Senior Bruin Fleischmann named National Football Foundation, Colorado Chapter, Scholar-Athlete of the Year
4/2/2026 12:07:00 PM | Football
Falcons place 17 on Academic All-Colorado team
Air Force Academy senior tight end Bruin Fleischmann has been named the 2025 Colorado Chapter/National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, chapter officials announced Thursday.
The Colorado Chapter has selected a recipient for the award for the last 13 years, when it also created the Academic All-Colorado team. The chapter board votes for the Scholar-Athlete recipient, while schools submit qualifiers for the Academic team.
Fleishmann, who hails from Pocatello, Idaho, owns an overall 3.45 cumulative grade point average in his major, Business Management. He was a semifinalist for the coveted National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy (considered the Academic "Heisman"). A member on the Dean's List for academic excellence at the Academy, he was a three-time Academic All-Mountain West team selection and a member of the NCAA Football Student-Athlete Connection Group, representing the Mountain West, service academies and the West Coast teams.
On the field, he earned honorable mention All-Mountain West honors, as he was second on the team with 21 receptions for 370 yards with a team-high six touchdown catches (the latter ranked fifth in the Mountain West). He caught a pass in 11 games – including 10 straight – the longest at Air Force since 2015 and longest in program history for a tight end. Within that was a streak of four straight games with a TD catch, the longest streak in the Troy Calhoun era by any player (and the longest in AFA history for a tight end). His receptions were the fifth-most and receiving yards fourth-most ever in program history for a tight end. He had a career-best six catches for 166 yards and as core at Navy, earning him the John Mackey Award as national tight end of the week.
Eight of the 10 football playing colleges in the state submitted a nomination and all were deemed finalists for the prestigious honor. Those included Kash Bradley (Colorado Mesa), Taqfiq Byard (Colorado), Lucas LeSieur (Colorado Mines), Drew Nash (Western Colorado), Zack Nowatzke (Northern Colorado), Zack Rakowsky (CSU Pueblo), and Christopher Thomas, Jr. (Fort Lewis). The average grade point average for the eight computed to 3.71.
All told, a record 299 student-athletes were named Academic All-Colorado (a record 204 first-team, 95 honorable mention); it topped the 291 honored in 2023 that set the previous high mark. Fourteen members of the first-team were also selected either the first- or second-team All-Colorado for their play on the field in 2025, including two players of the year: Nash (offense) and P Bryan Hansen, Colorado State (special teams).
The criteria to qualify were cumulative grade point averages of 3.3 or higher for first-team status (3.0-3.29 for honorable mention and if they were considered regular performers in any/all three phases of the game; GPA's are cumulative and through the fall 2025 semester.
To purchase or renew Air Force football season tickets, please visit www.aftickets.com or call 719-472-1895.
For information on premium seating, including the East Club presented by L3Harris at the Kucera Legacy Center and the Blue & Silver Club, please click HERE or call the Falcon Athletic Fund at 719-333-4545 to purchase.
For more information about supporting the Fisher DeBerry Football Excellence Endowment and matching gifts, please click HERE or call 719-472-0300.
The Colorado Chapter has selected a recipient for the award for the last 13 years, when it also created the Academic All-Colorado team. The chapter board votes for the Scholar-Athlete recipient, while schools submit qualifiers for the Academic team.
Fleishmann, who hails from Pocatello, Idaho, owns an overall 3.45 cumulative grade point average in his major, Business Management. He was a semifinalist for the coveted National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy (considered the Academic "Heisman"). A member on the Dean's List for academic excellence at the Academy, he was a three-time Academic All-Mountain West team selection and a member of the NCAA Football Student-Athlete Connection Group, representing the Mountain West, service academies and the West Coast teams.
On the field, he earned honorable mention All-Mountain West honors, as he was second on the team with 21 receptions for 370 yards with a team-high six touchdown catches (the latter ranked fifth in the Mountain West). He caught a pass in 11 games – including 10 straight – the longest at Air Force since 2015 and longest in program history for a tight end. Within that was a streak of four straight games with a TD catch, the longest streak in the Troy Calhoun era by any player (and the longest in AFA history for a tight end). His receptions were the fifth-most and receiving yards fourth-most ever in program history for a tight end. He had a career-best six catches for 166 yards and as core at Navy, earning him the John Mackey Award as national tight end of the week.
Eight of the 10 football playing colleges in the state submitted a nomination and all were deemed finalists for the prestigious honor. Those included Kash Bradley (Colorado Mesa), Taqfiq Byard (Colorado), Lucas LeSieur (Colorado Mines), Drew Nash (Western Colorado), Zack Nowatzke (Northern Colorado), Zack Rakowsky (CSU Pueblo), and Christopher Thomas, Jr. (Fort Lewis). The average grade point average for the eight computed to 3.71.
All told, a record 299 student-athletes were named Academic All-Colorado (a record 204 first-team, 95 honorable mention); it topped the 291 honored in 2023 that set the previous high mark. Fourteen members of the first-team were also selected either the first- or second-team All-Colorado for their play on the field in 2025, including two players of the year: Nash (offense) and P Bryan Hansen, Colorado State (special teams).
The criteria to qualify were cumulative grade point averages of 3.3 or higher for first-team status (3.0-3.29 for honorable mention and if they were considered regular performers in any/all three phases of the game; GPA's are cumulative and through the fall 2025 semester.
To purchase or renew Air Force football season tickets, please visit www.aftickets.com or call 719-472-1895.
For information on premium seating, including the East Club presented by L3Harris at the Kucera Legacy Center and the Blue & Silver Club, please click HERE or call the Falcon Athletic Fund at 719-333-4545 to purchase.
For more information about supporting the Fisher DeBerry Football Excellence Endowment and matching gifts, please click HERE or call 719-472-0300.
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