CLEVELAND - The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has selected the association's 20th annual Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Rick Mottram, linebacker for Bucknell University, and Preston Tetzlaff, linebacker from South Dakota State University, were selected out of a field of nine finalists and 54 FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team honorees to receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship.

"Selecting only two recipients of the FCS ADA postgraduate scholarships was a difficult but inspiring task," stated FCS ADA President Nicki Moore, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colgate University." All the candidates are outstanding and they are such impressive student-athletes with plans to make a positive impact through their continued postgraduate education. I heartily congratulate Preston and Rick and their respective football programs on their accomplishments, and on behalf of the FCS ADA, I wish them the very best in their postgraduate endeavors."

A mechanical engineering major with a 3.97 GPA, Mottram graduated with a Bachelor of Science and will continue his education at Johns Hopkins University where he will pursue a master's degree in space systems engineering, while also working full time at Lockheed Martin as a space systems engineer. He received multiple academic awards including the Academic All-Patriot League Team for the third-straight year, 1^st Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA and for the second-straight year the CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 Team. For the season, Mottram finished the abbreviated four game season this past year with 23 tackles and one interception.

"I would like to thank the FCS ADA for awarding me one of their post-graduate scholarships," stated Mottram. "This award will help cover the cost of a master's degree in space systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University as I begin my career in the aerospace and defense industry. I am thankful for Bucknell and its engineering program for being such great learning environments and for the coaches, professors and administrators who have been instrumental in my success."

Tetzlaff graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business economics with a 3.92 GPA. He was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) All-Academic 2^nd Team, MVFC Honor Roll and Hampshire Honor Society, in addition to receiving the MVFC Academic Excellence Award. While playing in their playoff run, he was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 Award, which goes to the top student-athlete playing in the national championship game. Tetzlaff finished this season with 64 tackles and one fumble recovery. Tetzlaff is continuing his education by entering law school at the University of Nebraska.

"Being named part of the FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalist group was an honor that I was very proud of. It was even more exciting to receive the phone call letting me know I had been awarded one of the FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarships. This is a testament to the emphasis that my parents put on education as well as to the importance the SDSU football program puts on succeeding academically," said Tetzlaff. "At SDSU, I was blessed to be a part of a program that demands their student-athlete's best effort both on the field and within the classroom. As I go forward, I am excited to use this award to help obtain my law degree at The University of Nebraska's College of Law. After, I intend to use that degree to give back to the very communities who have supported me throughout my athletic and academic career."

CLICK HERE for more information about the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team and its nominating criteria.

A special Review Committee of FCS athletics directors were responsible for selecting the 2020-21 Academic All-Star Team and FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists and recipients. This year's Review Committee consisted of: Ashley Robinson, Jackson State University (Chair); Nicki Moore, Colgate University; Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois University; Milton Overton, Kennesaw State University; and Kent Haslam, University of Montana.

About the FCS ADA: Now in its 28^th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 57^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.