Matt Traina Named Academic All-District

THREE TULANE PLAYERS HONORED ON ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS A trio of Tulane sophomores, including twin brothers and offensive linemen Joe and Matt Traina and defensive lineman Michael Roberts, have been honored with Academic All-District VI recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America, the organization announced Thursday.

Matt Traina, Tulane’s starting left guard and one of the top offensive linemen on the Green Wave team this year, has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI first team and will now be eligible for Academic All-America consideration. A sophomore from Coral Gables, Fla., he carries a 3.713 grade point average in finance.

Joe Traina and Roberts, also finance majors, both earned a spot on the second team. Joe, Tulane’s starting center, has posted a 3.757 cumulative g.p.a. while Roberts’ average stands at 3.532. The Houston, Texas native made 25 tackles starting at defensive end through the Wave’s first seven games until sidelined for the season by a foot injury.

“I’m happy to see our players honored for excelling both in the classroom and on the field,” said Head Coach Chris Scelfo. “These three sophomores are indicative of the type of student-athletes we have at Tulane.”

Matt Traina’s selection marks the third straight year a Tulane offensive lineman has made the first team Academic All-District squad as Seth Zaunbrecher was a first-team selection in 2001 and 2002. District VI is comprised of universities from the states of Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi. To be eligible for the team, players must have at least a 3.2 overall grade point average.

The Academic All-America team will be announced later this month.

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