April 25, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior center Patrick Justman (Palo Alto, Calif.) has been named to the inaugural National Honor Society by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF). Justman was one of 345 players from 195 schools to be recognized for his achievement in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.2 undergraduate grade-point average and being a starter or significant substitute in his final year of eligibility.
Justman started all 12 contests for the Aztecs in 2006, garnering Mountain West Conference honorable mention honors in his first year at center. He appeared in 35 career games and started on 23 occasions.
The Palo Alto native completed his bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a 3.49 GPA in 2005. He is slated to earn his master's degree in public administration this May and has a 3.78 grade-point average in his graduate studies. He intends to enroll in law school later this year.
Justman has received several academic honors already in 2006-07, including from the NFF, which tabbed him as a semifinalist for the prestigious Draddy Trophy, which is given to football players who combine academic success, football performance and exemplary community service. He also was a candidate for the NFF's 2006 National Scholar-Athlete awards and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII team.
He is a three-time Mountain West Conference all-academic selection and was given the team's President's Award for highest standards of athletic and academic excellence four straight years. This past Monday at the 13th annual San Diego State Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet, Justman received the department's highest honor, the Malik Award, for posting a perfect 4.0 GPA during the 2006 spring semester.