Messer Repeats as CSC First-Team Academic All-American
UPLAND, Ind. – The College Sports Communicators announced its NAIA Football Academic All-Americans recently, with Taylor's Reid Messer being a First-Team selection for the second-straight year.
Messer boasts a 3.86 cumulative grade-point average in accounting midway through his junior year at TU. The safety played to All-MSFA honors for the second time with 51 tackles, one interception and five passes defended in the Trojan secondary during the 2025 campaign.
Messer was one-of-25 student-athletes from the NAIA to make the prestigious list, was one-of-seven athletes who were not a senior or graduate student to be recognized and was one-of-four athletes to earn a repeat selection.
With the latest honor, Messer joins Brendan Lamb (2021, 2022), Brandon Haan (2014, 2016), Hans Lunderg (2014, 2015, 2016) and Nick Freeman (2011, 2012) as the only individuals to receive multiple CSC Academic All-American awards with the Trojans.
Taylor football has now picked up 25 such honors in its history, with Taylor Athletics leading the NAIA with 155 CSC Academic All-American honors all-time. Of those 155 total honors, 153 have come since 2010.
Messer is the fourth Taylor student-athlete to receive the top honor during the 2025-2026 year, joining Eliza Luttrell and Campbell Massey of women's soccer and Ellie Frey of volleyball.
The CSC Academic All-America program is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the field. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have met the playing time criteria of playing in 90-percent, or starting in 66-percent of the team's games during the current season.
Honorees on the NAIA Academic All-American team were voted on by CSC members from a pool of CSC Academic All-District award winners.