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RICHMOND, Ky. – Sophomore Emory Attig and senior Derek Hardman were two of six OVC football players to be named to the 12th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.

Attig, a native of Alpharetta, Ga., started all 11 games this year at defensive tackle. He tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks and was second on the team with eight tackles for loss. In the win over Murray State on Sept. 26, Attig posted a career-high seven tackles. The communication studies major also chipped in with 1.5 sacks in the win at No. 23 Eastern Illinois on Oct. 3. Off the field, Attig serves as the team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Hardman, a native of Spencer, W.Va., started 46 consecutive games on the Colonel offensive line over the last four years. He made the move from right tackle to left tackle before the start of the 2008 season. A 2009 AP first team All-American, Hardman was inducted into EKU’s Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Honor Society in 2007 and earned the OVC Medal of Honor for a 4.0 GPA in 2008-09. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Dec. 2008 and is now taking classes towards a master’s degree in business administration.

Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees was required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.

A special Review Committee of Football Championship Subdivision athletics directors was responsible for selecting the all-star team and scholarship finalists. Completing this task were Greg Burke, Northwestern State; Peter Fields, Montana State (chair); Brian Hutchinson, Morehead State; Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth; Ron Strollo, Youngstown State; Jeff Tingey, Idaho State; and Tim Van Alstine, Western Illinois.

Eastern Kentucky concluded its 2009 football season with a 5-6 overall record and 5-3 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference.