Rimpf, Hourigan Named First Team Academic All-District
November 13, 2003 | Football
ECU has never had an Academic All-American in football, but gridiron Pirates have won the all-district honor 10 times. The national CoSIDA Academic All-America team will be announced on December 1.
Hourigan and Rimpf both earned second-team Academic All-District III last year. However, only the first-team selections are eligible for the national Academic All-America team. District III includes all Division I and I-AA schools in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
To be eligible for the prestigious award, a player must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 in the classroom and be a starter or key reserve on the field.
Rimpf, an offensive tackle from Raleigh, N.C., completed his undergraduate degree this past May, earning a double major in accounting and finance in four years while compiling a 3.29 GPA. He is currently pursuing his MBA. Prior to the current season, Rimpf was named Preseason All-America and was rated as the No. 16 offensive tackle in the nation. A two-time All-Conference USA first team selection, Rimpf was on this year's official watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. He has started 35 consecutive games for the Pirates. In addition, he was one of 11 Division I players in the nation named to the 2002 AFCA Good Works Team, recognizing his commitment to community service and civic involvement.
Hourigan, a wide receiver from Cary, N.C., compiled a 3.80 GPA as an undergraduate and is enrolled in ECU's five-year BSA/MBA program in accounting. he is a two-time recipient of the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and was named to the PCS Phosphate All-Academic Team in 2002 and 2003 for having the team's highest GPA. On the football field, Hourigan is currently the Pirates' third-leading receiver with 19 catches for 259 yards. He had a career-high seven receptions for 77 yards two weeks ago at Memphis. The former walk-on was awarded a full athletic scholarship prior to his senior season.
"This is a tribute to the commitment that both of these young men have made, both on and off the field," ECU head coach John Thompson said. "This is the kind of player that has held this team together and led by example. We're very proud of them."
The other Pirates to win CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in the past are Keith Arnold, who was a three-time recipient (1989-91); Ken Burnette, who earned the honor in 1990 and 1991, and R.L. Beeman, who was a 1989 recipient.
