VIDEO: Stoke Rowe Interview
VIDEO: Jared Dillingham Interview
VIDEO: Jonathan Mason Interview
AUSTIN, Texas – Three Carson-Newman football players were dubbed CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District, the organization announced Thursday at noon.
Running back Jared Dillingham (Central, S.C.) repeats as an Academic All-District choice while offensive lineman Stokes Rowe (Jacksonville, Fla.) and tight end Jonathan Mason (Tallahassee, Fla.) make the team for the first time.
Dillingham was also a first-team All-South Atlantic Conference selection.
Dillingham became the 25th player in Carson-Newman football history to rush for 1,000 yards in a year and became just the sixth player in C-N history to rush for 100 yards in three consecutive games.
Dillingham finished the year third in the South Atlantic Conference in rushing with 1,028 yards on 176 carries. He averaged 5.8 yards a tote and finished with 93.5 yards rushing per game. Dillingham found the end zone 10 times on the year, including a career-best three in the regular season finale against UNC Pembroke.
His best game came against Mars Hill on the road. He narrowly missed out on becoming the 36th player in program history with a 200-yard rushing performance. He finished with 196 yards on 24 carries on Oct. 14.
The 196-yard day was part of that three-game stretch where he rushed for 100 yards in three straight games.
The senior has a 3.52 GPA and is majoring in exercise science.
Rowe is a two-year starter on the offensive line for the Eagles and a noted Game of Thrones theorist. In spite of time spent fleshing out theories about the Three-Eyed Raven and the Night King's true identity, Rowe has a 3.78 GPA studying biology and pre-med.
Rowe tallied 11 knockdowns this season on the offensive line and 15 in his Carson-Newman career. He went 187 consecutive plays at one point this season without making a mental miscue.
The senior from Jacksonville, Fla. joins Dan Gallman as the latest Floridian offensive linemen to be recognized with CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades.
Mason made the change from defense to offense this season, moving from defensive end to tight end. Last season he started a pair of games on the defensive line, this season, he started a pair of games at tight end.
Mason joins All-American Robby Ignagni as the only players over the last seven seasons with starting experience on both Carson-Newman's offense and defense in a career.
Mason's most notable start came against No. 23 Catawba when the Eagles lined up in two-tight end sets all day long and pounded the ball down Catawba's throat to the tune of 333 yards rushing and a 31-20 upset win over the Indians.
He also made a change in the classroom. Finishing his undergraduate degree in three years in math with a 3.82 GPA before starting Carson-Newman's MBA program this fall.
