TROY, N.Y. – The 2009 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America College Division Football Teams have been announced and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Tim Acker has been named to the Second Team.

Acker, a senior defensive back out of Arlington, Wash., holds a 3.73 grade point average in management. A team captain, he started all nine games for the Engineers. He ranked second on the team with 69 tackles, including a team-high 44 solo.

The Arlington High School graduate also had 2.5 tackles for a loss of 11 yards, a sack (8 yards), an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the season. Also a member of the special teams unit, Acker returned 10 kick-offs for a team-best 203 yards and had four punt returns for 26 yards.

Acker concluded his Engineers career with 224 tackles (117 unassisted) in 35 games. A multiple Dean's List and Liberty League All-Academic honoree, he has earned a number of honors in his career. Acker, who was a 2009 Academic All-District First Team selection, was a Lindy's Pre-Season All-American First Team selection as well as an AFCA National All-American at defensive back.

In addition to being named the team's Special Teams Player of the Year in 2008, Acker was also a D3Football.com All-Region Second Team return specialist and Third Team defensive back in 2007.

He becomes the first defensive back and the 17th football student-athlete at Rensselaer in the past 15 years to garner National Academic All-American honors. Most recently, Shawn Herrmann (2005 & 2006), Matt Merrow (2006) and Dave Dillen (2007) have been recognized.

Other Rensselaer football players to be recognized as National Academic All-Americans include Flynn Cochran, a wide receiver, who was a first team selection in 2003 and 2002. His brothers Chris, a defensive lineman, and Grant, a linebacker, were chosen in 1997 and 2004 & 2005, respectively. Running back Dan McGovern (1996) and tight end Jon Branche (2005) have also been honored.