Matthew Whitaker, the acting U.S. attorney general, claimed that he was an Academic All-American while playing football at the University of Iowa—but, according to documents and the organization that gives out the honor, he never received the award. Whitaker, who was a tight end on the Iowa team from 1990 to 1992, claimed the honor on his former law firm’s website, his résumé, and in government documents, according to The Wall Street Journal. He made the same claim in an application for an Iowa judgeship in 2010. Academic All-Americans must be student-athletes with at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and are required to be a “starter or important reserve” on their team, according to the report. Another University of Iowa football player is on the All-American list for 1992, the year that Whitaker has said he received the honor.
