Nebraska senior fullback Dane Todd has been named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII team as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The selection marks the third straight year Todd has been named to the Academic All-District VII team and advances Todd to the ballot for Academic All-America honors.

In addition to Todd, three Huskers were named second-team Academic All-District VII. They include junior tight end J.B. Phillips, sophomore offensive guard Andy Christensen and senior defensive back Brandon Rigoni.

A graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School, Todd earned first-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors as a junior in 2005. He is playing this fall as a graduate student, after completing his undergraduate work in biological sciences last May with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

On the field, Todd is in his second year as the Huskers’ starting fullback. He is a receiving threat out of the backfield, and also serves as a lead blocker in Nebraska’s resurgent rushing attack. The Huskers rank third in the Big 12 and in the top 20 nationally in rushing offense, averaging nearly 190 yards per game on the ground.

Todd is also a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, and is one of the most active Huskers in the community. Earlier this fall, Todd was one of 11 Division I-A players named to the AFCA Good Works Team and he is a finalist for the 2006 Wuerffel Trophy, given to the player who best combines academic and athletic achievement with exemplary community service.

This marks the second consecutive year that Phillips has been a second-team All-District pick. The Colleyville, Texas native carries a 3.73 grade-point average in marketing and will pick up his degree this December, completing his undergraduate work in just 3 ½ years. On the field, Phillips has 12 receptions, including a pair of touchdown grabs.

Christensen owns a 3.56 cumulative grade-point average in construction management. He has been a valuable member of the Husker offensive line throughout the season, and has earned a pair of starts in the past four games.

A native of Lincoln, Rigoni is serving as one of three team captains in 2006. Rigoni has been the leader of the Husker special teams for the past three seasons, and this fall he has registered four tackles and a fumble recovery. A two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 pick, Rigoni carries a 3.79 cumulative GPA in psychology and will graduate in December.

Voting for ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team will occur later this month, with the teams announced in early December.