MSU Athletics

At Midwestern State

Academic Awards
National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete (1)
2016
LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll (2)
2014 (F), 2015 (S)
Individual Awards
NCAA Division II Rimington Award (1)
2016
AFCA All American (1)
2016 (2nd)
Don Hansen Football Gazette All American (1)
2016 (2nd)
D2CCA All-Super Region Four (1)
2016 (2nd)
Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region Four (1)
2016 (2nd)
Lone Star Conference Lineman of the Year (1)
2016
All-Lone Star Conference (2)
2015 (HM), 2016 (1st)

Senior (2016)
became just the second player in program history to earn a national award claiming the Dave Rimington Award as the top center NCAA Division II... is the fifth Lone Star Conference center to earn the prestigious award joining Texas A&M-Kingsville's Kevin Palmer (2003), Southeastern Oklahoma's Kevin Burton (2004) and Sam Collins (2008) and Matt Webber (2011) of Abilene Christian... MSU's second national award winner in as many years joining former teammate Marqui Christian, who earned Cliff Harris Award as the top small school defensive player in the nation in 2015... named a second-team All-American by the American Football Coaches' Association and Don Hansen Football Gazette... a second-team All-Super Region Four pick by CoSIDA/D2CCA and Hansen Football Gazette... built on the MSU O-Line Pride legacy as a Mustang claimed LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year honors for the sixth time in seven seasons joining Amini Silatolu (2010, 2011), Ken Van Heule (2012), Shadow Stokes (2014) and Alfredo Moreno (2015)... started eight games at center missing games against Truman State (9/3), Angelo State (10/15) and Ferris State (11/19) due to injury... led an offensive line unit that paved the way for the second-best rushing attack in the LSC while ranking 37th nationally at 196.1 yards per game while limiting opposing defenses to 5.1 tackles for loss a game -- second in the LSC and 38th in NCAA Division II... MSU permitted just 11 sacks all season...

Redshirt Junior (2015)
an All-Lone Star Conference honorable mention at the center position... started nine games at center and one at right guard... instrumental part of an offensive line unit which paved the way for the LSC third-best rushing attack (191.4 yard per game), sixth best passing attack (208.7 yards per game) and No. 7 total offense (400.1 yards per game... missed West Texas A&M game (10/10) with an injury...

Junior (2014)
served medical redshirt...

At Arizona Western

Sophomore (2013)
chosen first-team NJCAA All-America at center for coach Tom Minnick at Arizona Western... named first-team All-Western States Football League and first-team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference at center... leading blocker for AWC that averaged 401.9 yards total offense in 2013 and 172.6 yards rushing per game...

Freshman (2012)
selected a second-team All-WSFL and All-ACCAC performer at center as a true freshman... helped lead the way for AWC to roll up 454.3 yards in total offense a game, while churing out 208.5 yards rushing a contest... the Matadors led the ACCAC and WSFL in scoring at 45.2 points a game... helped AWC to an 8-2 finish and a win in the El Toro Bowl in Yuma, Ariz...

At Kamehameha-Hawaii High School
named to the All-Big Island Interscholastic Federation team in the offensive line for coach Dan Lyons at Kamehameha-Hawaii High School in Kea'au, Hawaii... an honorable mention All-Hawaii performer by The Honolulu Star in the defensive line as a senior in 2011... tallied 75 total tackles with 21 solos as a senior... chalked up a quarterback sack, recovered a fumble and brokeup two passes as well... won the Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championship as a heavyweight in wrestling as a junior and senior...

Personal
son of William and Rolande Paleka-Kennedy... born Dec. 5, 1994... given first name is Akoakoanvimaikalani...