VMI Football: Smith named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team

For the second year in a row, VMI junior safety AJ Smith was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for his accomplishments on the field and for superior academic work in the classroom.

First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. First- and second-team (if applicable) Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December. Last year as a sophomore, Smith achieved the mark and was named to the Academic All-America team after being named to the All-District 3 first team.

The top academic achievement a collegiate student-athlete can earn, candidates must hold at least a 3.3 GPA to be considered and be a significant contributor on the field of play. A mechanical engineering major, Smith earned the GPA requirement and excels on the field as a team captain and one of the team’s best defensive players.

This season, Smith ranks second on the team in total tackles with 62 on the year including 33 solo takedowns and 29 assisted tackles. He also has 2.5 tackles for loss, three picks, deflected seven passes and forced one fumble.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the attached PDF and are divided into geographic districts across the United States.

CoSIDA members will vote on the All-District first team members next week and the Academic All-Americans will be announced later this month.

For more information about CoSIDA’s Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com on CoSIDA.com.