AUSTIN, TX – Johns Hopkins placed three players on the 2024 College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) NCAA Division III Academic All-America Football Team it was announced today.  This is the fifth consecutive year that the Blue Jays have produced at least two Academic All-Americans; during that time, a national-best 23 Johns Hopkins football players have been honored.
 
Senior defensive end Matthew Konkol was named a First Team Academic All-American, while senior cornerback PJ Penders earned a spot on the second team.  This is the first time either has been named to the team
 
The two selections this season give Johns Hopkin 56 all-time Academic All-Americans in football, including 44 since 2011.  The 44 Academic All-Americans for the Blue Jays since 2011 are the most by any college football team in the nation during that time.  In addition, Johns Hopkins' 56 all-time Academic All-Americans ranks in the top 10 all-time among all college football teams in all divisions.
 
The selection of Konkol and Penders pushed Johns Hopkins' haul of Academic All-Americans in the fall to nine as the men's soccer (3), women's soccer (2) and volleyball (2) teams combined for seven selections.  The nine selections from the fall boost Johns Hopkins' all-time Academic All-America count to 273, a mark that ranks fifth among all schools in all divisions.
 
Johns Hopkins' 2024 Academic All-Americans:
Matthew Konkol (Sr. • DE)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
GPA:  3.89
« 2024 First Team CSC Academic All-American
« 27^th Johns Hopkins football player to earn First Team Academic All-America honors
« 14^th Johns Hopkins defensive lineman to earn Academic All-America honors
« 2024 Fourth Team D3football.com All-American
« 2024 First Team All-Centennial Conference and the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year
« 2023 Second Team All-Centennial Conference
« Named to Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll three times (2022, 2023, 2024)
« Totaled 54 tackles, including team-highs of 13.0 TFLs and 8.5 sacks in 2024
« Ended career with 103 tackles, including 26.0 TFLs and 18.0 sacks
« Ranks ninth in school history in TFLs and sacks
 
PJ Penders (Sr. • DB)
Major: Economics
GPA:  3.66
« Second Team CSC Academic All-American
« 29^th Johns Hopkins football player to earn Second Team Academic All-America honors
« Eighth Johns Hopkins defensive back to earn Academic All-America honors
« 2024 First Team All-Centennial Conference
« 2023 Second Team All-Centennial Conference
« Totaled a career-high 61 tackles, including 50 solos, with a team-high 10 PBUs and two INTs in 2024
« Finished career with 149 tackles, 25 PBUs and two interceptions
« Named to Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll three times (2022, 2023, 2024)