ST. LOUIS - Jacob Bacon is the Pioneer Football League's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the PFL office announced Wednesday, Dec. 4. Bacon and six of his teammates placed on the 27^th Academic All-PFL teams as voted by the league's athletics communications directors. Steven Doran, Victor Jergens, Isaiah Kent-Schneider and Danny Morales joined Bacon on the first-team while Devin Cates was selected to the second-team.
 
Bacon, a senior offensive lineman from Hastings, Minn., is the Bulldogs' first PFL Scholar-Athlete of the year since former linebacker Taylor Coleman shared the award with Butler's JoJo Ciancio in 2014. Bacon started 10-of-11 games this season. He helped block for Drake's backs, led by fifth-year senior Drew Lauer, who rushed for 1,608 yards and scored a team-high 17 touchdowns and protect freshman quarterback Ian Corwin. He earned 2019 All-PFL honorable mention honors.
 
Bacon graduated with his bachelor's degrees in actuarial science and finance with a 3.93 grade point average. He is enrolled in Drake's Masters of Business Administration program concentrating in business analytics and holds a 4.00 grade point average. Bacon has been named to the academic first-team three straight years.
 
Doran, a fifth-year senior wide receiver from Germantown, Wis., battled injury in his final season but still had 12 catches for 195 yards and one touchdown. He owns a 3.53 GPA as a physics and astronomy double major.
 
Jergens, a senior defensive lineman, started all 11 games. He recorded 19 tackles, including a team-leading three sacks and led the team with two forced fumbles. Jergens holds a 3.98 GPA in finance. He earned 2019 All-PFL honorable mention honors.
 
Kent-Schneider is a fifth-year senior who started 10 games on the offensive line with Bacon. He graduated with degrees in environmental science and secondary education. Kent-Schneider is enrolled in the STEM education master's program with a 3.98 GPA. He earned 2019 All-PFL honorable mention honors.
 
Morales, a sophomore defensive back, had an outstanding second season. He started 11 games and finished second on the team in total tackles with 66, including team-leading 49 unassisted tackles. Morales owns a 3.74 GPA in health sciences clinical applied. He earned 2019 All-PFL honorable mention honors.
 
Cates, a tight end/wide receiver, led the team in receptions (51), yards (627) and receiving touchdowns (9), including catching a touchdown in eight straight games to end the season. He is a psychology major with a 3.55 GPA. Cates earned his first-ever All-PFL honor Tuesday being named to the 2019 first-team.
 
Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 as a way to recognize the league's outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, reached his second season academically and played at least one full season at his current institution.