Gustavus Adolphus senior football players Elliott Herdina (Blooming Prairie, Minn.) and Brad Kruckeberg (Ellendale, Minn.) both earned a spot on the 2011 Academic All-District Football Team for District Six late this week.
The 2011 Capital One Academic All-District Football Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
Senior wide receiver Elliott Herdina has been Gustavus’ go-to player out of the slot for the past four seasons. Herdina has re-emerged as the Gusties’ top threat in the passing game after bouncing back from season-ending injury in which he missed seven games last year. He has been quarterback Logan Becker’s top target through the air this season, entering the final game of the year with a total of 34 catches for 430 yards to his credit. The senior ranks eighth in the MIAC in receptions per game (3.75) and ninth in receiving yards per game (47.6). Herdina has caught four touchdown passes and averages 12.6 yards per catch.
Elliott Herdina
Running routes with Wes Welker esque precision combined with a fearlessness across the middle, Elliott Herdina has earned a spot amongst the top Gusties at his position. Herdina’s name graces the big-three receiving categories in the Gustavus football record book. He ranks fourth all-time in receptions (129), fifth in touchdown receptions (16), and seventh in receiving yards (1,435). Herdina has started in 32 games over his career, averaging 44.84 yards per game and 11.1 yards per catch. Elliott was named All-Conference 2nd Team following his sophomore season.
A native of Blooming Prairie, Minn., Herdina is a three-time Academic All-MIAC performer with a 3.62 GPA in nursing.
Senior safety Brad Kruckeberg has been a staple of the Gustavus secondary for the past three seasons. Kruckeberg ranks second on the team in total tackles with 47 (25 solo, 22 asst.). He has two interceptions while defending six passes and breaking up four. To go along with his defensive statistics, Brad is the second-ranked punt returner in the league, gaining a total of 109 yards and averaging 10.9 yards per return.
A cornerback turned safety; Kruckeberg made a seamless transition between the two positions last season, earning All-Conference 2nd Team honors and being named to the D3football.com All-West Region Third Team. The senior has started in 29 straight games and made a total of 142 tackles over his career. Kruckeberg has picked off ten passes in his tenure, ranking fifth on the all-time list at Gustavus.
Brad Kruckeberg
A three-time Academic All-MIAC performer, “Kruck” is a biology major with a GPA of 3.88.
The Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the first year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moves from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and doubles the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.