Wednesday, November 30, 2022
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – For the second consecutive season, the Pioneer Football League’s football communications directors named Dayton senior running back Jake Chisholm the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Wednesday, leading a group of 50 student-athletes named to the 30th Academic All-PFL teams, announced Wednesday.

Chisholm, of Union, Kentucky, also was a unanimous First Team Academic All-PFL selection for the third time and was a First Team All-PFL pick as a running back. A pre-medicine major with minors in Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine in Society, he has a 3.98 grade-point average. Chisholm also is a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America© honoree and is again a nominee in 2022 after earning Academic All-District honors earlier this month.

On the field, Chisholm became the first Dayton athlete to record 1,000 rushing yards three times, finishing 2022 as one of 25 running backs to record 1,000 yards during the regular season. He ranked 18th in the FCS with 1,064 rushing yards, fourth in total touchdowns (17), eighth in rushing touchdowns (13), and seventh in scoring (7.3 points per game. Chisholm has amassed 3,276 net rushing yards, 5,603 all-purpose yards, and 47 touchdowns scored in four seasons.

Off the field, Chisholm has volunteered 99 hours with the Hospital Elder Life Program, working to prevent hospital delirium in the elderly population. He has also participated in the “Rebuilding Together Dayton” clean-up efforts and is a volunteer and registered donor with the Be the Match bone marrow registry.  On campus, he is a participant in Christmas On Campus, which brings underserved youth to campus just before winter break to give them a good start to a good Christmas.  He also joins the football team in its “Blue Crew” efforts to help Dayton freshmen move into their dorms at the beginning of the school year.

Chisholm is one of three PFL student-athletes to earn their third First-Team Academic All-PFL recognition this season. Butler offensive lineman Bryan Bystol, Morehead State offensive lineman Cam Marriott, Valparaiso offensive lineman Bradyn Oakley, and San Diego kicker Brandon Eickert earned their third first-team academic honor in 2022.

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, reach his second season academically and played at least one full season at his current institution.