By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off his selection for the Ohio Valley Conference's Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, Tennessee Tech junior defensive back Jamaal Thompson took home another honor on Thursday as he was named one of 54 student-athletes nationally to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
Football players from every FCS institution are eligible for the award with a minimum requirement of a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and have been a starter or key player. Nominees had to have reached their second year of athletics and academics at the college or university and participated in at least half of the total games played in the season.
Thompson, who recently completed his degree in communications in May, posted a 3.96 cumulative GPA in his degree field as he finished the spring semester with a perfect 4.0.
He was one of two selections from the Ohio Valley Conference, joining Eastern Illinois senior offensive lineman Cole Hoover on the team of 54. The Missouri Valley Football Conference had nine selections, while the Colonial Athletic Association had eight and the Big Sky Conference had six.
"I would like to congratulate the young men who were selected for the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, this is a remarkable honor," said FCS ADA President Ashley Robinson, also the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Jackson State. "With the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes to daily routines, I applaud this team for staying the course, remaining focused and excelling in the classroom and on the field of competition."
Thompson had an impressive resume en route to his selection to the OVC's Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, helping to create the Center of Diversity Education organization on Tech's campus as a way to promote diversity and unity for all Tech students. He also helped his Golden Eagle teammates in clean-up and distribution efforts after the March 3, 2020, tornado. More on that award can be found here.
He was also selected as a Distinguished University Scholar-Athlete by the Middle Tennessee chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Academically, Thompson has excelled at Tennessee Tech, earning the football team's Academic Award, as well as the OVC's Academic Medal of Honor, recording the highest GPA for a football player across the OVC's member institutions. A regular fixture on the Tech Athletic Director's and OVC Commissioner's Honor Rolls, Thompson was also a nominee for the University's prestigious Derryberry Award – the highest honor to be bestowed upon a Tech student. He also served as an academic tutor for the athletic department.
When the men's basketball team was in need of bodies early on due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson joined their roster, becoming the first Golden Eagle to play both football and men's basketball since Derrick Gray in the 1991-92 campaign.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
