ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T running back Deshawn Jones (Olympia Fields, IL/Rich Central), who closed out his playing career as the all-time leading rusher in school history, has added another significant honor to his career resume as he was named today to the Academic All-America team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Jones earned a spot on the second team and is the only member of the 50-man squad that has been selected to the Academic All-America team in each of the last three seasons.  He is also one of two student-athletes from the Great Lakes Valley Conference named to this year's squad along with Truman State quarterback Jaden Barr, who was also selected to the second team.

Jones is majoring in biological sciences at Missouri S&T and ranked third in the GLVC in rushing with a team-high 831 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2019 season.  He set new career standards at S&T during the season, finishing the campaign with 3,493 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns and already held the single-season records with 1,579 yards and 17 touchdowns set during the 2017 season.

Jones also finished his career ranked second with 40 touchdowns scored, third with 242 points scored and fourth with 3,872 all-purpose yards.  His 15 games with at least 100 yards rushing are the second-most in program history behind the 19 recorded by Terry Ryan, who held the career rushing record prior to Jones' surpassing it in the final game of the season.

Since Missouri S&T received its first Academic All-America award in 1972, when Kim Colter was selected, the Miner football teams have produced 27 of the athletic program's 102 Academic All-America award winners.   Jones is the fifth Miner in history – along with football player Brian Gilmore, men's basketball player Brian Westre and swimmers Bill Gaul and Keith Sponsler – to be named to the Academic All-America team three times during their careers.

Missouri S&T finished the 2018 season with a record of 7-4 and went 5-0 at home this season, posting its first perfect record at home since 1983.