Wednesday, December 4, 2019
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

ST. LOUIS, Mo.– Drake senior offensive lineman Jacob Bacon was named the 2019 Pioneer Football League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Wednesday, leading a group of 50 student-athletes named to the 27th Academic All-PFL Teams, as selected by the league’s athletics communications directors.

Bacon, of Hastings, Minnesota, is enrolled in Drake’s Masters of Business Administration program this fall, concentrating in business analytics, after graduating in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science and finance with a 3.93 grade-point average. In addition, to being named the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was named to the league’s Academic All-PFL First Team for the third consecutive year.

The College Sports Information Directors of America recognized Bacon as an Academic All-American® as a first-team honoree in 2018. He is a nominee for the 2019 Academic All-America Team®, which be announced this week.

On the field, Bacon is a two-time honorable mention All-PFL honoree after leading Drake to its third consecutive second-place finish in league play. This season, he started 10 of 11 games, helping protect freshman quarterback Ian Corwin and the Drake running backs corps, led by Drew Lauer, who combined to rush for 1,608 combined yards and 17 touchdowns.

In the community, Bacon has been an active volunteer for the Bulldogs football program, including work with Meals from the Heartland, in the Des Moines’ Elementary Schools Reading and Mentoring program and with the local wheelchair basketball league.

Stetson redshirt junior kicker Jonny Messina joins Bacon as a three-time First-Team Academic All-PFL selection. That duo highlights a group of seven PFL student-athletes to earn a repeat First-Team Academic All-PFL honor this season.

The five first-team honorees earning their second Academic-All-PFL honor this season are Jacksonville redshirt junior offensive lineman Dane Cordell, Drake redshirt senior wide receiver Steven Doran, Drake redshirt senior offensive lineman Isaiah Kent-Schneider, Dayton senior safety Tim Simon and Butler senior kicker Drew Bevelhimer.

The Academic All-PFL teams are a complement to the Academic All-America™ program presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Eight PFL student-athletes were named to their respective Academic All-District Teams® this fall.

Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 as a way to recognize the league’s outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, reached his second season academically and played at least one full season at his current institution.