HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Already a six-time All-American for his work on the field, Alabama A&M junior wide receiver
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) has been recognized for his impressive efforts in the classroom as he has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Football Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday, November 18.
The first such selection of his career, it marks the first time in program history not only with honorees in back-to-back years but multiple selections in each of those seasons. This year he joins women's soccer's Arielle Fortune (Chattanooga, Tenn.) along with Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball), Marcus Cushnie (Football) and Fermin Ruiz Crespo (At-Large, Men's Tennis) from this past spring.
Those honors mark a resurgence in Alabama A&M Athletics academically on the regional and national stage as the program had only had three selections in the previous 69 years of the award. It has now had five in less than a year and all six previous honorees have gone on to earn All-America honors.
Last year also marked the first recognition of that type in 29 years. Previously football's Tim McCannelly (1979-80) and Tracy Kendall (1989-90 and 1990-91) did so at the Division II level.
Selected from District 4, which covers all Division I programs from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, he joins the likes of Auburn, Florida State, Florida on this year's team while perennial power Alabama did not have a selection.
Additionally, Ibrahim is of 27 honorees out of that highly competitive district and 221 selections overall for the men's Division I Football All-District Team. Of those, he is one of only two individuals to be named from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) along with Alabama State's Ezra Gray.
An incredible talent and story on the field, Ibrahim has built his career from freshman tryout and walk-on to one of the top receivers in the country at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. This year he has caught 60 balls for 893 yards, good for 11
th in the country, with six touchdowns in nine games. He is averaging 99.22 yards per game to rank eighth in the nation and his 6.7 receptions per game comes in at 10
th.
Last time out he recorded eight grabs for an impressive 176 yards and two touchdowns, one that went for 81-yards, and has positioned himself for the second 1,000-yard receiving season in his three years.
In terms of honors he is a six-time All-American, earning American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Second-Team recognition this past spring along with BOX-TO-ROW First-Team and Preseason selections. He was also a preseason choice for the latter organization this fall and was named to the HERO Sports Freshman and Sophomore teams.
A five-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) honoree and three-time Freshman of the Year selection, Ibrahim has also gotten it done in the classroom with three straight berths on the league's Commissioner's Honor Roll as well as Alabama A&M's Athletic Director's Honor Roll – all while leading the Spring 2021 team to the first undefeated season in 53 years, the first conference championship since 2006 and the first HBCU National Championship. Overall he sports a 3.52 Grade Point Average while majoring in Biology.
One of only three wideouts named out of District 4, just 20 nationwide and the first Bulldog ever at that position, Ibrahim is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors which will be announced on Wednesday, December 15.
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District Football Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
To be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Teams (District 4)
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Year |
GPA |
Major |
| QB |
Hamp Sisson |
Furman |
Jr. |
4.0 |
Health & Exercise Science/Pre-Med |
| RB |
Ezra Gray |
Alabama State |
Gr. |
4.0/4.0 |
Applied Technologies |
| RB |
Kimani Vidal |
Troy |
So. |
3.54 |
Exercise Science/Pre-Health |
| WR |
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim |
Alabama A&M |
Jr. |
3.52 |
Biology |
| WR |
Ryan O'Keefe |
Univ. of Central Florida |
Jr. |
3.47 |
Criminal Justice |
| WR |
Raleigh Webb |
The Citadel |
Gr. |
3.72/3.77 |
Business Administration (UG)/MBA & Leadership (G) |
| TE |
John Mitchell |
Florida Atlantic |
Gr. |
3.56 |
Biological Science/Pre-Med (UG)/Biomedical Science (G) |
| OL |
Steven Bedosky |
Coastal Carolina |
Gr. |
3.76/3.73 |
Instructional Technology (G) |
| OL |
Nick Brahms |
Auburn |
Gr. |
3.82/4.0 |
Professional Flight Management (UG)/Business Administration (G) |
| OL |
Trey Carter |
Coastal Carolina |
Gr. |
3.67/3.79 |
Exercise & Sport Science (UG)/Instructional Technology (G) |
| OL |
Austin Stidham |
Troy |
Gr. |
3.92/4.0 |
Biology/Biomedical Sciences (UG)/Biology - Education K-12 (G) |
| OL |
A.J. Vang |
North Alabama |
Gr. |
4.0/4.0 |
Criminal Justice (UG)/Teacher Education (G) |
| K |
Anders Carlson |
Auburn |
Gr. |
3.92/4.0 |
Professional Flight Management (UG)/Business Administration (G) |
| DL |
Marcus Cushnie |
Florida State |
Gr. |
3.84 |
Criminal Justice |
| DL |
Kalia Davis |
Univ. of Central Florida |
Gr. |
3.36/3.36 |
Criminal Justice (UG)/Interdisciplinary Studies (G) |
| DL |
GiNarious Johnson |
South Alabama |
Sr. |
3.45 |
Professional Health Sciences/Healthcare Management |
| DL |
Barron King |
Mercer |
Sr. |
3.62 |
Integrative Business |
| LB |
Silas Kelly |
Coastal Carolina |
Gr. |
3.85/3.64 |
Exercise & Sport Science & Business Management (UG)/MBA (G) |
| LB |
Jeremiah Moon |
Florida |
Gr. |
3.50/3.72 |
Telecommunications (UG)/Sports Management (G) |
| LB |
Jarrett Nagy |
Presbyterian |
Sr. |
4.0 |
Physics & Medical Physics |
| DB |
Je'Cory Burks |
Kennesaw State |
Jr. |
3.52 |
Computer Science |
| DB |
Colby Smith |
Presbyterian |
So. |
4.0 |
English |
| DB |
K.J. Smith |
North Alabama |
Gr. |
4.0/4.0 |
Interdisciplinary Studies & Health (UG)/Health and Human Performance (G) |
| DB |
Alex Spillum |
Coastal Carolina |
Sr. |
3.52 |
Business Management (UG)/Communication (G) |
| P |
Charles Ouverson |
Coastal Carolina |
Gr. |
3.72/3.81 |
Finance & MBA (UG)/Instructional Technology (G) |
| SPEC. |
Seth Glausier |
Georgia State |
Jr. |
3.99 |
Managerial Sciences |
Alabama A&M History of Academic All-District Selections (8 Selections/7 Individuals)
2021-22 – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Football - WR)
2021-22 – Arielle Fortune (Women's Soccer)
2020-21 – Fermin Ruiz Crespo (At-Large – Men's Tennis)&
2020-21 –
Marcus Cushine (Football - DL)$
2020-21 – Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball)&
1990-91 – Tracy Kendall (Football - QB)%
1989-90 – Tracy Kendall (Football – QB)%
1979-80 – Tim McCannelly (Football - C)*
%First-Team Academic All-America (only individual to accomplish in program history)
$Second-Team Academic All-America
&Third-Team Academic All-America
*First Academic All-America in Program History
