December 6, 2012 at 2:48 PM

Pete Massaro and John Urschel were both named first-team Academic All-Americans on Thursday.

It was Massaro's second Academic All-American selection and Urschel's first. Penn State and Nortre Dame are the only two schools in the country to have two players make the first team, which was selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

“It’s an awesome feeling," Massaro, a senior defensive end, said in a statement. “I actually had this date circled on my calendar. This is one of the things you work for when you are a college student-athlete. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Massaro graduated last December with a 3.85 GPA in finance and is slated to earn his second degree in a few weeks, this time in economics. Meanwhile, Urschel, a junior offensive lineman, graduated in three years with a flawless 4.0 GPA in mathematics and is on pace to earn his master's degree in May 2013.

On the field, Massaro made eight tackles and had half a sack in the 2012 season. Urschel helped Zach Zwinak become a 1,000-yard rusher and was a first-team All-Big selection by conference coaches and a second-team pick by the media.