Mann, Todd Named to Academic All-District First Team

Nebraska juniors Kurt Mann and Dane Todd have been named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII Football Team?University Division as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. This marks the second consecutive year that Mann and Todd have earned academic all-district honors.

As first-team academic all-district selections Mann and Todd now advance to the ballot for Academic All-America honors. Two other Huskers earned second-team All-District VII honors, as sophomore tight end J.B. Phillips and senior safety Blake Tiedtke were recognized.

Nebraska’s starting center for each of the past two seasons, Mann carries a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average in mechanized systems management. Mann, a native of Grand Island, Neb., was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 pick in 2004, in addition to earning Academic All-District VII recognition. On the field, Mann was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 choice last year and was named to the watch lists for the Rimington Trophy and the Lombardi Award this fall.

Todd is in his first season as Nebraska’s starting fullback and is a key blocker and receiver for the Husker offense. He has caught six passes for 52 yards out of the Nebraska backfield. In the classroom, the Lincoln Southeast graduate carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in biological sciences and was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 pick in 2004. He is one of Nebraska’s most active players in the community and is a three-time member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team.

Tiedtke is Nebraska’s starting free safety this fall and ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 56 stops. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he is an eight-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and owns a 3.638 grade-point average in exercise science. Tiedtke is on track to graduate next May.

Phillips has started all nine games at tight end this season and has nine receptions for 49 yards. The Colleyville, Texas native was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection in 2004 and owns a 3.686 cumulative GPA in marketing.

Voting for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America will occur later this month, with the Academic All-America teams announced in early December.

Nebraska is the nation’s leader in Academic All-Americans for football and all sports. In football, Nebraska has had 60 first-team Academic All-Americans and 31 overall selections. The Huskers have a nation-leading 222 Academic All-Americans across all teams and all sports, 60 more than second-place Notre Dame.