Nov. 30, 2007

IRVING, Texas (C-USA/SMU) - SMU's Thomas Morstead and Zack Sledge were among 13 student-athletes named to the 2007 Conference USA Football All-Academic Team on Friday, Nov. 30.

Morstead, a junior who made the team for the second-straight season, was a Conference USA Academic Medal winner and a member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2006 and was a member of the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team. This season, he led Conference USA and ranked ninth in the nation with a 44.6-yard average on punts and helped the Mustangs rank second in the nation in net punting. His average is third-best in SMU history and helped him make the Ray Guy Award Watch List.

Sledge, a senior, has been a two-time member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll and was also a member of the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team. He recorded the second-best single season in SMU history with 10 TD receptions in 2007, the most-ever for an SMU senior.

Memphis, Rice, Tulsa and UCF also produced two members on the team, while East Carolina, Southern Miss and UTEP were also represented. The all-academic team consists of student-athletes that have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on the football team.

A complete list of the All-Academic winners follows:

2007 CONFERENCE USA FOOTBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name; School; Class; Pos; GPA; Major
Josh Coffman; East Carolina; Gr.; RT; 3.50; Business
Jake Kasser; Memphis; Sr.; LB; 3.47; Accounting
Brandon Patterson; Memphis; Gr.; FS; 3.70; Business Administration/Finance
Robby Heos; Rice; Sr.; OG; 3.44; Health Science
Andrew Sendejo; Rice; So.; S; 3.47; Kinesiology/Sport Management
Thomas Morstead; SMU; Jr.; P/K; 3.40; Mechanical Engineering
Zack Sledge; SMU; Sr.; WR; 3.45; Finance
Jeremy Young; Southern Miss; Sr.; QB; 3.29; Marketing;
Nelson Coleman; Tulsa; Gr.; LB; 3.35; Management
Paul Smith; Tulsa; ; Sr.; QB; 3.84; Communication
Sha'reef Rashad; UCF; Jr.; SS; 3.46; Criminal Justice
Keith Shologan; UCF; Sr.; DT; 3.52; Finance
Lorne Sam; UTEP; Gr.; QB/WR; 3.50; Educational Leadership