Recognized as one of the top football-playing students in NCAA Division III, Linfield College quarterback Wyatt Smith has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America team.
 
Smith, a junior, earned a second team Academic All-America citation, adding to his long list of accolades for the 2019 season. CoSIDA, which announced the Academic All-America team on Wednesday, annually presents the awards to top student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and on the field of competition.
 
Smith is a finance major and maintains a cumulative grade point average of 3.64.
 
"I could not be prouder of Wyatt than I am for how he has balanced his time to excel in football, baseball and academics. He is one of the most well-rounded young men I have had in our program, and his character is beyond repute. He represents the Catdome exceptionally well," said his coach and father, Joseph Smith.
 
On the field, the McMinnville, Oregon, native is a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, a second team all-West Region and unanimous first team all-Northwest Conference honoree, and was honored as the NWC Offensive Player of the Year.
 
"Like on the field, success in finance requires the strategic calculation and execution of risky actions that will potentially play out in high returns. Wyatt is a master of that in football, and is learning to be a brilliant architect of that in finance. His leadership skills and ability to trust his team (athletically and academically) are other great assets," said professor Madeleine Romero, Smith's advisor.
 
Statistically, Smith ranks second in NCAA Division III in passing yards per game (346.8). He is fourth nationally in completions per game (27.3), sixth in completion percentage (.696) and touchdown passes (43), and ranks seventh in passing efficiency (177.40).
 
"Balancing academics and athletics is tough.  I had to learn to be efficient by knowing just how much to study and practice before it becomes counterproductive in both fields," said Wyatt Smith.
 
Smith joins Linfield women's soccer star Sydney Kuehn, who last week also received second team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. The awards for Smith and Kuehn mark the first time since 2016-17 that multiple Linfield student-athletes have received Academic All-America awards during the same school year. That year, baseball standout Eric Lawson and softball mainstay Kenzie Schmoll both received the honor. Since 2004, 20 Wildcats have received Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA with Smith becoming the fourth football student-athlete to achieve the distinction.