Bazuin Named to Academic All-America Team

MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University senior defensive end Daniel Bazuin of McBain (Mich.) High School has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America football team. He is a first team selection.

Daniel Bazuin is the first CMU football player to earn Academic All-America honors since Rob Turner, who was a second team selection in 2002 and first team choice in 2001. Bazuin is the 13th player in program history to be named an Academic All-American.

A marketing major with a 3.39 grade-point average, Bazuin is the only student-athlete from the Mid-American Conference to be named to the 2006 Academic All-America football team.

Bazuin is a two-time academic all-district first team honoree and two-time Academic All-MAC selection. He was a national semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy in 2006.

A three-time All-MAC first team honoree, Bazuin holds CMU career records for tackles for loss (60) and sacks (33) and single season records for tackles for loss (26.5) and sacks (16). His 16 sacks in 2005 tied what was then a MAC single-season record. He ranks eighth in MAC history in tackles for loss and fourth in sacks.

Bazuin’s eight sacks in 2006 are tied for the third-most in a season at CMU, and his four forced fumbles are currently the second-most in Division I-A. He has recovered a pair of fumbles, returning one 32 yards for a touchdown at Toledo on Oct. 7.

Bazuin has been invited to play in the 2007 East-West Shrine Game and 2007 Hula Bowl.

Central Michigan (8-4 overall, 7-1 MAC) meets Ohio in the 2006 MAC Championship Game on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit. ESPN will televise the contest live to a national audience.

The Chippewas have also been selected to represent the MAC in the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field on Dec. 26. Tickets for the bowl game, CMU’s first since 1994, are available at an exclusive discounted rated through the CMU Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cmuchippewas.com, by phone at 1-888-FIRE-UP2 or in person at the ticket office in Rose Arena.