University of St. Thomas Athletics
Rasmussen named PFL Scholar Athlete of the Year
12/4/2024 1:00:00 PM | Football
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's been quite the week for the University of St. Thomas football team. Less than 24 hours after seeing multiple student-athletes receive All-Conference recognition, three Tommies were voted to the Pioneer Football League (PFL) Acadmeic All-Conference teams. Alec Rasmussen (Plymouth, Minn. / Wayzata), who made waves as the team's starting left tackle in 2024, was voted the PFL Scholar Athlete of the Year, becoming the first St. Thomas student-athlete to earn that distinction in the Division I era.
One of the top honors in the PFL, the Scholar Athlete of the Year award is given annually to the top student-athlete in the conference. Rasmussen fit the bill, maintaining a 3.88 grade point average (GPA) throughout the 2024 season while serving as a key starter on the St. Thomas offensive line. Though he missed two games due to injury, Rasmussen played a key role in the Tommies offensive success, helping the team rush for 1745 yards, including 1137 by senior running back Hope Adebayo (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley). Additionally, Rasmussen became the three-time PFL First Team All-Conference honoree in program history, having earned First Team honors in both 2022 and 2023.
Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 to recognize the league's outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, reach his second season academically and played at least one full season at his current institution.
In addition to announcing the Scholar Athlete of the Year, the PFL also announced its 2024 Academic All-Conference teams. Joining Rasmussen as a First Team Academic All-PFL member was senior defensive back Grif Wutz (Chaska, Minn. / Chaska), while Ryan Sever (Edina, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret) was recognized as a Second Team Academic All-Conference member.
St. Thomas 2024 Academic All-Conference Honorees:
Alec Rasmussen (Sr.; Offensive Line; Plymouth, Minn. / Wayzata) – PFL Scholar Athlete of the Year / First Team
A key part to St. Thomas' offensive success in 2024 was none other than Rasmussen, who earned his third First Team Academic All-Conference honor from the PFL on Wednesday. A senior business administration major, Rasmussen appeared in 10 of the Tommies 12 games in 2024, helping the team rush for 1745 yards, including 1137 by Adebayo himself. Additionally, St. Thomas may have produced its most balanced offense, as the team also passed for 1762 yards and recorded 12 passing touchdowns in 2024. The protector of the quarterback's blindside, Tommie quarterbacks were sacked less than 30 times this season and only threw five interceptions against PFL opponents under Rasmussen's watchful eye. Now a three time Academic All-Conference honoree, Rasmussen was also voted to the College Sport Communicators Academic All-District Team in 2023.
Grif Wurtz (5th; Defensive Back; Chaska, Minn. / Chaska) – First Team
A 2023 PFL Acadmeic All-Conference honoree, Wurtz was named First Team Academic All-Conference for the first time in his career after an outstanding senior season with St. Thomas. As a defensive back, Wurtz appeared in all 12 games for the Tommies and racked up 73.0 tackles, two interceptions and four pass break ups in his final season. He ranked second on the team in total tackles (73.0) and 14th in the conference, having tallied 44 of his 73 tackles against PFL opponents. Wurtz also played a key role in St. Thomas' special teams success, becoming the first Tommie in the DI era to record an interception and a completed pass in the same quarter.
Ryan Sever (Jr.; Linebacker; Edina, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret's) – Second Team
After earning All-Conference honors for the first time in his career on Tuesday, Sever earned Second Team Academic All-Conference honors for his play both on the field and in the classroom. A business major, Sever maintained a 3.55 GPA throughout the 2024 season and led the Tommies in several defensive categories. He appeared in all 12 games for St. Thomas in 2024 and closed the season with a team-leading 87 tackles, 34 solo and 53 assists, including 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Sever recorded a career and season-high 12 tackles in a loss to Morehead State in early November and recorded 10 tackles against Drake the following weekend. He also closed the season with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, seven quarterback hurries and four pass breakups.
