Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg University senior wide receiver Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic), class of 2016, has been named to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division III Football second team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced Dec. 1.  

Stump, a biology major who carries a 3.88 grade point average, is the first Wittenberg football player since Dan Corfman in 1995 to earn a spot on the Academic All-America squad.

"This award definitely speaks volumes to me," Stump said. "I truly believe that nothing is ever handed to you and if you want to succeed and attain something, then you must put your whole heart and soul in it. It's been a blessing to be able to use my God-given abilities in the classroom and on the field."

"This award will constantly remind me that time and effort put into coursework will amount to something special and will not go unnoticed," he added. "I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for sacrificing so much to allow me to go to this great university – without them and their hard work I wouldn't be here. I would also like to thank my coaching staff for pushing me to be a great player daily and also stressing the importance of coursework to me."

Stump has been on the Dean's List every semester at Wittenberg, while also earning a spot on the NCAC Academic Honor Roll in 2014 and 2015. He is also a member of Wittenberg's Chi Alpha Sigma National Honors Society and was the biology department's "Bio Excellence" award winner in 2014.

Stump was named first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference for his on-field play as a wide receiver in 2015, after being named an Honorable Mention pick in 2014. He caught 74 passes for 1,082 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers this past season.

He plans to fulfill his lifelong dream upon graduation and attend medical school, specializing in pathology or immunology.

All first-team Academic All-District winners in eight districts moved to the national ballot and were voted on by members of CoSIDA's Academic All-America Committee. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his current institution, and be nominated by their sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III programs, as well as NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com

Written By: Kuris Duggan