Campus News
FOOTBALL: ETBU's Kyle Pope named Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for football
by David Weaver
MARSHALL, Texas (12/14/09) – East Texas Baptist University senior Kyle Pope, who finished his three-year run as the Tigers’ placekicker this past fall, has been named the American Southwest Conference 2009 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for football.
Pope, a native of Longview and former standout at Spring Hill High School, was voted the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for football during a poll of the conference sports information directors.
Overall, 61 student-athletes from ASC cross country, football, soccer and volleyball teams were named to the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete team. The honor recognizes student-athletes that achieve a higher level of academic achievement (3.20 grade-point average or better) while competing as a starter or important reserve on their team. From that list -- limited to one nominee per school in each ASC championship sport-- the Sports Information Directors from the conference’s 15 member institutions vote on the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete from each sport.
Pope is a two-sport athlete at ETBU and has now made the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team in both football and baseball. A senior majoring in accounting, Pope has a 3.89 grade-point average and is a three-time member of the ASC All-Academic team.
Pope set an ETBU career record for field goals with 25 in his three-year career, and he also notched a school-record 12 field goals during the 2007 season.
In baseball, Pope hit .386 and was the ASC East Newcomer of the Year in 2008 and is a two-time all-conference performer. He is also a back-to-back winner of ETBU’s Top Tiger Award, given annually to the top student-athlete on campus.
Pope gives the ETBU football team back-to-back winners of the conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Award for football. Former Tiger Doug Carlton was the winner of the honor last season.
Other ETBU student-athletes nominated for their respective Distinguished Scholar-Athlete honors were sophomore Kara Beall (Papua, New Guinea) in cross country; senior Ryan Collins (Tyler, TX/Robert E. Lee HS) in men’s soccer; sophomore Danica Saxon (Tyler, TX/All Saints Episcopal HS); in women’s soccer; and senior Jane Hays (Hereford, TX/Hereford HS) in volleyball.
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