FOOTBALL'S MIKE KLOBUCHER NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

Ferris State Student-Athlete Now Eligible To Earn Academic All-America Recognition

Mike Klobucher was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division football team Thursday (Photo by Sandy Gholston).

Ferris State University football junior middle linebacker Mike Klobucher (Grand Haven/North Muskegon) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Football first team as announced Thursday (Nov. 10).

Klobucher was among 24 student-athletes from either a NCAA Division II and III school to land first-team recognition and was joined by two other linebackers in Joe George of Baldwin-Wallace and Wayne State's Dan Barnes.

As an all-district first-team member, Klobucher is eligible for Academic All-America® honors. Student-athletes listed on the Academic All-District second and third teams aren't eligible for the national ballot.

Klobucher led Ferris State in tackles for the second consecutive season with 109 total stops (45 solos) in 10 contests of the Bulldogs' 11 games this campaign. Klobucher, who missed the this season's finale at Saginaw Valley State (Nov. 5) due to an injury, also registered 6.5 tackles for a loss of 16 yards to go with one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles. A two-time (2004-05) All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Honorable Mention selection, Kloucher presently ranks 14th among the NCAA-II national statistical leaders in total tackles (10.9 avg.) and is 44th in solo tackles (4.9 avg.).

The 6-2, 245-pound defensive co-captain compiled five double-digit tackle game performances this fall, which included a season-high 17 stops (nine solos) versus Indianapolis (9/17). He recorded his double-figure tackles in five straight outings (9/3-10/1).

In 32 career contests at FSU, Klobucher has amassed 297 total tackles (159 solos) while registering 16.0 tackles for minus 44 yards. He also has six pass deflections, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass interceptions for five yards. Klobucher has garnered 15 career double-digit tackle game efforts to date, highlighted by eight such performances in the 2004 season.

An applied biology major, Klobucher is a two-time (2003-04) FSU President's Academic Award co-recipient for having the team's highest grade point average and also was named to the GLIAC's All-Academic Team a season ago. The last FSU football student-athlete to receive academic all-district kudos was Matt McCarthy in 1999, who was a second-team honoree.

Ferris State concluded the 2005 season at 3-8 overall and 3-7 in the GLIAC.

The Academic All-District team is comprised of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve while maintaining a cumulative grae-point average of 3.20 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members within their respective district.