Nov. 29, 2007
University of New Mexico seniors Cody Kase and Vince Natali were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first and second teams, respectively, this morning. It’s the first time in program history two players have earned All-America honors in the same season. The duo are the lone Mountain West Conference representatives on the first and second teams.
A second team selection in 2006, Kase became the third two-time Academic All-American in program history, joining defensive lineman Robert Rumbaugh (1977-78) and safety Chad Smith (1997-98). Kase has posted a 3.94 cumulative grade point average during his career and will earn his degree in Business Administration this month.
The Valencia, Calif. product has started all 12 games at middle linebacker, notching 57 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss to help the Lobo defense return to the national top-30 (23rd) for the first time since 2004.
Natali, meanwhile, earned Academic All-America honors for the first time in his career and is the second Lobo center to be recognized along with Justin Hall in 1993. A third-semester graduate student, Natali earned his degree in Business Administration in December of 2006 with a 3.89 cumulative GPA.
A product of Park Ridge, Ill., Natali has enjoyed an outstanding season anchoring the middle of a UNM offensive line which has cleared the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in Rodney Ferguson and protected for the MWC’s No. 3 passing attack. Natali has allowed just one sack all year and leads the team with 110.5 knockdown blocks.