Coastal Athletic Association (CAA Sports)

MAINE?S CANARY EARNS CAA FOOTBALL STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR; ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM ANNOUNCED

2/9/2009 5:00:00 AM

RICHMOND, Va. (February 9, 2009) -- Maine senior offensive lineman Ryan Canary, the 2008 CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year, headlines a list of 106 CAA Football Academic All-Conference honorees for the 2008 season.

Canary, who maintains a 3.70 grade point average as a Secondary Education major, helped lead the Black Bears to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 2002.  The Point Pleasant, N.J., native was a 2008 First Team All-CAA Football selection and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from The Sports Network.  Now a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree, Canary earned ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors during the 2008 season and was one 43 FCS student-athletes listed as semifinalist for the 2008 Draddy Trophy.

Canary finished his career at Maine having started each of his last 35 contests dating back to the 2006 season.  The Black Bears’ center helped Maine’s offense finish among CAA Football’s Top-4 rushing units in each of the last three years.  Canary also anchored a rushing attack which paved the way for Jhamal Fluellen’s 1,000-yard season in 2007 and freshman Jared Turcotte’s march to a First Team All-Conference honor in 2008.  The three-time Maine Scholar-Athlete honoree was part of the Black Bear Dean’s list five times, earned a Presidential Achievement honor and was named the Sam Sezak Outstanding Offensive Lineman of Year for Maine twice during his time in Orono.

CAA Football cited 106 student-athletes - 57 on offense and 49 on defense - as members of its 2008 Academic All-Conference team.

To be eligible for the CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team, a player must be a starter or important reserve and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00-or-better (on a 4.00 scale) for his entire academic career.  A transfer is not eligible unless he has completed one (1) full year at his institution.  First-year freshmen are not eligible.  Voting for the Student-Athlete of the Year honor is conducted by the 12 CAA Football Sports Information Directors.

Following is the 2008 CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team:

2008 CAA FOOTBALL ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM