Touchstone Named College Division
Football Academic All-America of the Year
Also selected First Team Academic All-America
for Second Consecutive Season

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University senior free safety Ty Touchstone (5’11”, 190 lbs., Lubbock, TX/Monterey HS) has been voted the College Division Football Academic All-America of the Year by the All-America selection committee of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He also was selected as a First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America pick for the second consecutive season. It was Touchstone’s third time on the Academic All-America Team. He was a Second Team selection in 2002, before earning First Team honors for the first time in 2003.

“Ty is a fine example of a student-athlete, and he’s really represented Eastern New Mexico well,” Athletic Director Mike Maguire said. “He’s certainly made the most of his college experience.”

Touchstone was one of six repeat selections on the First Team. He also was the only Lone Star Conference player named to the All-America Team this season.

Last year, he was only LSC player named to the First Team and was one of just two LSC players selected overall. Touchstone owns a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. He is majoring in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems.

“Ty’s been a great kid to coach. Obviously, he’s extremely intelligent,” said Mark Ribaudo, ENMU’s defensive coordinator who has been named head coach effective in January. “He’s also very coachable, and he’s a great player. That’s an incredible combination. That’s the kind of player we want.”

A total of 24 players received First Team recognition. An additional 24 players were chosen for the Second Team. Players nominated in the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program were starters or key reserves for their respective teams. They achieved cumulative GPAs of 3.2 or higher (4.0 scale). Each player was at his current college or university for at least one full academic year.

The College Division includes players in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA. The Greyhounds compete in NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. Eastern finished the 2004 season with a 6-5 overall record, including 4-2 (3rd place) in the LSC South. It was Eastern’s seventh consecutive winning season.

1st Team Academic All-America
Football Academic All-America of the Year

Touchstone ranked third on the ENMU team this year with 78 total tackles and was second on the team with 53 unassisted stops. He recorded one tackle for loss and one-half of a quarterback sack.

He led the Hounds with three blocked field goals — all on kicks in the fourth quarter of games ENMU won. One of the field goals he blocked was a 19-yarder with 3:20 left in Eastern’s 21-20 Homecoming victory over arch rival West Texas A&M. Touchstone also broke up three passes and intercepted three passes. He recorded a season-high 15 tackles (10 solo) against nationally-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville.

He returned 11 punts during the season for 112 yards, an average of 10.2 yards per return. He was named Second Team All-LSC South. He earned First Team All-LSC South honors in 2002.

Touchstone was the only NCAA Division II player, and one of just 15 players overall, chosen as 2004 National Scholar-Athletes by the National Football Foundation. He will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and will join the other Scholar-Athletes at the annual National Football Foundation banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on Tuesday, Dec. 7.

During his four years at Eastern, Touchstone accumulated 300 total tackles, including 187 solo tackles. He intercepted eight passes and broke up nine pass attempts. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. He played in all 43 games from 2001 through 2004, including 31 starts.

Touchstone earned First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors for the third consecutive season this fall, and was named to the LSC South All-Academic Team for the third year in a row. He was chosen LSC South Academic Player of the Year this season.