LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis football graduate student Sam Cummings has been selected as an Academic All-District honoree by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the organization announced Thursday.

Cummings earned a spot as one of four defensive linemen in District 2, which is made up of FBS and FCS student-athletes in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The graduate student was the lone FCS selection on the defensive line, joined by two SEC representatives and one C-USA competitor.

The New Jersey native is currently working towards completion of his MBA after graduating cum laude with a degree in exercise physiology. Cummings totaled 24 tackles and 7.5 for loss with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the Red Flash's most recent season of competition in 2019. Last fall, he was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, and was selected this spring as a Scholar-Athlete Award recipient by the National Football Foundation Central Pennsylvania Chapter.

Cummings is Saint Francis' first CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in football since Mike Ames and Nick Rinella both earned the distinction in 2018. He is the 18^th Red Flash recipient in total.

The 2021 season begins with Saint Francis' first game in program history against an FBS opponent when the Red Flash travels to Eastern Michigan on Friday, Sept. 3. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN3.

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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.