The Chattanooga Mocs football program set a school record with seven on the Academic All-District 3 Team selected by CoSIDA. The District 3 team is encompassed by all Division I schools – FBS & FCS combined – in the states of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina.
Five are repeat honorees in running back Ailym Ford, defensive back Rashun Freeman, defensive back Jerrell Lawson, kicker Aaron Sears, linebacker Christian Snyder and offensive lineman Cole Strange. Defensive back CaMiron Smith joined his teammates as three quarters of the defensive backfield are Mocs.
The seven total led District 3.
Duke was second with three. William & Mary, Tennessee and Appalachian State also had multiple student-athletes listed. Chattanooga’s seven was second only to Dartmouth. There were 10 total from Southern Conference schools with Hamp Sisson (Furman), Raleigh Webb (The Citadel) and Barron King (Mercer) joining the Mocs.
“I think it says a lot of about our program and our guys commitment across the board,” Coach Rusty Wright shared. “Four of them are in grad school and will be honored this weekend for Senior Day. Those are the kind of people you want leading your football team.
“We appreciate all the hard work of our academic support group giving our team a platform not only to succeed, but to excel. I could not be prouder of this accomplishment.”
That makes 13 Academic All-District honors during the calendar year. Freeman, Lawson, Strange, Ford and Snyder were joined by Drayton Arnold in the spring. It’s the third such award for Freeman and Lawson which ties the legendary Davis Tull ’14 for the most in school history.
The septet now shift to the national ballot for first and second team consideration for Academic All-America honors. The last CoSIDA Academic All-American was Bryce Nunnelly making the second team in 2019. There have been five total with Tull earning first team in 2013 and 2014, while Craine was second team in 2015 and first in 2016.