GREENVILLE -- Three Furman University football players have been named to the GTE District III Academic All-America team, it was announced today.

Senior running back Stuart Rentz, junior linebacker Marion Martin, and sophomore cornerback Rodney Johnson were named to the 18-player squad, giving Furman more representatives on the team than any other school.

The team is selected by college sports information directors from qualified candidates representing all NCAA Division I and I-AA football playing schools from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. All three Paladins are now eligible for the GTE Academic All-America national team, which will be announced in December.

"Stuart, Marion, and Rodney are outstanding young men who are deserving of this recognition as top notch students and athletes," said head coach Bobby Johnson on Thursday. "They are a real credit to our program and our university and have been major factors in the success we've enjoyed this year."

Rentz, a Pickens, S.C., product who sports a 3.90 GPA in Spanish and business administration, has rushed for 272 yards and two touchdowns this year in helping ninth-ranked Furman to an 7-2 record. His career totals include 1,305 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Martin carries a 3.89 GPA in chemistry and currently ranks fifth on the squad in tackles with 49. The Columbia, S.C., native also has three tackles-for-loss, three pass deflections, and an interception as a starter on Furman's defensive unit.

Johnson, meanwhile, has tallied 34 tackles, four pass deflections, and an interception in his first season as a starter. The Marion, N.C., product sports a 3.21 GPA in health and exercise science.

To qualify for GTE Academic All-America Team honors, an athlete must be a starter or important reserve and must possess a minimum 3.20 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Furman's football program has produced 10 GTE Academic All-Americans over the years ‹ more than any other Southern Conference member or state school.