Jones Named Finalist For Senior CLASS Award And Academic All-District
November 03, 2016 | Football
Senior CLASS Award Finalists l Academic All-District Teams
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina senior wide receiver Zay Jones has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award and to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 3 First-Team both organizations announced Thursday afternoon.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.
Jones, who also earned a First-Team Academic All-District selection in 2014, is a two-time member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Boasting a 3.56 GPA as a communications major, the Austin, Texas, native garnered Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades as a freshman and is a six-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll member.
Jones' remarkable accomplishments rank him among the most decorated student-athletes in East Carolina history. One of only three Pirates ever with more than 3,000 receiving yards, he was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame on Nov. 1, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
A two-year team captain, Jones already ranks second in NCAA FBS history with 355 career receptions and second in Pirates' history with 3,627 yards, while his 19 career receiving touchdowns are also in the top five at East Carolina.
This season, Jones currently leads the FBS with 114 receptions (14.2 rpg) while his 136.8 receiving yards per game average and 1,094 total reception yards stand second nationally. In eight games, he has caught four touchdown passes and registered six double-triples (catches-yards), which include a career-best 22 receptions for 190 yards at South Carolina on Sept. 17. His 22 grabs against the Gamecocks are the most by an NCAA FBS receiver in a game this season and was one shy of an all-time NCAA FBS record.
Jones has devoted more than 75 hours of community service during his career, including work with Aces for Autism, SportWorks Ministries, Ronald McDonald House, Maynard Children's Hospital, National Food Bank, Dwayne Harris Football Camp and ECU Ladies Football Clinic. He has also participated in on-campus trash pick-ups, blood drives and elementary school visits, and he served as co-master of ceremonies for the 2015 ECU Goldspys (ECU's version of the ESPYs).
To be eligible for the Academic All-District Football Team, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution. No student-athlete is eligible until he has completed one full calendar year at his current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
The Pirates (3-5, 1-3 American) return to action on Saturday, Nov. 5 when they travel to Tulsa (6-2, 3-1 American) for a nationally-televised game at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. (ET) and will be aired on ESPNews.
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina senior wide receiver Zay Jones has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award and to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 3 First-Team both organizations announced Thursday afternoon.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition.
Jones, who also earned a First-Team Academic All-District selection in 2014, is a two-time member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Boasting a 3.56 GPA as a communications major, the Austin, Texas, native garnered Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades as a freshman and is a six-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll member.
Jones' remarkable accomplishments rank him among the most decorated student-athletes in East Carolina history. One of only three Pirates ever with more than 3,000 receiving yards, he was named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame on Nov. 1, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
A two-year team captain, Jones already ranks second in NCAA FBS history with 355 career receptions and second in Pirates' history with 3,627 yards, while his 19 career receiving touchdowns are also in the top five at East Carolina.
This season, Jones currently leads the FBS with 114 receptions (14.2 rpg) while his 136.8 receiving yards per game average and 1,094 total reception yards stand second nationally. In eight games, he has caught four touchdown passes and registered six double-triples (catches-yards), which include a career-best 22 receptions for 190 yards at South Carolina on Sept. 17. His 22 grabs against the Gamecocks are the most by an NCAA FBS receiver in a game this season and was one shy of an all-time NCAA FBS record.
Jones has devoted more than 75 hours of community service during his career, including work with Aces for Autism, SportWorks Ministries, Ronald McDonald House, Maynard Children's Hospital, National Food Bank, Dwayne Harris Football Camp and ECU Ladies Football Clinic. He has also participated in on-campus trash pick-ups, blood drives and elementary school visits, and he served as co-master of ceremonies for the 2015 ECU Goldspys (ECU's version of the ESPYs).
To be eligible for the Academic All-District Football Team, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution. No student-athlete is eligible until he has completed one full calendar year at his current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
The Pirates (3-5, 1-3 American) return to action on Saturday, Nov. 5 when they travel to Tulsa (6-2, 3-1 American) for a nationally-televised game at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. (ET) and will be aired on ESPNews.
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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