Academic All-American HOF Class Inducted
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Former NFL standouts Terry Hoage (Univ. of Georgia), Dave Rimington (Univ. of Nebraska) and Rolf Benirschke (UC Davis) are amongst the five newest members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame®.

Hoage, Rimington and Benirschke were inducted during ceremonies held in San Diego, Calif., Wednesday evening, along with former Brigham Young University volleyball standout Dylann Duncan Ceriani and Col. Gill Beck, a former football player at Appalachian State University.

Also honored was Stanford University Director of Athletics Dr. Ted Leland, who was presented with the 2004 Dick Enberg Award.  It is given annually to "a person whose actions and commitments have furthered the meaning and reach of the Academic All-America® programs and/or the student-athlete while promoting the values of education and academics."

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) established the Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor former college student-athletes who have excelled in their professions and made substantial contributions to their communities. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a candidate either had to be an Academic All-America® team member who graduated at least 10 years ago, or fall into the honorary category, as was the case with Benirschke.

Honorary inductees are eligible candidates who competed prior to the establishment of the Academic All-America program in their sport.

"All of this year's inductees are tremendous role models," said CBS award-winning broadcaster and Academic All-America Hall of Famer Dick Enberg,   "The class of 2004 will help maintain the high standards established by the previous inductees who make the Hall of Fame induction such a prestigious honor."

"The class of 2004 is the ultimate example of the types of individuals who exemplify everything positive about the Academic All-America program and the Hall of Fame.  The members of CoSIDA are proud to play a part in this tremendous event," said Tammy Boclair, 2003-04 president of CoSIDA.

INDUCTEE PROFILES

A three-year starter at center, Beck was a two-time Academic All-America  and a three-time All-Southern Conference first-team selection. In his senior year (1977-78), he was selected team captain and was named Appalachian State's Senior Athlete of the Year.

In his four years at ASU, he made the Chancellor's List all eight semesters and was second in his class of 1,274 with a 3.98 overall grade point average. Beck earned an NCAA Post-Graduate and Department of Defense scholarships, which enabled him to attend the Duke University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctorate in 1985.

Currently, Beck is an Assistant U.S. Attorney, representing the U.S. in litigation. He received the highest Department of Justice award, the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award, for participation in LABSCAM, an initiative involving several U.S. Attorney offices, which recovered over $186 million from laboratories defrauding the U.S.A. in 1997. 

 Beck, a resident of Greensboro, N.C., has spent over 25 years in the U.S. Army Reserves and spends much time in the community, volunteering and speaking for many organizations. 

 DYLANN DUNCAN CERIANI - Dylann Duncan Ceriano is recognized as one of the best volleyball players in NCAA history. A two-time All-American, Ceriani was a three-time Academic All-America and is Brigham Young's career record holder in kills (2,188), aces (233), block assists (733) and total blocks (881).

As a sophomore, Ceriani led BYU to a number one national ranking, and ultimately helped the Cougars achieve a 134-29 record in her four years (1985-88). She was named the HCAC Player of the Year twice and earned first-team all-conference kudos four times.  As a senior, Ceriani broke the American Volleyball Coaches Association career kill record for all divisions. A recipient of the 1988 NCAA Top Six Award, Ceriani completed a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering, and has since earned a master's degree in biomechanical engineering from UC Berkeley.

Dylann has represented the United States as a member of the USA's B Team and World Student University Games.  She also was a member of the U.S. Olympic National Team that played at the World Cup in Spain.  Ceriani played professional volleyball in Switzerland and for the San Jose Storm. In 1992, she won the U.S. Outdoor Grass Doubles Championship.

Currently, Dylann is a mechanical design engineer at Breg Inc., where she develops operative and functional bracing, and is also the mother of five. The San Diego resident has also worked at the Children's Hospital of San Diego as a biomechanical engineer and has been credited for three patents from her work at DJ Orthopedics. 

TERRY HOAGE - Called by former Georgia Head Football Coach Vince Dooley as "the best defensive player I've ever coached and maybe the best one I've ever seen", Terry Hoage was a two-time consensus All-America and Academic All-America Team member selection. 

As a freshman, he had little time on the field at least until the 1981 Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame.  He blocked an Irish field goal attempt, and the Bulldogs went on to defeat Notre Dame and won the national championship.  He led the nation and established SEC and UGA records, which still stand with 12 interceptions in his junior year, and he was named the1982 SEC Defensive Player of the Year by UPI. 

Hoage's senior year brought significant media attention, both academically and athletically.  A genetics major with a 3.85 grade point average, he received the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award and earned the NCAA Top Five Award in 1983 ? UGA's first ever recipient.  He finished fifth in the balloting for the 1983 Heisman Trophy what was then the highest finish ever by a defensive back.  In his four years at Georgia, the Bulldogs won three SEC championships, one national title, played in four major bowl games and posted a record of 43-4-1, unmatched by any other college team during that period.

Hoage, a 2000 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, played 13 seasons in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins. In 1992, he helped the Redskins to the Super Bowl championship.

Currently, Hoage is a volunteer fire fighter and owner of Hoage Vineyards in California's center coast.  The resident of Pablo Robles, Calif., coaches youth basketball and serves on various education committees.  During his NFL career, he was known for hosting Boys & Girls Club members to games regularly.

DAVE RIMINGTON - There was only one school where Dave Rimington wanted to play football, and that was at the University of Nebraska, just 50 miles away from home. The football star from Omaha went on to become one of the greatest players of all-time.

The 6 foot 3 inch, 290-pound center was a two-time first team All-America selection in 1981 and 1982 and is one of only 13 Cornhuskers to have his jersey retired.  Rimington was a three-time All-Conference selection, two-time Big Eight Player of the Year, and the 1982 Vince Lombardi Award winner.  Rimington was also the first player to win the coveted Outland Trophy in consecutive years (1981 & 1982).

A two-time first team Academic All-America, Rimington was honored by the NCAA as a Top Five Student-Athlete, earned a NCAA Post-Graduate scholarship and was selected as a National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete in 1982.  He graduated with a dual degree in Business Administration and Economics and held a 3.2 grade point average. 

After a tremendous career at Nebraska, Rimington was a first round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals.  He played five seasons with the Bengals as their starting center and two seasons with the Eagles before retiring in 1989.  While playing in the NFL, Rimington was named to the 1983 NFL All-Rookie team and won the NFL Edward Block Courage Award in 1986.

Currently, Rimington resides in New York City and is the President of the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which works to heighten education and awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and to provide a better quality of life for those affected by the disease.  He has held the helm of president for the past nine years. 

ROLF BENIRSCHKE -  Long before he was named Man of the Year by the NFL or declared as one of the "Points of Light" by President Bush, Rolf Benirschke was an outstanding two-sport start at UC Davis.  He was an All-FAR Western Conference honoree in both soccer and football, often shuttling from one sport to the other on the same day.  He finished his Aggie career as the school's all-time leading scorer in both sports, and he continues to hold the UC Davis record for field goals percentage.

Benirschke was just as prolific in the classroom.  As a senior in 1977, the zoology major earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award and captured the W.P. Lindley Award as UC Davis' most outstanding scholar-athlete.  He led the Aggie soccer team to consecutive NCAA regional appearances in his junior and senior years.  Upon graduation, he elected to pursue a professional football career and entered the NFL draft.

Originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders, Benirschke was sent to the San Diego Chargers shortly before the 1977 seasom. He went on to set more than a dozen team records and was the team's leading scorer with 766 points.

However, his promising career was threatened early when he was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Benirschke returned to the NFL for the 1980 season, during which he converted 24 field goals and scored a career-high 188 points, earning comeback Player of the Year honors.  The following season, he hit a 29-yard field goal to lift the Chargers to a 41-38 overtime victory over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC divisional playoffs.  In 1987, he retired as the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history and was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame a decade later. 

During and following his football career, Benirschke led the league in philanthropic efforts.  True to his interest in animal science that first led him to UC Davis' door, he founded the Kicks for Critters campaign at the San Diego Zoo.  A San Diego resident, he remains active in the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Scripps Hospital and the United Way. His autobiography Alive and Kicking, which chronicles his heroic and inspirational battle with IBD was published in 1996.

DR. TED LELAND - As the director of athletics at Stanford University, Ted Leland oversees the participation of 34 intercollegiate varsity teams ? plus the physical education department, intramurals, club sports, open recreation and the Stanford golf course.

Stanford has won 46 national team championships and 151 conference championships since Leland's arrival, including an NCAA record of six national titles in 1996-97. Stanford has won the prestigious NACDA Director's Cup, which represents the top athletic program in the nation for the past nine seasons.

One of Dr. Leland's most prestigious honors came in 2000-01 when he was named by NACDA and the Street & Smith Business Journal as the Athletic Director of the Year.  He was recognized among his peers for his demonstration of commitment to education and student-athletes, continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence, and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to higher levels of accomplishments.  To date, Stanford ranks eighth on the all-time team listing with 98 Academic All-America selections.

Leland is a distinguished national leader in collegiate athletics, having been the chairman of the NCAA Management Council and co-chairman of the United States Secretary of Education's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics.  He is currently a member of the NACDA Executive Committee and serves on various Pac-10 and NCAA committees.

A northern California native, Leland received both a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education from the University of the Pacific.  After coaching football, he ultimately joined Stanford after serving three years as athletic director at his alma mater and other athletic departmental posts at Dartmouth and the University of Houston. In 1982, he earned his Ph.D. in education and sports psychology at Stanford.