(GREENSBORO)  – The Atlantic Coast Conference’s statistical leaders in total offense and touchdown responsibility and 10 players who earned first-team, second-team or honorable mention All-Conference honors this past season secured spots on the 42-member 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Football Team, announced Wednesday by Commissioner John Swofford.

To be eligible for consideration, a player must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. All 12 ACC schools were represented by at least one selection on the team. The ACC has selected an ACC All-Academic Football team every year since 1954.

Leading the team were Florida State junior quarterback Christian Ponder (Coffeyville, Tex.), Pa.), who led the ACC in total offense, averaging 321.8 yards per game, and NC State quarterback  Russell Wilson (Richmond, Va.), who led the conference in touchdown passes (31) and touchdown responsibility (35). Wilson’s TD pass total tied for the fourth-best effort in conference history, while his 35 TDR were the ACC’s third-best single-season total. Ponder, who received his bachelor’s degree after his redshirt-sophomore season, is currently completing the requirements for his MBA degree. His total offense average was the sixth-best effort in conference history. Ponder and Wilson both earned Honorable Mention All-ACC accolades last year.

Joining them on the All-Academic team were three first-team All-ACC honorees in Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.), Clemson tight end Michael  Palmer (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Virginia Tech punter Brent Bowden (Centreville, Va.),  as well as three second-team selections in Clemson guard Thomas Austin (Camden, S.C.), Duke linebacker Vincent Rey (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) and Duke placekicker Will Snyderwine (Potomac, Md.). Clemson linebacker Brandon Maye (Mobile, Ala.) joined Ponder and Wilson as honorable mention All-ACC choices.