Syracuse football center Jim McKenzie (Springfield, Pa.) is a 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American. The senior biochemistry major is the ninth Syracuse University football student-athlete to earn the honor. McKenzie joins end Fred Mautino (1960), linebacker Howard Goodman (1971), linebacker Tony Romano (1983), defensive tackle Tim Green (1984 and 1985), punter Pat O’Neill (1993), offensive tackle Mark Baniewicz (1999), linebacker Rich Scanlon (2003) and center Matt Tarullo (2004) as Syracuse Academic All-Americans.
A two-time Academic All-District honoree, McKenzie been selected to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team twice (2007 and 2008) and has been on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester. He has started 30 career games after assuming the starting role in the third game of his freshman year. As a freshman he was a Rivals.com BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection. During the summer of 2009 completed an internship at Upstate Hospital, participating in a study that analyzed the duration of a patient stay based on a number of factors once they were admitted from the emergency room. McKenzie is a regular participant in the ‘Cuse Cares Community Program, working with children, at risk youth and the elderly.
McKenzie and the 2009 Orange play at Connecticut on Saturday, November 28 (12:00 p.m., BIG EAST Network).