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Feb. 9, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three University of Virginia student-athletes have beennamed to the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic football team asannounced by ACC Commissioner John Swofford. To be eligible, a player musthave earned a 3.00 grade point average for the fall semester or havemaintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.
Offensive guard Noel LaMontagne and defensive back Dwayne Stukes, who bothcompeted this past season as graduate students, are among nine repeatersfrom last year’s team, while junior quarterback Dan Ellis makes his firstappearance on the team.
LaMontagne, a first-team All-America in 1999, earned first-team All-ACChonors in each of the past two years and was instrumental in paving the wayfor tailback Thomas Jones‘ record-setting season. LaMontagne also receivedthe ACC’s Jim Tatum Award, given annually to the top student-athlete amongthe league’s senior football players.
Stukes battled injuries throughout the season and appeared in sevenregular-season games and the Micronpc.com Bowl vs. Illinois. He recorded 28tackles this fall, the second-highest total of his career and interceptedtwo passes. He also intercepted a pass in the bowl game.
LaMontagne and Stukes earned their undergraduate degrees in 1999,LaMontagne received his undergraduate degree in sociology in May 1999,while Stukes received his history degree in August. They were enrolled inthe university’s Curry School of Education this season.
Ellis tossed 20 touchdown passes, one off the school record, last fall inhis first year as the starting quarterback. He guided the Cavaliers tolast minute wins against North Carolina and Maryland and finished eighthnationally in passing efficiency. He set a school record (and tied the ACCmark) with six touchdown passes against Buffalo on Nov. 13. Ellis is ahistory and secondary education major.