Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  Massachusetts Maritime junior placekicker Brandon Rodrigues has been named to the 2012 Capital One Division III Football Academic All-America team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America for his performance both on the field and in the classroom, as he is one of 48 student-athletes nationally to receive this prestigious honor.

A native of Brockton, Mass. and a graduate of Brockton High School, Rodrigues earned second team Academic All-America accolades, as he has posted a 3.95 cumulative grade point average as a Marine Engineering major at the Academy.  He becomes just the second Academic All-America honoree in Massachusetts Maritime history and the first in 30 years, as Buccaneer Hall of Famer John Hendy ’82 also earned the distinction on the baseball diamond in 1982.

Rodrigues converted 31 extra point attempts and kicked a pair of field goals this fall for Head Coach Jeremy Cameron’s Buccaneers, setting a school record with eight PAT conversions in a 56-31 victory over Fitchburg State on October 13^th.  He also booted a game-tying fourth quarter field goal in Massachusetts Maritime’s 42-38 come-from-behind triumph over Coast Guard on September 22^nd, as he earned a pair of spots on the New England Football Conference weekly honor roll for his efforts during the season.  Rodrigues ended the season ranked second on the team in scoring with 37 points while also ranking sixth in the NEFC in kick scoring.

“This is great honor for Brandon and a tribute to his hard work both on and off the field,” Cameron says of Rodrigues.  “It speaks volumes to his overall commitment to excel as a student and as an athlete as well as to the delicate balance required to demonstrate a high level of success.  I couldn’t be happier for him.”

A four-time President’s List honoree, Rodrigues has also earned four spots on the Massachusetts Maritime Athletic Director’s Honor Roll as well as two appearances on both the New England Football Conference All-Academic team and the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Fall All-Academic squad.  His cumulative GPA was the highest among the 25 members of the Capital One Division III Football Academic All-District team that was announced earlier this month, as that selection made him eligible for national Academic All-America honors.

“Anytime you hear the words ‘All-America’ in reference to a student-athlete, you know that individual is very special,” Massachusetts Maritime Director of Athletics Bob Corradi says.  “But when you hear the words ‘Academic All-America’, the meaning resonates even more.  I had the privilege of coaching John Hendy when he earned the honor, and I am just as proud of Brandon as I was for John.  It is a direct reflection on the values that the Academy instills.”

Rodrigues helped Massachusetts Maritime to its second straight 5-4 campaign this fall, as the Buccaneers posted their third straight winning season under Cameron’s tutelage that included wins over rivals Coast Guard and Maine Maritime.  Massachusetts Maritime also collected four league triumphs in its final season as a member of the New England Football Conference.

The Capital One Academic All-America program, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.  Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program since 2011.