Teague Florio Named a National Academic All-America

2015 Dec 1

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) Teague Florio of Southampton has been selected to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America(R) Division III Football Second Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

A senior cornerback, Florio (Southampton, NY / Southampton) started all 11 games, making 44 tackles, including a team-leading 36 unassisted. He had 2.5 tackles for lost yards (5), two interceptions, including one he returned for a 61-yard touchdown, and a team-best 12 pass breakups. Florio also had two fumble recoveries, which was tops on the Engineers, who finished 9-2, earned a share of the Liberty League title and won the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Championship Bowl. As a junior, he had 22 tackles (16 solo) with one for lost yards (2) and an interception in nine games, helping RPI to the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl.

He was first in the Liberty League in passes defended (14), third in passes defended per game (1.27) and 10th in fumble recoveries per game (0.18).

Florio is an aerospace engineering major with a 3.72 cumulative grade point average. He has been Liberty League All-Academic three times, CoSIDA Academic All-District twice and on the Dean's List six times. He has earned the MacFarlane Prize, presented to the best overall product design for that year's Introduction to Engineering Design class, for which he was the team Leader. He is also the recipient of the Shinnecock Hills Educational Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement.

Florio has also spent time in the community, participating in the School 2 Outreach Program in which he and teammates went to area schools to mentor students in conflict resolution and team building. He has also assisted with Habitat for Humanity, helping to partially construct a new housing development in Troy, and been a volunteer at a soup kitchen.

He is the 14th National Academic All-America from Rensselaer, including four student-athletes who were repeat recipients. Tim Acker was the most recent honoree, having been chosen in 2009. He is also the most recent - and only other - defensive back. Tom Wood, a running back chosen in 1986, was the first and offensive lineman Jason Kepler (1998, 1999), wide receiver Flynn Cochran (2002, 2003), linebacker Grant Cochran (2004, 2005) and offensive lineman Shawn Herrmann (2005, 2006) were multiple Academic All-America.

Nominees for CoSIDA Academic All-America consideration must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). He must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at his institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in 50% of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form.