University of Albany's Chris Simpson Chosen Northeast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Sport of Football - UAlbany Sports 2010

Somerset, N.J. - University at Albany's Chris Simpson has been chosen Northeast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the sport of football, as announced on Tuesday, Jan. 26 by the conference office. Simpson is the third UAlbany student-athlete to receive the annual honor, joining J.T. Herfurth (2000) and Victor Camacho (2003).

Simpson, a senior inside linebacker from Victor, N.Y., has a 3.97 cumulative grade point average in physics. A key member of a defensive unit that ranked among the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) leaders in scoring, rushing and total yards allowed, Simpson totaled 58 tackles with 2.0 sacks, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as an 11-game starter. UAlbany (7-4) finished second in the NEC standings. He was named both the ECAC and NEC player of the week after recording a career-high 11 tackles and forcing a turnover that led to the winning touchdown in a 20-16 upset of No. 20 Maine in September. UAlbany combined for 31 victories and won a pair of conference championships during his 46-game career.

As a student, Simpson was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy and was named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I Team. A Presidential Scholar and winner of the CRC Press Chemistry Award, Simpson served as a research assistant with the College of Nanoscale Science and Enginneering and has aided in the research of MOSFET alternatives for electronic devices. He is also a member of the school's Student-Athletic Advisory (SAAC) Executive Committee and has been an academic tutor in math, physics and chemistry.

Simpson is a member of UAlbany's 3+2 engineering program (all of his fall semesters classes were taken at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). He will graduate with a degree in physics from UAlbany this spring and earn a B.S. in mechanical engineering from RPI in May 2011.

NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll: The Great Danes placed 18 players on the 2009 Northeast Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll ... each student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average to be recognized ... offensive guard Justin Anderson (business administration), outside linebacker Chris Blais (human biology), quarterback Frank Blasinsky (business administration), inside linebacker Justin Brancaccio (communication), fullback Ben Carl (business administration), quarterback Dan Di Lella (criminal justice), offensive tackle Vince Gonzales (history), tight end Matt Goss (criminal justice), inside linebacker Dan Halperin (undeclared), offensive tackle Jordan Migliore (criminal justice), defensive end Wil Moushey (business administration), offensive tackle Keith Peifer (business administration), inside linebacker Chris Simpson (physics), defensive end Tony Sparano (history), offensive guard Andrew Stevens (business administration), inside linebacker Eddie Tretina (undeclared), wide receiver Rhakeem Wiggins (undeclared) and punter Bobby Woods (accounting) were chosen.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information