POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Red-shirt sophomore Chris Leonardo of the Marist football team was named to the prestigious Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team.
 
Leonardo has been named First Team Academic All-Pioneer Football League each of the last two years. He is an Economics major, a three-time selection to Marist's Dean's List, two-time selection to the PFL Academic Honor Roll, and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection last season.  
 
On the field, Leonardo has started every game at right tackle for the Red Foxes the last two seasons. He played 95 percent of the Red Foxes' snaps this past season, and he helped anchor an offensive line which increased in production in several statistical categories.
 
Leonardo joins a list of Red Foxes who have been named FCS ADA Academic All-Stars that includes Mike Arrington (2022), Terrence Turner (2009), Jake Dembow (2008), and Ray Fiumefreddo (2007).
 

FCS Academic All-Star Team

Football players from all FCS institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate or graduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.
 
Current FCS ADA President, Mark Benson, Director of Athletics at University at Albany, stated, "These exceptional young men demonstrate excellence not only in their academic pursuits, but also through their dedication on the field. Annually, we have the privilege of reviewing and selecting remarkable leaders who represent the best of our division, and this year's candidates have continued the tradition. Congratulations to all the nominated student-athletes and to those selected."
 
A special Review Committee of FCS athletics directors were responsible for selecting the 2024 Academic All-Star Team and FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists. This year's Review Committee consisted of: Mark Benson, Albany (Chair); Kurt McGuffin, UT Martin; Sherryta Freeman, Lafayette; Skip Perkins, North Carolina Central; and Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois.
 

About FCS ADA

Now in its 31st year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 60th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.