North Carolina State University Athletics
Five Wolfpack Players Make All-ACC Academic Football Team
2/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 3, 2004
Five NC State football players were named to the 2003 All-ACC Academic Football Team on Tuesday, as announced by ACC Commissioner John Swofford. Philip Rivers, Jed Paulsen, Adam Kiker, Lamont Reid and Austin Herbert make up the largest group of Wolfpack football players to be selected to the All-ACC Academic Football Team since NC State landed five on the squad in 1988.
To be eligible, a player must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the fall semester or have maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.
Pos. Player Class GPA Major Hometown
QB Philip Rivers Sr. 3.00 Business Athens, Ala.
C Jed Paulsen Jr. 3.00 Technology Education Columbia, Mo.
PK Adam Kiker Sr. *3.80 Aerospace Engineering Wadesboro, N.C.
CB Lamont Reid Jr. 3.17 Sport Management Concord, N.C.
P Austin Herbert Sr. 3.58 Business Cary, N.C.
* denotes career GPA
Rivers, the 2003 ACC Player of the Year, graduated at the end of the fall semester with a business degree. The NCAA record holder for most games started by a quarterback (51 straight), Rivers led the Wolfpack to four bowl games in his four years, earning MVP honors in three of those bowl games. Leading the nation in passing efficiency (170.49) and completion percentage (.720) in 2003, Rivers set single-season records in nearly every passing and total offense category for both the ACC and NC State, as well as career records in both books. The second-leading passer in NCAA history, behind only BYU's Ty Detmer, Rivers finished his career with 13,484 passing yards, 13,582 yards of total offense (2nd) and 95 career passing touchdowns (tie-5th). Rivers is the first quarterback in ACC history to pass for over 3,000 yards in three different seasons and only the seventh to do so in NCAA history. His jersey number 17 was retired before his final home game at Carter-Finley Stadium and the Athens, Ala., native earned MVP honors at the Senior Bowl.
Paulsen, a junior technology education major, will be the Wolfpack's starting center for the third straight year next season. The Columbia, Mo., native helped pave the way for NC State's ACC-leading marks in total offense the past two seasons. Paulsen was named honorable mention All-ACC in 2003.
Reid, a junior sports management major, is a starting cornerback for NC State and had eight pass breakups in 2003 to go with 37 tackles and one interception. The Concord, N.C., native also rolled up 258 yards on 13 kick returns this past season.
Kiker, a senior aerospace engineering major, was the Wolfpack's starting place kicker the past two seasons. He ranked fifth in the ACC this past season in scoring with 7.1 points-per-game and seventh with 0.92 field goals per game. Kiker finished his career ranked third with 94 point after kicks and sixth in school history with 30 field goals. The Wadesboro, N.C., native also made the 2001 All-ACC Academic Football Team.
Herbert, a senior business major, has handled a variety of kicking duties for the Wolfpack throughout his career, including every single NC State in the past four years. The Cary, N.C., native holds school records for career punts (226), career punting yards (8,922). He averaged 42.7 yards-per-punt in 2003 and booted two of the top-nine longest punts in school history with a 73 and a 76-yarder against UConn. This is the second straight year Herbert has been selected for the All-ACC Academic Football Team.
For a complete list of the of the 2003 All-ACC Academic Football Team, go to www.theacc.org.
