Taylor Trio Named First-Team Academic All-America

2014 Capital One Academic All-America Football Teams I TU Honors Page

UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor University's Brandon Haan, Hans Lundberg and Andrew Sheard have each been named as Capital One First-Team All-America performers, as voted on and announced by the College of Sports Information Directors of America.

Haan, Lundberg and Sheard give Taylor the second-highest total of football Capital One First-Team All-America honors in the nation, trailing only the four awards for Robert Morris among all NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.

The 25 student-athletes to be recognized came from 18 different schools, and combined for an average grade-point average of 3.88. Taylor's Andrew Sheard was one of five student-athletes on the list with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

The list was dominated by seniors, as the Trojans had three of the nine non-senior student-athletes on the list with Haan being the lone sophomore to be recognized.

Haan earned the Capital One First-Team All-America honor by posting a cumulative 3.83 grade-point average in sport management. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native was also named First-Team All-Mid-States Football Association Mideast League after ranking No. 24 in the NAIA during the regular season by averaging 39.0 yards per punt and pinning 21-of-76 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Lundberg was named Capital One First-Team All-America with a cumulative 3.91 GPA in exercise science midway through his junior year. The Houston, Minnesota native earned Second-Team All-MSFA Mideast League honors after hauling in 20 catches and three touchdowns from the tight end position.

Sheard rounded out Taylor's Capital One First-Team All-America honors with a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average in environmental science midway through his junior year. The Rising Sun, Maryland native saw time in all 11 games during the 2014 campaign, making a successful conversion from running back to wide receiver with three touchdowns among 34 receptions for the Trojans.

The awards for Haan, Lundberg and Sheard raise Taylor's total number of Capital One Academic All-America honors to five so far this year, including four first-team selections.

Taylor now boasts 39 Academic All-Americans in school history, with 17 student-athletes earning First-Team Academic All-American status.