Wednesday, December 3, 2014
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – Butler senior defensive back JoJo Ciancio and Drake junior linebacker Taylor Coleman were each named the first Pioneer Football League Scholar-Athletes of the Year. The duo also was among 51 Pioneer Football League student-athletes have been selected to the 22nd annual Academic All-PFL teams, as selected by the league’s sports information directors.

Ciancio and Coleman become the first Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees, an award added prior to the 2014 season to recognize the PFL’s top student-athlete – both on the field and in the classroom. This year, there were two honorees due to a tie in the voting.

Ciancio, from Darien, Illinois, is an economics and finance double-major and brought a 3.83 grade-point average into his senior season at Butler. He was named to the Capital One Academic All-District Teams ®. A two time Academic All-PFL selection, Ciancio also was named to the PFL’s Academic Honor Roll each of his three previous seasons.

On the field, Ciancio led the Bulldogs with 84 tackles, ranking ninth among the league’s defensive players and second among its defensive backs with 7.5 tackles per game. He also recorded three interceptions and was tied for 10th among league interception leaders. He was a honorable mention All-PFL selection this season.

Coleman, of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, is a finance major and carried a 4.00 grade-point average into the 2014 campaign at Drake. He also was named to the Capital One Academic All-District Teams®, one of nine all-district honorees to post a 4.0 GPA. Coleman has been named to the Academic All-PFL team the two years he has been eligible and is a two-time PFL honor roll member.

Coleman led Drake with 95 tackles in 2014 and ranked sixth among league tacklers and fifth among linebackers with 8.6 tackles per game. He also posted 8.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, to finish the season ranked among the PFL’s top 20 in tackles for loss. Coleman posted three double-digit tackle games during 2014, including a 19-tackle outing at Dayton. He was an honorable mention All-PFL selection this season.

San Diego senior linebacker Troy McClelland became the 32nd PFL student-athlete to receive First-Team Academic All-PFL honors three times during his career.

McClelland and Ciancio also were among a group of 11 repeat First-Team Academic All-PFL selections that also earned the honor in 2013. Joining that pair as repeat first-team honorees were Davidson senior defensive back Bryant Bednarek, Davidson senior linebacker Colin Merrill, Valparaiso junior linebacker Alex Green, junior defensive back Danny Leach, Dayton senior quarterback Will Bardo, Campbell junior tight end Hunter Somerville, Drake senior quarterback Andy Rice, Dayton senior wide receiver Ross Smith and Campbell senior punter/kicker Adam Lutz.

The Academic All-PFL teams are a complement to the Capital One Academic All-America® program presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Eleven PFL student-athletes were named to their respective Capital One Academic All-District Teams® this fall. The 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Teams® will be announced Thursday.