Woodard, Hudik Named To FCS AFCA Academic All-Star Team

Cleveland, OH - A pair of seniors on the 2018 Wagner College football team, tight end Chris Woodard and offensive lineman Brady Hudik, are among the 47 student-athletes named to the prestigious Football Championship Subdivsion Athletic Directors Association's (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team. The 21st annual Academic All-Star team includes 47 individuals that were selected from a pool of nearly 100 applicants. Wagner is the only Northeast Conference (NEC) institution to have two student-athletes named to this prestigious team. Additionally, Woodard and Hudik were two of the three NEC student-athletes on the team, joining Saint Francis U offensive lineman Mike Ames.

Last month, Woodard was named to the 2018 Google Cloud College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Second Team after he and Hudik were previously selected to the Academic All-District Team For Second Straight Year. A member of the the 2016 and 2017 NEC Fall Academic Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.75 or better), the North Tonawanda, NY, Woodard boasts a 3.86 grade point average as a physics major . The 6-4, 240-pound Woodard, a second-team All-Northeast Conference (NEC) selection in 2017, was Wagner's third-leading receiver in 2018 with 25 receptions for 310 yards (12.4) and a team-best six touchdowns. Among those six TDs was a game-winning 18-yard reception with six seconds left to play that lifted Wagner to a 23-22 win over Saint Francis U (10/13), as well as a 24-yard TD catch at FBS member Syracuse (9/8). Woodard, who had three or more receptions in five games this season, highlighted by a career-high 5 catches for 69 yards vs. eventual NEC champion Duquesne (11/3). He capped his collegiate career with a 48-yard TD grab in the season-ending 41-7 victory at Robert Morris (11/17) en route to being named Wagner's Co-Offensive MVP, along with running back Ryan Fulse, at the team's annual postseason banquet. For his career, Woodard finished with 53 receptions for 612 yards and seven touchdowns. In addition to this most recent honors, Hudik, who boasts a 3.778 GPA as a Business Administration Major, has been a member of the NEC Fall Academic Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.75 or higher) each of the last two years. On the gridiron, the 6-5, 315-pound Hudik, anchored a Seahawk offensive line in 2018 that has helped Wagner eclipse the 40-point mark four times. One of Wagner's five team captains, the Bordentown, NJ native began the season at left guard before being switched to right tackle, a move that solidified the offensive line and helped pave the way for RB Ryan Fulse to become the nation's No. 2 rusher with 1,481 yards. Based on his durability and production (started all 33 games that he played in during his career), the South Jersey native was the recipient of the Seahawks' Dr. Michael Rapp - Iron Horse Award. "One of the most important responsibilities that the FCS ADA has is the selection of the Annual Academic All-Star Team," stated current FCS ADA President Bill Smith, director of athletics at Bryant University. "This group of young men are some of the best and brightest football players and scholars in the country. They have been leaders on their individual campuses and have excelled in the classroom, their communities and on the gridiron. They truly exemplify FCS football and now we have the honor of naming them to the 2018 Academic All Star Team." Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They must also have participated in 50 percent (50%) of the games played at their designated position.