Two Selected First Team Academic All-District

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke continued its successful fall semester in the classroom Thursday as a pair of Blue Devils – David Helton and DeVon Edwards – were named to the Capital One Academic All-District III First Team, according to an announcement by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

It is the second straight season in which Helton, a senior linebacker, has received first team honors while it is the initial selection in redshirt sophomore defensive back Edwards' career.

Duke, which has had 12 Academic All-District picks in the last three seasons, had the second most selections within the ACC this year, one behind Wake Forest's three representatives.

Helton was named a National Football Foundation Student-Athlete Award recipient at the end of October. The Chattanooga, Tenn., product has a 3.64 grade point average as a psychology major. He is a three-time Academic All-ACC and ACC Academic Honor Roll selection and is one of 20 quarterfinalists for the 2014 Lott IMPACT Trophy.

On the field, Helton has recorded a team-high 87 tackles and leads the ACC in tackles per game with 10.88. In his last two games, he has booked 32 stops, including a season-best 18 hits at Pittsburgh last Saturday.

With his final stop at Pitt, Helton reached career tackle No. 300. He is the 15th player in program history to reach 300 or more hits. In 44 career games at Duke, Helton has compiled 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. In 2013, he led the ACC in total tackles (133) while helping the Blue Devils to a school single-season record 10 wins, the ACC Coastal Division championship and an appearance in the 46th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Edwards, a second team 2013 All-America choice by the Walter Camp Foundation, was named to four total 2013 All-America teams as a kickoff returner and was placed on three Freshman All-America squads. The Covington, Ga., native owns a 3.40 GPA as a psychology major. He was named to the 2013 Academic All-ACC Team and is two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection.

So far this year, Edwards owns a squad-high seven pass breakups while ranking second on the squad with 42 solo stops and third on the team with 72 total tackles. He enters the week tied for sixth in the ACC in tackles per game with 9.00, tied for fifth in the conference in passes defended per game with 1.00 and tied for sixth in the league in fumbles forced (two). He is the only ACC player ranked within the top six in the league in tackles per game, passes defended per game and fumbles forced per game.

In 2013, Edwards set the Duke single-season kickoff return average mark (30.21). He owns five career touchdowns with two interceptions returned for TDs and three kickoffs ran back.

Duke returns action this Saturday at Syracuse. Kickoff will be at 12:30 p.m. and televised on RSN.

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