Nov. 7, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s Tyler Brause, Landon Foster, Kelly Mason and Jordan Swindle each earned first-team Capital One Academic All-District honors, it was announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
UK had four players earn first-team accolades, making them each eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Brause, a senior linebacker, owns a 3.76 GPA as a kinesiology major. A 6-foot-4, 240-pound product of Sycamore, Ohio, Brause is a three-time member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. A former quarterback, Brause shifted to linebacker in 2010 and has played in 35 games in his career.
UK’s standout junior punter, Foster has a cumulative 4.0 GPA as a double major in finance and marketing. A native of Franklin, Tenn., Foster is in the midst of a strong season in 2014, putting 47 times for a 42.7-yard average, with a career-best 22 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. A member of the midseason Ray Guy Award Watch List, Foster has the third-best average in UK career history (42.2), dropping 50 punts inside the 20-yard line and owning 35 punts over 50 yards. Foster currently ranks eighth in the NCAA in percentage of punts (46.8) downed inside the 20-yard line.
Mason, UK’s junior long snapper, has a 3.90 GPA with a double major in finance and marketing. A native of Rockton, Ill., Mason has served as UK’s starting long snapper for punts and placekicks for the last three years. A 6-foot-3, 223-pound product of Hononegah High School, Mason is a two-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Swindle, a captain and starting offensive tackle for the Wildcats in all nine games in 2014, has a 3.86 GPA as a kinesiology major with pre-med aspirations. A native of St. Johns, Fla., Swindle has started 21 consecutive games on the UK offensive line. A 6-foot-7, 306-pounder, Swindle was a 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
Kentucky (5-4, 2-4 SEC) will return to action on Saturday in its home finale, hosting No. 17 Georgia for a noon kickoff in the final game played at Commonwealth Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN and will be broadcast live on the UK Radio Network, with Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro and Dick Gabriel voicing the action.
