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Michael Boccella added another academic honor to his impressive resume.

Bucknell's Boccella, Frisbey Named to Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team

Bison duo among 54 national honorees

Dec. 15, 2006

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell seniors Michael Boccella (Dunmore, Pa./Dunomore) and David Frisbey (Newark, Del./Charter School) on Friday were named to the ninth annual Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.

From a pool of 94 nominees, Boccella and Frisbey were two of 54 student-athletes named to the team and two of three recipients from the Patriot League.

In November, Boccella and Frisbey were both named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Team, while Frisbey went on to earn national Academic All-America honors.

Boccella played in every game as an offensive tackle this season for the 6-5 Bison. He helped the Bison rush for an average of 235.2 yards per game, fifth-best in the nation. Off the field, Boccella is majoring in history with a minor in education, and he boasts a GPA of 3.65.

Boccella has been a member of the Dean's List every semester at Bucknell and has also been a regular member of Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He has been inducted into three national honor societies, including Mortar Board, and has nominations pending for two others. Boccella, who spent the spring 2006 semester studying in Rome, Italy, is an Eagle Scout who reads regularly to preschool children with Bucknell's Read Aloud program. Other community service includes participation in Bucknell's "Multicultural Explosion" and volunteering with several football teammates at Lewisburg Little League Cleanup Day.

Frisbey this season started all 11 games thus far at cornerback, and he did not miss a start since the beginning of his junior year. He finished as Bucknell's sixth-leading tackler with 51 stops (30 solo) from his cornerback position, and he had an interception, a blocked kick and a fumble recovery to his credit. His five career interceptions were tied for the most on the active roster. Frisbey has also been a special teams stalwart since the start of his freshman year, and in 2005 he was named the team's special teams player of the year.

His credentials are just as impressive off the field, where he carries a 3.54 cumulative grade-point average in Bucknell's highly regarded management program. A member of the university's Dean's List and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Frisbey was recently named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, also known as the "Academic Heisman," which is presented to the national college football scholar-athlete of the year.

Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions were eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the 94 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. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing and have completed a minimum of one full academic year.

A special review committee of Football Championship Subdivision athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists. Completing this task were Greg Burke, Northwestern State; Peter Fields, Montana State; Don Kaverman, chair, Southeast Missouri State; Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth; Jim Murphy, Davidson; and Tim Van Alstine, Western Illinois.

In 2006 the Bison football team finished 6-5, a five-game improvement from the previous season. That win differential tied a school record and also tied them for the most-improved team in the nation this season.