quarterback
1999 - Aaron Best, Center
1998 - Mike MacKenzie, Running Back
***Also post-graduate scholarship finalist.
 
 

More on Sendelbach . . .

 
Career: An Eagle since the fall of 2015 when he redshirted, Sendelbach enters the 2021 season with 192 tackles in his 39-game career (18 as a starter), and has had 10 performances in double figures. He also has five career sacks, 17 total tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
 
2020-21: He became the 20th different Eastern player in school history (total of 24 honors) to be recognized as one of 54 members national on the FCS Athletic Director's Association Academic All-Star Team. He joined the likes of former Eagle Cooper Kupp and EWU head coach Aaron Best to be selected to the prestigious team, which began in 1998 and honored its 23rd class in 2020-21. Sendelbach was also named to the Hampshire Honor Society as chosen by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He finished with 33 tackles to rank sixth on the team despite playing in just three games. He played his first game in 2020-21 as a starter in EWU's 32-22 win at 11th-ranked UC Davis (4/3/21) and had six tackles. In his next game versus Idaho (4/10/21), Sendelbach finished with a career-high 14 tackles. He closed the year with 13 tackles for EWU in the FCS Playoffs against North Dakota State (4/24/21) to hit double figures for the 10th time of his career. Selected for the second-straight year as a senior team co-captain as voted upon by his teammates, joining quarterback Eric Barriere, safety Calin Criner, running back Tamarick Pierce, offensive tackle Tristen Taylor and linebacker Ty Graham. He returns after being granted a sixth year by the NCAA in the offseason to complete four years of eligibility because of seasons lost because of injuries.
 
2019: He was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. He started in all 11 of the games he played, and missed only EWU's game at Idaho (9/21/19). He finished second on the team with 94 tackles, and also finished with eight total tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, a pass broken up and a fumble recovery. His average of 8.5 tackles per game ranked ninth in the Big Sky. Sendelbach closed the year with 10 tackles and a sack at Portland State (11/23/19) for the seventh double-figure tackling performance in his career. He was the team's defensive player of the week against North Dakota (8/31/19) when he had 12 stops and a sack. His other double figure tackling performances included 12 against Jacksonville State (9/14/19) and Montana (10/26/19), and 11 against Northern Arizona (11/2/19) and Cal Poly (11/16/19). He also had a sack and seven total tackles versus Idaho State (11/9/19), and versus NAU he had a forced fumble, pass broken up and a quarterback hurry. Eastern was a perfect 5-0 at home in 2019, and Sendelbach had 38 tackles and a pair of sacks in those five games. Was also chosen as one of five EWU team co-captains for the 2019 season.
 
2018: Did not play. He had a team-high 24 tackles with a pair of sacks in three spring scrimmages, including 11 tackles and a sack in EWU's Red-White Game. He helped lead the White to a 17-0 shutout of the Red, whose deepest penetrations of the game were the White 21 and 23 yard lines in the fourth quarter.
 
2017: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. Was Eastern's super-sub in 2017, filling in for a starter four times in 2017 and finishing with 49 tackles in 11 games with two sacks. With three fumble recoveries in 2017, Sendelbach ranked ninth in FCS. He earned a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors after helping lead EWU's sterling defensive effort in a 21-14 victory over North Dakota (11/11/17). Besides earning the team's defensive player of the week honor, he was the official Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week and earned the same honor from College Sports Madness after finishing with 11 tackles and recovering a key fumble in the win. He was credited with a half-sack, and his fumble recovery came with 13:21 left in the game at the EWU 1-yard line and the Eagles clinging to a 21-7 lead. Five of his tackles came in the second quarter when EWU outscored UND 14-0 and had a dominating 191-29 advantage in total offense. Sendelbach was replacing suspended starting middle linebacker Kurt Calhoun in the lineup, and earlier in the 2017 season had started three games as an injury replacement for Ketner Kupp at strong-side linebacker. Besides his big game against UND, he had a season-high 13 tackles versus North Dakota State (9/9/17) in place of Kupp. Sendelbach closed the season with seven tackles against Portland State (11/18/17). He moved from the defensive line to linebacker in the spring.
 
2016: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. En route to earning EWU Special Teams Player of the Year accolades, he was EWU's special teams player of the week against Washington State (9/3/16), Northern Colorado (10/8/16) and Portland State (11/18/16). He had 16 tackles as a redshirt freshman, playing all 13 games before missing EWU's game in the FCS Playoffs against Youngstown State (12/17/16) with a high ankle sprain. He had a season-high four tackles against Richmond (12/10/16) in the FCS Playoffs. He had a team-leading three sacks in three spring scrimmages with a total of eight tackles.
 
2015: Redshirted.
 
HS: Graduated from Blanchet HS in 2015. As a senior in 2014, Sendelbach was a second team selection at tight end and linebacker on The Associated Press 3A All-State team. He was the 3A Metro Mountain Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-way first team all-conference player at tight end and linebacker. He was named by the Seattle Times as a "White Chip" selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. Sendelbach had 136 tackles, five sacks, 14 total tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 2014. He had three games with 20 or more tackles, including a school-record 22. As a junior in 2013, Sendelbach totaled 128 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks, plus one blocked punt. He was a second team All-3A Metro Mountain selection as a tight end and linebacker. He was the team's MVP (2014) and defensive MVP (2013 and 2014). In 2012, he was given the "Mr. Sophomore" award at Blanchet, which goes to the top sophomore in the football program. He also wrestled in high school and has had a 335-pound clean lift. His former Eastern teammate Andre Lino ('13) also attended Blanchet.
 
Personal: Sendelbach graduated following spring quarter in 2019 in marketing, and is now in a graduate program for sport and recreation administration. He had a 3.97 grade point average thus far in his master's program and had a 3.97 GPA as an undergrad. Born 1/13/97 in Seattle, Wash. Parents are Michael and Kristine Sendelbach.
 

Year	GP	TT	Hi	S	TL-Yds	FF-FR	PBU	I-Yds
2016	13	16	4	0	1-0	1-0	0	0-0
2017	11	49	13	2	7-24	1-3	0	0-0
2018	1	0	--	0	0-0	0-0	0	0-0
2019	11	94	12	3	8-25	1-1	1	0-0
2020-21	3	33	14	0	1-2	0-0	0	0-0
Totals	39	192	14	5	17-51	3-4	1	0-0

 
JACK SENDELBACH Top Tackling Performances (10 with 10+)
14 tackles – Idaho – 4/10/21
13 tackles – North Dakota State – 4/24/21
13 tackles – North Dakota State – 9/9/17
12 tackles – Montana – 10/26/19
12 tackles – North Dakota – 9/28/19
12 tackles – Jacksonville State – 9/14/19
11 tackles – Cal Poly – 11/16/19
11 tackles – Northern Arizona – 10/2/19
11 tackles – North Dakota – 11/11/17
10 tackles – Portland State – 11/23/19
 

 

More on the 23rd Annual FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team . . .

 
CLEVELAND - The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has named 54 student-athletes to the 23rd Annual Academic All-Star Team.

These 54 individuals were selected from a pool of over 105 applicants. Leading the way was the Missouri Valley Conference, which placed nine student-athletes on the 2020-21 Academic All-Star Team. The Missouri Valley Conference was followed closely by the Colonial Athletic Association with eight recipients and the Big Sky Conference, which tallied six recipients.
 
"I would like to congratulate the young men who were selected for the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, this is a remarkable honor," said current FCS ADA President Ashley Robinson, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Jackson State University. "With the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes to daily routines, I applaud this team for staying the course, remaining focused, and excelling in the classroom and on the field of competition."
 
To view the complete list of winners, click here.

Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent (50%) of the games played at their designated position.
There was one adjustment made for this year's nomination process to accommodate institutions who did not participate in the sport of football in fall of 2020 or spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. The Committee allowed those institutions to still submit current year academic data for their nominees while also submitting the 2019 season statistics.  

Additionally, from the 2020-21 Academic All-Star Team, nine finalists were selected for the 20th Annual FCS ADA $5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship. Two student-athletes will receive postgraduate scholarships.
The 2020-21 FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists are: Dejoun Lee, University of Delaware, RB, 3.7 GPA; Rick Mottram, Bucknell University, LB, 3.97 GPA; Brady Schutt, University of South Dakota, P, 3.87 GPA; J.T. Timming, James Madison University, OL, 3.9 GPA; Cole Johnson, James Madison University, QB, 3.38 GPA; Kama Kamaka, University of San Diego, LB, 3.61 GPA; Preston Tetzlaff, South Dakota State University, LB, 3.92 GPA; Raleigh Webb, The Citadel, WR, 4.0 GPA; and ZeVeyon Furcron, Southern Illinois University, OL, 4.0 GPA.
 
A special Review Committee of FCS athletics directors were responsible for selecting the 2020-21 Academic All-Star Team and FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists. This year's Review Committee consisted of: Ashley Robinson, Jackson State University (Chair); Nicki Moore, Colgate University; Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois University; Milton Overton, Kennesaw State University; and Kent Haslam, University of Montana.

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 27^th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 56^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.