Nov. 8, 2012

2012 Football Academic All-District

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina junior defensive end Matt Milner has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 3 First Team, according to an announcement Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A physics major, Milner earned the second academic all-district award of his career with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average. By making the first team, he is eligible for Capital One Academic All-America honors for the second straight season.

Milner was the football program's first Academic All-America selection last season with his spot on the second team and was named the 2011-12 Conference USA Football Co-Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year. Milner also earned selection to the C-USA's Commissioner's Honor Roll for the third time, received his third Commissioner's Academic Medal and secured a place on the C-USA All-Academic Team for the second-straight year.

The Raleigh native is a six-time ECU Chancellor's List honoree and was one of East Carolina's 2010 winners of the Merck General Chemistry Achievement Award, which is presented to the top students who have gone through ECU's CHEM 1150/1160 General Chemistry Track. He was among six chosen from approximately 600 students based on grade-point average and results of the American Chemical Society's first semester general chemistry standardized exam.

On the field this season, Milner has played in all 10 games and started once. He has booked seven tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry as part of a unit that ranks among the top-four in the conference in total, rush and scoring defense. Against Navy on Oct. 27, Milner had his best game of the season with three stops. Since earning a starting position as a freshman in 2010, he has played in 35 career games and recorded 91 tackles, four sacks and 11.5 stops for lost yardage.

To be eligible for the Capital One Academic All-District Football Teams, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution. No student-athlete is eligible until he has completed one full calendar year at his current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

After a bye in the schedule this week, Milner and the Pirates (6-4, 5-1 C-USA) return to action on Saturday, Nov. 17, with a 3:30 p.m. contest at Tulane (2-7, 2-3 C-USA).