Dec. 1, 2005

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Jim Sanders (North Lima, OH/South Range), a senior safety on the Johns Hopkins football team, has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Football Second Team it was announced today. Sanders recently completed his career by leading the Johns Hopkins football team to an 8-3 record, its first ever NCAA Playoff appearance and its first-ever outright Centennial Conference title. Sanders was one of six Blue Jay football players who had previously been named to the ESPN The Magazine District II Academic All-America team. Of those six, four earned first team honors and were on the ballot to receive national Academic All-America honors. This is the eighth time Johns Hopkins has had a football player earn Academic All-America honors. Seven of the eight have been honored since head coach Jim Margraff took over in 1990.

A starter at safety during the 2005 season, Sanders is majoring in biomedical engineering and carries and 3.42 cumulative grade point average. A three-time member of the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, Sanders has been one of the team's most active players off the field. He completed an internship during the summer of 2004 with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning. In his role he designed and implemented educational enrichment activities for 30 underprivileged children. He later took on the role of recruiting supervisor for the Center and evaluated applications and interviewed worthy candidates for the Center's Teach Baltimore program.

In addition to the above, Sanders has been an active member of his church group (Federated Orthodox Christians of America), has been the football team's representative on the Johns Hopkins Student Athlete Advisory Committee and has volunteered his time at local nursing homes and the Salvation Army. For his extra-curricular activities Sanders was named to the 2005 AFCA Good Works Team.

Sanders enjoyed the finest season of his career in 2005 as he helped guide a defense that ranked among the best in the nation for most of the season. He finished third on the team with a career-high 61 tackles and added five pass breakups, two tackles for losses, one interception and one forced fumble. The Blue Jays led the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (13.4) and rushing defense (95.3) and held six of their 11 opponents to seven points or less. A Second All-Centennial selection this season, Sanders finished his career with 115 tackles to his credit and helped JHU to at least a share of the Centennial Conference title in each of his four seasons.

To be nominated for the CoSIDA Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade point average and be a starter or significant reserve.

Johns Hopkins' All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (Football Only)

2005-Jim Sanders-DB-2nd Team

2003-Paul Longo-LB-2nd Team

1998-Chris Baugh-OL-1st Team

1998-Larry Gulotta-DL-2nd Team

1994-Michael House-DL-1st Team

1993-Michael House-DL-1st Team

1993-Stu Markley-LB-2nd Team

1977-Charles Hauck-DL-1st Team