Dec. 18, 2009
Mellott, Blose Represent Penguins on 2009 FCS ADA All-Star Team
Cleveland, Ohio -- Youngstown State senior offensive lineman Brian Mellott and junior placekicker Stephen Blose were named to the 2009 FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team, the organization announced on Friday in conjunction with tonight's NCAA FCS Championship Game.
Mellott and Blose have led the way for the Penguins this fall with their performances in the classroom. Both student-athletes were first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and each earned academic All-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades. Blose was a first-team all-conference selection while Mellott was a second-team pick. Mellott was a first-team pick his first two years with the program.
FCS Academic All-Star Team members are required to have a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.
Mellott graduated from YSU in August with a degree in accounting with a 3.90 grade-point average. In the fall he was in his first semester of graduate school. He started all 11 games at right guard in 2009 and was the only member of the offensive line to start every game. He played 762 snaps for the year to lead the unit.
Blose has a perfect 4.00 grade-point average after eight semesters in Middle Childhood Education. In 2009, he took over as the team's placekicker making 9-of-16 field-goal attempts, including longs of 48 yards against Pitt and South Dakota State. He was a perfect 27-of-27 on extra-point kicks becoming the first Penguin to make all his PAT tries in a single year since 2002. As the Guins' kickoff specialist, he had 46 boots for an average of 62.6 and had two-successful onside kicks.
A special Review Committee of Football Championship Subdivision athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists. Completing this task were Greg Burke, Northwestern State; Peter Fields, Montana State (chair); Brian Hutchinson, Morehead State; Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth; Ron Strollo, Youngstown State; Jeff Tingey, Idaho State; and Tim Van Alstine, Western Illinois.