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BUFFALO, NY- Dan Poulsen won't get the chance to play against Division I-A competition as he will graduate in May before the University at Buffalo's move to major college football.

However, Poulsen has earned the right to be included with the best of college football - joining players from Missouri, Nebraska, West Virginia, Georgia, UCLA and Kentucky - on the GTE Academic All-America Football Team. The team is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Poulsen, a Dean's List student and two-time member of the District I Academic All-American team, became the first University at Buffalo student-athlete to earn national Academic All-American honors since the Bulls moved to Division I in the 1991-92 academic year. The native of North Tonawanda, NY carries a 3.84 grade point average, the highest of any male athlete at UB, while majoring in Physical Therapy.

Earlier this year Poulsen earned a $10,000 scholarship to UB's General Scholarship Fund when he earned Burger King National Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors before the Bulls' Homecoming Day game against Morgan State. He is a three-time Dean's List student, a six-time UB Scholar-Athlete and has volunteered his time to both the Alcohol Awareness and Big Brother/Big Sister programs.

On the field, Poulsen was a tri-captain on the Bulls this season and a three-year starter. He finished his UB career ranked seventh all-time in sacks with 12.5 and ninth in tackles for loss with 23. This past season, he led the team for the second straight year in sacks with 5.5 and had a team-leading 12 tackles for loss among his 47 total tackles (24 solos) and forced a fumble.

He came to UB from nearby North Tonawanda High School where he won a state title in wrestling and was an All-Western New York selection in football.

The 1998 GTE Academic All-American Football Team:

Offense: QB: Chad Pennington (Marshall); WR's: Justin Olsen (Montana), David Patterson (New Mexico State); Tight end: Jake Slueve (Missouri); RB's: Joel Makovicka (Nebraska), Jacob Jones (Dayton). Offensive line: Eric deGroh (West Virginia), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia), Nick Batalie (Butler), Shawn Stuart (UCLA), Mike Newell (Colorado State); Kicker: Alex Sierk (Princeton).

Defense: Defensive line: Mike Goltez (Butler), Chad Kelsay (Nebraska), Dan Poulsen (Buffalo), Jarrod Everson (Liberty); Linebackers: Matt Ferebaugh (St. Francis, PA), Brian Brown (Wyoming), Nate Kvamme (Colorado State); Defensive backs: Jeff Zurcher (Kentucky), Chad Smith (New Mexico), Anthony Pannunzio (Youngstown State), Scott Auerback (San Diego State); Punter: William LaFleur (Nebraska).