Penn State’s own Matt Brown added another impressive title to his resume when he was named Capital One Division I Academic All-America® of the Year this morning.

Brown, who we profiled this past winter, is coming off a National Championship win in his senior season. He was Penn State wrestling’s true leader this year as the team sought to continue its dynastic levels of success in recent years. He performed admirably all season, with notable wins over Iowa’s Mike Evans in the Bryce Jordan Center and Pitt’s Tyler Wilps in the NCAA finals — but what’s most impressive about Brown is that he is just as successful off of the mat.

The Criminology and International Politics double major carries an outstanding 3.97 GPA, and excelled within the Penn State Army ROTC program. He has already earned NCAA and Big Ten Conference Postgraduate Scholarships to continue his studies beyond the undergraduate level. He had no trouble balancing elite collegiate wrestling, high-level academic studies, a wife, and a social life in Happy Valley. He is truly an exceptional example for all Penn State athletes to follow.

“It is quite the honor to be named Capital One Division I Academic All-America® of the Year. In addition to the support of my loving family, this past year I enjoyed the support of my teammates and coaches, Penn State Army ROTC, The School of International Affairs and the Penn State wrestling community,” Brown told Penn State Athletics.

Brown was also honored as Penn State’s Male Athlete of the Year, an impressive achievement at a school with so many outstanding competitors.

“Matt Brown is an outstanding example of what a student-athlete is,” head coach Cael Sanderson said. “He epitomizes hard work, dedication, responsibility and the ‘One Team’ attitude we strive for here at Penn State.”