Football | 11/5/2015 3:34:00 PM
Moon Township, Pa. – Redshirt senior offensive lineman
Nick Faraci and junior defensive back
Andy Smigiera of the
Robert Morris University football team were both named Academic All-District First Team in an announcement made by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday afternoon.
As a result of their first-team selections, both Colonials will now advance to the Academic All-America ballot.
This is third consecutive year that Faraci has earned this honor and the first such award for Smigiera, as these two accolades continue the academic successes of RMU football student-athletes.
These honors give the Colonial program at least one Academic All-District honoree in each of the past 13 seasons, a span in which Robert Morris has taken home 25 overall selections. To put that in perspective, no other Northeast Conference (NEC) school has an active streak of football academic all-district selections longer than four years.
RMU football has also now had multiple student-athletes earn academic all-district honors in each of the past six years.
The Division I Academic All-District football teams encompass student-athletes from both the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This means that Colonials were competing against athletes from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big Ten, the Big 12, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to gain a spot on their district's 23-member team.
Faraci carried a 3.94 grade point average while obtaining his degree in nursing.
Faraci has started 41 consecutive games at center for the Colonials. His 41 career starts are tied for the most in program history among non-specialists. The veteran is one of four permanent captains this year and serves as an organizer of his teammates on the line in regard to pre-snap calls. Faraci helped Robert Morris rush for 228 yards at No. 6 South Dakota State, the highest rushing figure the Jackrabbits have allowed to a FCS program this year. He and his teammates also did not yield a sack in that contest, marking the first time in school history that the Colonials did not allow a sack when facing a nationally ranked team. Faraci also helped RMU's primary running back rush for 152 yards at No. 17 Youngstown State, the most rushing yards the Penguins have allowed to a single FCS athlete this season.
Faraci, who had the highest GPA among all FCS selections at any position in RMU's district, had one of the top three GPA's nationally among all Division I offensive linemen that were named Academic All-District.
Smigiera has a 3.86 grade point average as an accounting major.
Smigiera has started 19 consecutive games at weak safety, tied for the longest active streak on the Colonial defense. He has posted 41 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and two blocked kicks thus far in 2015. He ranks second in the league and among the top 25 nationally in passes defended per game (1.3). Smigiera is responsible for one of the two interceptions thrown by South Dakota State's starting quarterback this season. He is a key reason why the Colonials rank among the top 25 in the FCS in both passing efficiency defense and total defense, as RMU is holding its opponent under a 51% completion mark on the season. Smigiera owns 115 tackles and five interceptions since becoming a full-time starter in 2014.
Smigiera had one of the top eight GPA's nationally among all Division I defensive backs named Academic All-District.
With these selections, a total of 18 student-athletes from the RMU football program have earned All-District academic honors from CoSIDA. These 18 student athletes have combined for 30 overall selections.
Faraci becomes only the third Robert Morris student-athlete, across all sports, to be named Academic All-District First Team on three occasions. Smigiera is just the second Colonial defensive back to be named Academic All-District, with the only previous occurrence coming in 2004.
Faraci and Smigiera were two of the five student-athletes to earn this honor from the NEC.
RMU resumes action this Saturday, Nov. 7, as it hosts East Tennessee State.
