Three BGSU fall sports student-athletes named First Team All-Americans

Falcons’ punter also gets high marks on gridiron; Soccer duo leads on, off field

Bowling Green State University punter Joseph Davidson and two players from the men’s soccer team recently were named Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).   

Davidson was the 10th football player in program history to be named an Academic All-American, but just the fourth to be named to the first team.

"It is an honor to be recognized as part of the CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team," Davidson said. "Being a part of such a special group of not only athletes, but also tremendous students, is very humbling.  

“Balancing academics and athletics well can be very challenging at times, but it has been instilled in me that academics always come first because, after all, a degree is what I came to BGSU to get."

BGSU senior soccer players Pat Flynn and Joe Sullivan also were named to the first team.

Flynn is the first three-time Academic All-American in BGSU men's soccer history, while Sullivan is only the third Falcon to earn Academic All-America honors twice, joining Flynn and Joe Burch.

Bowling Green is the only school with two first-team selections on the 2016 team.  Plus, the Falcons have two overall CoSIDA Academic All-America selections for just the second time in school history. BGSU has had six CoSIDA Academic All-America Team honorees in the last four years.  

Davidson, who is from nearby Findlay, Ohio, holds a 3.94 grade-point average with a double major in mathematics and finance, but his classroom success is matched by his on-field ability. Davidson was a top 10 semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the best punter in college football. He led the nation with nine punts of 60 yards or more, and his 82-yard punt at Toledo is tied for the longest by an FBS punter this season.

Davidson averaged 45.8 yards per punt this season, good for sixth in the country, and his net punting average of 43.1 yards is second nationally. He has 19 punts of 50 yards or more, and dropped 21 of his 61 punts inside the 20.

"I owe a majority of my academic success to the people around me," Davidson said. "From my parents supporting and helping me every step of the way."

Both Flynn and Sullivan are natives of Naperville, Ill. Flynn, an accounting major, has a cumulative GPA of 3.875. Sullivan, a finance major, maintains a 3.931 cumulative GPA at BGSU.

Flynn was named to the All-MAC Team for the third time in as many years at BGSU. He led the team in scoring for the third straight season with 14 points and tied for the team lead with five goals, and finished his career ranked on several BGSU career top-10 lists. With 28 career goals, Flynn ranks seventh in school history.

Sullivan was third on the team in scoring with 11 points. His four goals included the game-winning score against Marshall, and he also had three assists to tie for fourth on the Falcons.