Jennings, Swain Lauded With FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team Honor

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Postseason honors continued to percolate into the nationally-ranked Mercer football program on Tuesday afternoon when seniors Xavier Jennings and Jordan Swain were among 54 student-athletes nationwide named to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team.

Tuesday's release continued a strong academic tradition for the Bears who have picked up a slew of national academic honors since the program was revamped prior to the 2013-14 athletic year. Tuesday's announcement marked the first national academic honor for both Jennings and Swain.

A total of 44 schools were represented on the FCS ADA's 28th annual academic team. Mercer was one of just 15 schools with multiple selections.

Jennings, who earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science at Lenoir-Rhyne with a 3.81 cumulative grade point average and maintained a 3.812 GPA on the way to earning his master's degree in business administration from Mercer last month, started all 12 games for the Orange & Black at right tackle this season and did not allow a sack in 858 offensive snaps. He graded out at or near 80 percent in six contests, and finished the campaign as the nation's top pass-blocking offensive tackle with a grade of 89.6 percent (PFF).

Swain, who maintains a 3.83 cumulative GPA in pursuit of his master's degree in organizational leadership at MU, started all 13 games for the Bears at defensive tackle and amassed 30 tackles (14 solo), including seven tackles for loss (3-1/2 sacks), while also posting nine quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break-ups. Swain also tacked up a key two points for the Bears in their win at then-No. 24 Western Carolina with a second-quarter sack of all-American quarterback Taron Dickens that resulted in a safety.

Jennings, Swain Lauded With FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team Honor

Players Mentioned

Xavier Jennings

Jordan Swain

Footer

Mercer University Athletics