Nov. 20, 2007
IRVING, Texas -- Academic All-America candidate linebacker Joe Pawelek headlined a class of 13 Baylor student-athletes named to the 2007 Academic All-Big 12 Conference teams, announced Tuesday by the league office. The Bears placed six student athletes on the first team, while seven student-athletes earned second-team honors.
Baylor's six first-team honorees were: linebacker Ben Hixson (junior; communications; Southlake, Texas), rover Desmond Jenkins (senior; business; Trinidad, Texas), quarterback Michael Machen (senior; health and human performance; Mobile, Ala.), Pawelek (sophomore; finance; San Antonio, Texas), cornerback Ralph Rodriguez (senior; political science; Fort Stockton, Texas) and offensive tackle Ted Tanner (senior; health science/pre-med; Waco, Texas).
Hixson earned first-team honors for the third consecutive season, joining Jason Lary (1998-2000), John Martin (2001-02, 2004), Andrew Obriotti (1998-2000) and Stephen Sepulveda (2002-04) as Baylor's only three-time, first-team Academic All-Big 12 honorees. Kyle Atteberry (1996-99) and Daniel Sepulveda (2003-06) were Baylor's only four-time, first-team selections. Pawelek and Rodriguez were so honored for the second straight season.
Baylor's seven second-team honorees were: inside receiver Jordan Adams (senior; marketing; Arlington, Texas), cornerback Dominique Criss (redshirt freshman; business; Arlington, Texas), free safety Jordan Lake (sophomore; management; Houston, Texas), rover Jake La Mar (junior; accounting; Bedford, Texas), defensive end Jason Lamb (sophomore; management; Richardson, Texas), center Mike Miller (senior; entrepreneurship; Lake Charles, La.) and cornerback Alton Widemon (senior; physical therapy; Lindale, Texas).
Adams and Widemon earned second-team honors for the third consecutive year, while Lake was a second-team pick for the second straight season. La Mar earned academic all-conference honors for the third consecutive season; he was a first-team selection each of the past two seasons. Lamb earned first-team honors last season, while Miller was a second-team pick in 2004 and in 2005.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the football academic all-league team consisted of 92 first-team members and 59 second-team selections. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA; second-team members are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or during the two previous semesters and must have participated in at least 60 percent of his team's scheduled contests. True freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
Texas led all Big 12 schools with 23 total honorees, including 16 first-team selections. Texas Tech was second with 16 total members, followed by Nebraska (15), Kansas (14), Missouri (14), Baylor (13), Colorado (13), Oklahoma State (11), Iowa State (9), Kansas State (8), Oklahoma (8) and Texas A&M (7).
Baylor has produced 123 Academic All-Big 12 selections since the league's inception in 1996; 43 of those selections have come in the last three seasons.
