KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Senior place kicker John Potter became the sixth Bronco football student-athlete to earn First Team Capital One Academic All-America and the first specialist in program history on Thursday.

Potter boasts a 3.98 GPA in business and finance, which is the highest GPA on the football team and has one of the top 10 GPAs among all Western Michigan student-athletes.

The Grand Haven, Mich., native is the vice president of the Entrepreneurs Club on campus, an organization Potter founded in the spring of 2011.  The organization's purpose is to connect students, spark innovation and generate ideas on ways to better impact the WMU and Kalamazoo communities. 

Potter and two colleagues met at "Start Up Weekend," a national event for young entrepreneurs, in April and brainstormed, conceptualized and started the web site http://www.kalamazoolocalmusic.com.

Potter's acknowledgment marks the fifth year in a row that Western Michigan football has had one of its own earn Capital One Academic All-America.  He is the first Bronco to earn first team honors since Anthony Gebhart in 2007.

Former WMU and Grand Haven teammate Phillip Swanson earned Capital One Academic All-America in 2008 and 2010.

1970 Jon Bull, tackle (first team)
1973 Dan Arbour, defensive end (second team)
1981 Les Garrett, linebacker (second team)
1994 Rich Kaiser, defensive end (first team)
1995 Rich Kaiser, defensive end (first team)
1998 Mike Hutchings, wide receiver (first team)
2007 Anthony Gebhart, safety (first team)
2008 Phil Swanson, offensive guard (second team)
2009 Tim Hiller, quarterback (second team)
2010 Phillip Swanson, offensive guard (second team)
2011 John Potter, place kicker (first team)