ESPN Academic All-America Football Team release: University & College Divisions (.pdf)

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan senior punter Dennis Zic was elected to the second team of the ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-America college division football squad.

Zic, who was a first team all-district V selection in 2009 and 2010, has a 3.92 grade-point average double-majoring in economics and risk management at Illinois Wesleyan. He is an academic all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection and a member of the Omicron Delta Epsilon economics honorary.

This season, Zic was a first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin choice as he led the conference in CCIW games with a 38.0 average, coming with 1,065 yards on 28 punts.

Overall he punted 44 times for 1,605 yards (36.5 average) with a long of 71 yards against North Park that ranks No. 2 all-time at IWU. Zic has put 12 kicks inside the opponents' 20 yard line.

Named as the team's “Best Special Teams Player” in 2009, he finished his career No. 5 all-time at Illinois Wesleyan with 4,839 punting yards and 131 punts and was No. 6 in career punt average with 36.94 yards per punt.

A product of Fenton High School, he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Zic of Wood Dale, Ill.

The selection of Zic gives Illinois Wesleyan 112 Academic All-America® berths since the program began, a total eclipsed by only 10 other schools, including Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford, Texas, UCLA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To be considered for the ESPN All-America® squads, players must be of at least sophomore standing, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 (of 4.0), and be a starter or first-line reserve. A voting board representing the 1,800 members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) chooses the teams.