Darlington Earns Academic All-America? Honor

NORMANTy Darlington, a senior from Apopka, Fla., became the 18th University of Oklahoma student-athlete to earn Academic All-America? honors twice in a career when he was named to the 2015 Academic All-America? Division I football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday.

Darlington was one of three on the team to be recognized as a first-team honoree for the second consecutive year. A total of 10 honorees received Academic All-America? honors for a second time.

He also was one of five on the first team who earned a GPA of 4.0. Darlington is in his second semester of graduate work in adult and higher education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration. He graduated in December 2014 with his undergraduate degree in planned programs with an emphasis in health promotion. His undergraduate GPA was a 3.91.

Of the 18 dual Sooner honorees, Darlington is the 10th from the football program. His selection in 2015 marks the sixth consecutive year that the football team has produced an Academic All-American?. Brian Lepak started the streak in 2010, then Darlington's predecessor at center, Gabe Ikard, earned the honor in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Senior center Ty Darlington has led the Sooner football team as much off the field as he has on the field. He has earned several honors that showcase his commitment to excellence.

Ikard is the only male student-athlete at OU to earn Academic All-America? honors three times. Amy Backel owns that distinction for the Sooner women.

The Academic All-America? award continues an extremely successful final season for Darlington. He has received a $16,000 postgraduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Award, presented by the NFF. He is one of three finalists for the Wuerffel Award and is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School?) Award. Additionally, he is a nominee for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup and the FCA's Bobby Bowden Award.

Other academic awards already received by the Sooners' two-year starting center include the Dr. Gerald Lage Award (highest academic honor given to a student-athlete by the Big 12 Conference) and the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Academic Excellence Award. The three-time OU President's Honor Roll member is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, a six-time Sooner Scholar and Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection.

Darlington (No. 56), now a graduate student, earned his?second Academic All-America??honor this year. Here he stands among his teammates and several other of this season's team captains.

Other honors secured by Darlington during his Sooner career include the 2015 Letzeiser Award (based on leadership, scholarship and service to the university), the 2015 Dan Gibbens Outstanding Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, the 2015 Athletics Director's Leadership Award, the 2015 Athletics Council Service Award, the 2014 Sooner Oath Award for male athletes and the 2012-13 Jay Myers Outstanding Freshman Award, presented by the OU Athletics Council.

He has made significant community contributions on campus, around Norman and elsewhere. He is serving as 2015-16 president of the Big 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (served as 2014-15 vice president), is one of 15 Division I student-athletes who serves on the NCAA's autonomy legislation committee and was president of the OU Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter in 2013-14 and 2014-15 (he averages between 10-15 FCA speeches per semester).

Darlington also served as 2014-15 president of the OU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helped lead the OU football volunteer efforts following the devastating tornadoes that hit Oklahoma in May 2013, volunteers at Oklahoma's Children's Hospital special events, has traveled to Haiti three times as part of the Mission of Hope (earthquake damage relief) and has served as a volunteer football coach at Apopka High School every year since graduation.